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Posts Tagged ‘Atlantic Sun’

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What If? Belmont A 13 Seed

In Game Posts on March 10, 2012 at 10:29 am

A 13 seed- again.  How wonderful would it be?

I have made it to every Selection Sunday celebration at Belmont University.  The Beaman Student Life Center is packed, shoulder-to-shoulder, camera-to-camera, Sodexho hot dog-to-Sodexho hot dog.  Sodexho brings out their semi-best catered food, and news crews crawl around the campus.  It is like a second, less sniper-rifled version of the Presidential Town Hall Debates.  In fact, CBS will be here according to Belmont’s official basketball website.  So, come one, come all Sunday.  Festivities start at 4 p.m.

But what would it really mean for Belmont to draw a 13 seed in the NCAA tournament this year?  Last year we drew the 13 seed and were up against a Wisconsin team that many eyed to be out in a first-round upset.  If my memory serves me correct, Dick Vitale even chose the Bruins in his bracket upset.  But it was not in the cards.  And as you will read below, Wisconsin and Belmont are in a similar position as last year.  Below are the 4-seed possibilities.

The Four Seeds

Indiana

Maybe teams should be ranked by two of the following stipulations this year: have you played Kentucky? Did you beat Kentucky?  Tom Crean’s Hoosiers did actually play Kentucky this year (satisfying the first stipulation), and not only did they play them- they beat them (the second stipulation).  No other resume in college basketball boasts this quality win, and Indiana proudly stands at 11 on the RPI.  But in their first Big Ten tournament win in years, Hoosiers’ Senior Guard Verdell Jones III crumpled to the floor on an awkward jump stop.  The knee injury wasn’t good according to Crean, and the 25 minute, 7.5 points a game senior won’t see the Hoosiers through the tournament because of a torn ACL.  But while Jones’ injury is a tough one, freshman Cody Zeller is the story of the year for the Hoosiers.  This 6-11 forward posts over 15 a game with 6 boards and ranks 15th in the NCAA in FG% at .629.  The freshman is a beast and causes problems for any opponent inside.  The third most efficient offensive team in the nation, the Hoosiers combination of size and offense will guarantee a tough matchup for anyone.


Wisconsin

With an adjusted tempo of with 58.9, Wisconsin ranks 344th in the NCAA according to Ken Pom in overall pace of the game.  Belmont averages 68.4, showing one of the key reasons that Belmont got lost last year when they played Bo Ryan’s Badgers.  Wisconsin slows the game tremendously, and for the run and gun type offense of the Bruins, game plans must be changed accordingly.  Senior Guard Jordan Taylor averages 14.6 points this year, down from 18 last year. And thankfully Jon Leuer (that guy who put up 22 points against us last year in the tournament) is now with the Milwaukee Bucks.  However, getting this Wisconsin team this year will still not be considerably easier.  The Badgers are hot, coming off a win against Ohio State and taking down Indiana on Friday, waiting for Michigan State today to prove they are ready for a deep tournament run.

Florida State

What can you say about the Seminoles?  They are 12-4 in the ACC with a record that shows big wins against North Carolina and Duke but some Ivy League losses to Harvard and Princeton.  This seems to be the best way to really sum up this team-  ”Big wins, strange losses”.  Junior guard Michael Snaer puts up a respectable 14 points a game, but the Seminoles turn over the ball a shocking 1 out of every 4 possessions.  They rank almost last in this category in the NCAA at 330th.  But that is the BAD.  The GOOD is their defense.  Ranked in the top 20 in nearly every defensive ranking (efficiency, block percentage, etc…), the Seminoles are a team that can go deep or be beat based on the amount of turnovers their offense gives up.  The Seminoles face off against the Blue Devils at 2 p.m. in the ACC semifinals.

Wichita State

The Shockers.  Wichita State is called the Shockers [insert witty March Madness quote here].  And it is, indeed, shocking to watch Wichita State’s Garrett Stutz go 4-4 from the 3.  Yes, from the 3 point line.  This doesn’t seem like a crazy stat at first until you realize Stutz is 7 feet tall.  He is a mobile 7 footer that made 6 three-pointers in a row between two games.  The Shockers out of conference schedule included UNLV, Temple and Alabama and came out of it 1-2 with a 19 point win against UNLV.  So what is it about this team that makes them a 4?  They rank in the top 10 in offensive efficiency and in the top 20 in defense efficiency.  But the Shockers have some shocking (sorry) losses this year, namely Drake and Illinois State.  Granted, the Drake loss was in 3 overtimes and Illinois State almost beat Creighton in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship game.  The Shockers are good all around and Senior Guard Joe Ragland leads the team with 13 points per game.  Ranked 5th in the nation in overall experience (2.51 years), the Shockers have the depth, teamwork, and maturity to make a legitimate run in the Madness.

The Dark Horse:  Murray State

In what could make an instant rivalry, Belmont could potentially draw future Ohio Valley Conference foe Murray State.  This one loss Racer team is lead by one of the best point guards in the country, Isaiah Canaan.  The Junior put up nearly 20 points a game this season and currently ranks in the top 20 in the nation in 3P%.  He is a beast.  But when you start to look deeply at this team, some people don’t think they could hang as a favorable seed.  In fact, Ken Pomeroy has the Racers ranked 44th.  For some perspective, Belmont is ranked 24th overall in the Ken Pom rankings.  The Murray State Racers are the wild card in all the Madness.  With three top-50 RPI wins over Southern Mississippi, @ Memphis, and St. Mary’s, you can argue this team either way.  In trying to find a weakness for this team, I attempted to simplify things.  ”I’ll just crunch some numbers in their loss against TSU,” methinks.  ”Limit Canaan.  That’s all you have to do.”  But it is not that easy.  Canaan dropped 31 points against Tennessee State in their only loss of the season.

First year head coach Steve Prohm leads a disciplined team that has done serious damage in their schedule, but has it been enough?  While it would infuriate me as a fan to see my team only lose one game and even be questioned as a top seeded team, the national conversation about Murray State has placed them from a 3 seed to a 6 seed.  The loss to Tennessee State showed a Racer team that practically gave up in the last two minutes.  If you saw the loss, you noticed a frantic, mistake-prone Murray State team that lost its cool under pressure.  Who could upset this team?

Belmont.  The guard heavy, three-point efficient, experienced, ready-to-win-its-first-NCAA-tournament-game team comes in hungry.  What would be better than an instant OVC showdown for the Bruins in the national spotlight?  I can’t think of anything.

What do you think?

-Brett McReynolds

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Exclusive: The Byrd Cage Sits Down With Coach Rick Byrd

In Features on March 6, 2012 at 9:57 pm

I finally got to meet the man that everyone in Athletics called “Coach”.  As I walked into his office-which was covered with cut nets and trophies- Coach Byrd emerged from behind his large desk and extended his hand.  He asked me to sit at a smaller table and chairs where we could relax.  He didn’t want to be behind that large, executive desk.  He wanted to sit closer, get on my level, and I could immediately feel a genuine warmth and welcome from one of the best minds in the NCAA.  I wanted to get things rolling, to not waste his time, but he asked me about myself for about ten minutes.  We spoke about what I studied at Belmont and what I’m doing now.  I was a fan, with a little blog- but he treated me like a highly touted recruit or wealthy donor. I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one he did this to, and that this genuine quality is what kept him at Belmont- really caring about people.  The interview that follows was full of honesty from a man that exudes quiet resolve, discipline, and a warmth that is infectious.  What follows is my interview with the great man, Coach Rick Byrd.
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Brett McReynolds:   Coach Byrd, you are one of only five active NCAA coaches with over 500 wins at one school.  You have clearly accomplished a lot at Belmont University.  What would you call your greatest accomplishment?

Coach Rick Byrd:  First off, you know that’s a legitimate stat, but not nearly all of them are division one wins.  I think it’s a little… you know.. it’s not easy to win NAIA games- so I’m not saying it is less important.  But you know, first of all, I’m not the least bit comfortable talking about my accomplishments, but I think the most difficult thing is that we really came in and kind of, um, rebuilt.. what’s the right word?  It’s kind of like I had two jobs here at Belmont, one was an NAIA job, I came here the very March that Lipscomb won the [NAIA] National Championship.  So, your rival, and what you are going to be compared with, is the best in the business and you got to find a way to be competitive.  By the end of ten years we beat them six times in row and had our share of at least even success in the last five years against Lipscomb.  But I think going from NAIA to Division 1, and having the success that we have now enjoyed, has got to be sort of the cumulative greatest accomplishment of this program.   Because, a lot of people have tried it- I don’t mean people- a lot of schools have tried it- and it’s just not easy.  Wofford has been to the Tournament the last two years from the Southern, and they started this five or six years before we did.  There are many schools around, Tennessee Tech hasn’t been to the Tournament since 1963, there are a lot of schools around that don’t get to go at all.  And certainly a lot that have tried to make this move.  So, to make it to the tournament 5 times and win to win 5 regular season championships- in a relatively short time after going Division 1, is something we are proud of.

BM:  There were some high expectations for the team this year.  Starting off strong against Duke, the year seemed to begin on the right page, but some key losses against USC Upstate and Miami of Ohio, stopped the idea of a 30-win season.  How would you compare this team versus last year’s team?

CRB:  Well, i’ve spent most of this year trying to talk to our guys about not comparing it, because it’s, it’s a little unfair. 30-5 was a historic year.  And, all you had to do was look around to see that hardly anyone else did that, that year.  And hardly anybody ever does it.  Even though a lot of guys were back, our schedule was pretty obviously tougher.  Even though we started with Duke and Memphis on the road, the two games against MTSU and how good they were, and the two games against Marshall- the five game, ten day trip- four of them on the road was a challenge to say the least.  So, we lost the two games, and I mean, you didn’t mention the Lipscomb game at home, that was our worst loss.  The Upstate loss was bad because we were up 16, but anybody in the league who has tried to win at Upstate could tell you it was a tough one.  We should have won the game.  But you can look around the country and see the best programs, that’s why it’s impressive to see what Kentucky has done going 18-0 in the SEC, and what Syracuse has been able to do.  Usually even the best teams stumble every now and then.  And so, with what I think was a much more difficult schedule, I think 27-7 is not too far off from 30-4 this time a year ago.

BM:  That being said about the Duke game, can you elaborate on what Coach K said to you after the game?

CRB:  I remember the first time we played them in the NCAA tournament, but I don’t, I mean, recall.  I may have even talked first.  I don’t recall.  I think I said to him, “I guess we just can’t beat ya,” or something like that. And certainly his comments in the media room about our team were, I think, honest.  You always want to make people feel better, but I think they felt like they literally had not played bad, that they had to play good to beat a good team. I think we knew that night that we had the chance to be a really good team.  And, I got a couple of texts after the game, one text that said you aren’t just good, you are “Sweet 16″ good.  I think that night reflected that we could be that good, but I don’t think our play in the last six weeks tells us that we can’t be that good.

BM:  Since Blake Jenkins started his first game against ETSU, the Bruins have gone on a 14 game winning streak.  Talk a little about the 4 position’s evolution throughout this season if you would.

CRB:  Yeah, you know that substitution was more about, “let’s find someone that can guard Adam Sollazzo”. He’s a big, penetrating point guard, and as we looked at video leading up to that game, he was totally the focus of their offense.  And, he’d end up scoring a lot of points if you helped on him too quickly, then he’d pick you apart.  I mean, we had clip after clip of guys getting dunks because their man helped too quick and he fouled the guy.  And so, we wanted somebody that would make his scores tougher in one-on-one, and we wouldn’t have to help off those other guys.  And Blake is long and athletic and a good defender on the ball, and he did a really good job that night.  Adam Barnes came in that night when Blake got tired or in foul trouble and did a good job on him.  And then later on, actually Ian did a good job in the tournament game on him. But that was the reason Blake started.  If we had started- they were playing four guards and a post player- if we had started Mick and Scott both, which was our starting line-up at the time, neither of them can guard Sollazzo, so we would have had a hard time guarding Sollazzo with anybody.  And it just didn’t make sense to even start the game- and I was struggling offensively with both bigs in the line-up.  It’s not how we play.  We play four out- one in.  I was struggling with a way for us to play while they were together.  And we did fine that way, but I think it has made us better.  Partly it’s because Blake has played well most of the time, but just going back to the four guys that can shoot… Now, you ask about the four position.  Brandon and Trevor pretty much shared that spot a year ago, and neither of them have had a decent shooting year, and when you play four out- one in, you’ve gotta have guys making shots.  And they both contribute in different ways.  This weekend Trevor came in against ETSU when they had two bigs in the lineup and did great, and Brandon didn’t play.  And the next night, when Gulf Coast’s 4 was more of a shooter, Brandon came in and did a good job defensively.  So we’ve used those guys more about match ups than who is playing better than the other one.

BM:  Speaking of Blake, how do you react when a player dunks?  Maybe it is just your general steely reserve on the court, but from a fan’s perspective it seems like you may think dunks are a nuisance.  Am I wrong here?

CRB:  I think, if you try to dunk it, and it’s a harder play than trying to score it with a layup or whatever the other option would be, if there is less chance of the ball going in, I don’t like it.  I don’t.  To me that’s a selfish play.  The same way that throwing a pass behind the back would be if the other way is more effective.  If I’ve got a great passer that can throw a behind the back pass in the right place at the right time, then that is okay.  You know, my job as a coach is for us to be as effective as we can be. And I have no problem with he, or Scott, or Mick or anyone else that can dunk it.  If it’s literally as easy or easier, I wouldn’t know [laughter]- whether its easier or not.  But, look, we’ve all seen in our lifetime a whole lot of dunks missed. And who knows whether it is going to be a one-point game or not.  That’s how we talk about every possession.  If you foul up on defense because you’re not focused and you give up a three-point shot, that is a three-point mistake.  If you’ve done the best you can and they run a good play and the kid makes a good shot, that’s one thing.  If you’ve lost your focus out there and make a mistake that gives them points, then it is the same thing as missing that dunk, it’s the same thing as missing that pass.  That’s what a coach does, he makes his team as effective as they can be.  I’m not really interested, I mean, I think our team is an exciting team, but if it weren’t I wouldn’t worry about it if it was good.  Does that make sense?

BM:  Yeah, that makes complete sense.

CRB:  Good.

BM:  Do you think the Lipscomb game is an important event to hold on to as we leave the A-Sun?

CRB:  Yes.  I think it is. You know, if I could have my own personal way we would never play the game again and it would be alright with me.  Because it is a game that creates a lot, at least for me, a lot of pressure.  It’s the game that everyone shows up for, that everyone puts emphasis on, and I wish that people felt that way about every game here.  I wish the students felt that way, I wish the alumni felt that way, I wish everybody wanted to come to every game we play in here.  It almost becomes a little irritating [laugh], you know what I mean.  Therefore, when we do have a bad game and lose to them, and our record has not been as good with them as it has been with anyone else in the league.  And then, I guess, it’s like the Alabama/Auburn football game. So many people put so much emphasis on that, and you can go 10-0, they don’t really care.  You lost to Alabama, or you lost to Auburn.  There is some of that with this game that I don’t enjoy.  But our plan is to play in both places, two games each year.  I think if you have got a game that creates that much interest, a non-conference game that can fill your gym in both campuses it would be crazy not to play the game.

BM:  Speaking of Lipscomb, what is up with “Bisons”?  Do you think the grammatically incorrect mascot name is a reflection on the institution’s educational priorities, or was it just an initial slip by a really bad editor?

CRB:  They’ve changed it though, didn’t they?

BM:  Well, they are trying to change it.

CRB:  They have, everything they use on their website is Bison.  It’s no longer used as “Bisons”.

BM:  Well, right. [laughter]

CRB:  It sounded like their explanation was, was… kind of murky… “Well, we’re not really changing it.. but”.  So I don’t know… [smirking]  It’s certainly [laughter], it’s certainly not any of my business as a basketball coach, although my dad was a sportswriter, so it’s important to get things right.  You know what, here is what I think; I think it is entirely up to them to call their team whatever they want to call it.  We changed from the Rebels to the Bruins one time.  So, you know, if they want to become the “Fighting Bison” they want to become the, you know, it’s up to them [laughter], I don’t know.  But you know, one of the best signs that our student section ever had was, “Bisons Is Not A Word”. It’s something I’ll always remember seeing.

BM:  March Madness is almost upon us.  People are, of course, speculating on who Belmont would draw.  Who would you rather play out of these four teams: Michigan, Marquette, Georgetown, or Baylor?

CRB:  None of the above.

BM:  [Laughter]

CRB:  You know, it would be crazy for me to let you put that in there [smirking], because it is amazing what people find.  I would literally, you know, we are so tied up in our own year… I try to watch games because i’m a voter in the USA Today/ESPN thing, is that what it is?  So I try to follow up pretty closely, but in terms of trying to find time to watch those teams play, about all I can do is catch glimpses and watch their results. So, at this point I wouldn’t have a good idea who might, or might not, be a good match-up for us. And as soon as somebody thinks it is a good one for us, it usually isn’t and vice-versa.  You know, it’s gonna be a top 15 or 16 team that we play, and it will be good.

BM:  I really appreciate your time.  Thank you.

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What If? Previewing Belmont As 15 Seed

In Game Posts on March 5, 2012 at 7:29 am
While currently projected a 14 seed by most experts, the Byrd Cage explores every potential option this week for the Belmont Bruins in our exclusive pre-March Madness content.

First, it is imperative that we understand something at this point: a 15 seed would suck. A lot.

Why? In the 15 v 2 game, the 15 seed has only won four times. None of those four teams won a second game. In other words, a 15 seed is a one and done consolation prize for low major conference teams who happened to win their conference tournament.

That’s the primary reason why I personally don’t expect Belmont to be a 15 seed. Even though Belmont earned a 15 seed in their first three tournament appearances, the Bruins have become a well known mid-major staple among those who are “in the know” in college basketball. How ever, in the interest of being thorough, let’s take a brief look at the potential two seeds.

For the purposes of this post, we’ll look at the four projected two seeds according to CBSSports.com: Missouri, Ohio State, Michigan State and Duke.
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Missouri

Missouri is a prolific offensive team. According to StatSheet.com, the Tigers lead the country in points per posession at 1.19. The team is lead by Senior Guard Marcus Denmon who scores 18 points per game on 47% shooting. The Tigers’ Achilles heel is two-fold; first, although the team is 27-4 many of those wins came against far inferior talent and second, Kansas State.

Missouri’s non-conference strength of schedule was 287th – compare that with Belmont’s 66th ranked non-conference strength of schedule. There’s a caveat here: Missouri split the series with Kansas and beat Baylor twice so they can win against superior talent, but the Tigers lost both contests against 21-9 Kansas State. On Feb 21st, the Wildcats went in to Columbia, MO and beat the Tigers on their home court by ten. Aside from these two shortfalls, Missouri could be a one seed and with a Big 12 tournament win, may still earn a one seed. Missouri will go far in the tournament no matter where they are seeded.

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Ohio State

Don’t be fooled by Ohio State’s #10 AP ranking, Jared Sullinger and his band of Nuts are good enough to win a national championship – Ken Pomeroy has them at #2. What the Buckeyes lack in flashy stats they make up for in defensive efficiency. They’re one of the best in the nation at limiting their opponents’ chances. Ohio State ranks second in the nation in defensive rebound percentage and first in the nation in opponents’ points per possession.

With a win in yesterday East Lansing over Big Ten front-runner Michigan State, the Buckeyes may have snuck into a one seed for the Big Ten Tournament, but the two teams remain in a three way tie with Michigan. Ohio State does not lack strength of schedule – they’ve played the 14th toughest schedule this year. The Buckeyes’ sole “bad” loss came to Illinois. If Belmont draws Ohio State, we’ll need Scott Saunders, Mick Hedgepeth, Boomer Herndon and Adam Mark on the floor to cover Jared Sullinger.

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Michigan State

Who had the toughest schedule in college basketball this season? Michigan State. It’s not only because the Big 10 has been good this year, the Spartans’ non-conference strength of schedule ranks 15th in the country. Michigan State is led by Draymond Green, a Senior Forward who averages 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, leading the team in both categories.

Michigan State ranks in the Top 10 nationally in only one statistical category: rebound percentage. However, the Spartans are ranked third in the country according to Ken Pomeroy and third in the Massey College Basketball Ranking Comparison. Draymond Green is the heart and soul of this team. For my money, they are the most susceptible to upset of the potential two seeds. If a team develops a scheme to keep the ball out of Green’s hands and force the Spartans to win another way they can be defeated. That, however, will not be an easy task in any round of the tournament. This is another Tom Izzo team that isn’t flashy but manages to win games.

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Duke

If you think it’s a coincidence that I saved the Blue Devils for last, you’re wrong. I would pay money for Belmont to draw Duke again. Unfortunately, I bet Coach K would pay ten times my wager to avoid Belmont. The Bruins and Blue Devils have faced each other only twice. Duke has claimed both contests but only by a combined two points.

Duke is a big question mark this year for many in the college basketball world. Duke suffered through the 2nd most difficult schedule this year and dropped only five games – only one of those to a sub-50 RPI team (Miami’s RPI was 51). Yet, even with wins over Kansas, UNC, Michigan State, and Michigan the onlookers want more.

Duke always has a chance to win the ACC and that’s what it will take to move the Blue Devils from a two seed to a one seed. This Duke team is like all Duke teams. They’re balanced on offense and they play defense when they feel like it. Duke ranks 62nd nationally in rebounds per game – an area of their game I’m sure Coach Krzyzewski will be working on in the wake of 18 point blowout at home at the hands of Tobacco Road rival UNC; a game in which Duke was out-rebounded 42 to 22.

I’d give anything to watch Belmont take on Duke again. At the same time I hope they don’t. Duke will be a one or a two seed and I do not want Belmont to be a 15 seed.

At the end of the day I don’t want Belmont to play any of these teams. Not because I don’t think Belmont could win, but because these are all teams who believe they have a chance at a national championship and with that in mind, won’t overlook a team like Belmont early in the tournament.

No matter what team lines up against the Bruins in a few weeks, they’ll be wise to prepare heavily. Already comparisons are being drawn to last year’s Belmont team, but the two could not be more different.

I can’t wait for Selection Sunday which, in my opinion, is the single greatest day in all of collegiate sport.

-Matt Sherrill

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Bruins To The Finals In Another ETSU Nail-biter, 69-61

In Game Posts on March 2, 2012 at 7:22 pm


If you watched tonight’s semi-final, you know that you really watched two games; the first half, and the second half.

In a disturbingly cold defensive effort by the Bruins in the first half and an on fire Adam Sollazo, Belmont gave 8 easy points to him in the lane, and responded by shooting a measly 8-22.  The head hangs were all around the blue and white jerseys, after being pummeled inside time and time again.  Out-rebounded 38-28, the Bruins walked to the locker room in silence and the Bruin faithful nervously shuffled in the seats.

But the second half was a different story. The Bruins came out on fire with an 18-4 run, silencing not only Sollazo’s inside game, but defending the perimeter with pressure and intensity.  And in what might be the major story here, Trevor Noack and Reece Chamberlain both made key three point shots in critical times of the game, showing confidence in their playing time and tough defensive resolve.

With under 10 minutes left, some costly turnovers brought the game from a 12 point lead by the Bruins to within 6.  It was a back-and-forth for here on out.  In an impressive feat of speed and agility,Kerron stole an ETSU inbound, but his pass to Ian Clark ended up a missed three opportunity.  In the customary ETSU-Belmont tournament fever, the game was a nail-biter until the end. ETSU brought it to 5 points with 30 seconds left, but the Bruins’ second half start was too much for an energized and very motivated Buccaneer team that was eventually worn down by a second-half motivated Rick Byrd team.

Ian Clark led the Bruins in points with 19, showing the abdominal injury was nothing worse than what Coach Byrd let on.  Our big men scored 9 points with 10 rebounds combined, and Kerron also put up 12.  All in all, it was the classic nail-biter.  The Bruins did enough to get the win with some huge offensive spurts, but also showed they could come out flat at the beginning.  Belmont will face either Mercer or Florida Gulf Coast tomorrow and will do well to remember what can happen if they think March Madness is a given.

The Championship game starts tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.

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Belmont Gets To Semi-Finals; 76-62 Win Over Jacksonville

In Game Posts on February 29, 2012 at 4:21 pm

As Ian Clark iced his ankle at the end of the bench, Adam Barnes took the floor with the rest of the usual starters; Johnson, Hedgepeth, Hanlen, and Jenkins.

With Kerron’s back spasms worrying Bruin fans and Jenkins’ sitting out last game as well, a very unsettling feeling made its way over me before the game started.

But it seemed to be business as usual for the Bruins.  Up by 15 at one point, the lead felt like it would get away from Jacksonville, but the Dolphins kept battling the Ian Clark-less Bruins.   Shooting 35% from the 3, the Bruins delivered a nail-biting game in the last 10 minutes.  Cutting the lead to just 7 with five minutes left, the Dolphins proved they would not go away, but Kerron’s clutch three-point basket at 4:21 started to squelch the momentum.  Johnson ultimately showered 19 points against the tricky Jacksonville defense as Belmont got its win, 76-62.  

But the game just looked sloppy overall to the avid Bruin fan.  The score simply did not equal the true feel of the game.  While only 10 turnovers were committed by Belmont, the sloppiness came in the stat-line of 23-58 from the field.  Thankfully, our consistency came from the foul line.  The Bruins got there 31 times and made 24.  Scott Saunders scored 8 of his 18 points from that line and we doubled their offensive rebounds.


After the game, Associate Head Coach Brian Ayers spoke with Kevin Ingram from the Bruin Sports Network, “We did enough to win.  The bad turnovers and decision making is something we have to correct if we want to win on Saturday.”  He also spoke about the multiple defenses Johnson faced throughout the game.  ”You have got to give Jacksonville a lot of credit.  They mixed their defenses up.  Triangle 2, zone, man- but with a guy like Kerron who can beat his man, it was good to get him back in there.  But it was tough without Ian. “

Kerron also talked about his clutch three-pointer at the end of the game.  ”Alot of my shots had been going in and out, but teamates kept saying keep trying… and I stepped up and made  a shot when I had to.”  He also spoke about Ian Clark’s absence.  ”Everybody knew we had to step up our game… it was a big loss for us.  We are hoping he gets better.”

Belmont will play University of North Florida or East Tennessee State University on Friday.  Tip-off will be at 6 ET.

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The Blake Jenkins Effect

In Features on February 9, 2012 at 5:41 pm

Monday night Bruins fans were treated to another magical Belmont performance, led by our usual combination of 3 point shooting (10-25) and strong Center play by the Hedgepeth/Saunders duo (combined for 31 points).  The thought I had leaving the Curb Event Center was, ‘they’re baaaaack.’

As I have mentioned in a previous article, the 2012 Bruins are not the 2011 Bruins.  Granted, this team is still a solid mid-major team, but, we shouldn’t expect last year’s 30-win magic from this squad.  However, I may stand corrected. The Bruins looked the best I have seen them all year and not just because they were playing one of the worst Austin Peay teams in recent memory.

There have been many games this year where the Bruins have had double digit wins, where we at the Byrd Cage have felt uneasy about team chemistry.  The fast paced run and shoot team of Bruins past have been replaced by a team that has shown a lack of confidence with bad passing, poor shot selection, and an overall lack of fire in the belly. So what has changed? Brandon “The Bakery” Baker has been almost non-existent during this five-game win streak, playing an average of 6.8 minutes per game (as compared to his usual 15.2 minutes).

We have mentioned in earlier articles that one of the biggest differences in this squad from last year’s was the inadequate replacement of Jon House and Jordan Campbell.  For most of the season Byrd has tried to make Baker that replacement but his 34% shooting and 3 rebounds per game are hardly the makings of a true starting Power Forward. Enter Blake Jenkins, whose “boomshockalocka” dunk Monday night set the building on fire, has been the x-factor during this win-streak.  He is averaging 21.8 minutes a game (13.9 for the season), 12.6 points per game (compared to his usual 4.7 points per game), and 5 rebounds per game (doubling his season average), during this streak.  Oh ya, he’s also shooting a whopping 64% from the field. If the Bruins are going to win it’s final A-Sun tournament it’s going to be done properly utilizing Blake Jenkins.

Granted, there have been other factors to this win-streak as well, namely Kerron Johnson finally getting his leadership role and shooting percentage under control, but Blake Jenkins has certainly been the unexpected gem that has put Belmont back in the NCAA tournament discussion.

-Steven Lefebvre

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The Deep Cut

Okay, so we have seen Blake Jenkins’ affect on the floor.  We see the intensity, we see the hustle, the dunks, the scoop-ins, the rebounds, the overall defense, and finally, we have seen his impact on the team in wins, (5-0) when he is a starter.  But what does this look like on paper, you ask?  Well, you’ve come to the right place.

What you will see when you look at our Field Goal Percentage (FG%) pre-Blake Jenkins is a team ranked around 220th in the NCAA.  Our 3-Point Percentage is around the 160th mark in the NCAA.

What about when Blake Jenkins starts?

Our FG% jumps to 53.2 and our 3P% jumps to 42.3.

This, by all accounts is huge.

Now, you can say the sampling size is smaller, and the opponents are easier, but a five game sampling with averages of that nature is still very impressive.  It is the reason Belmont is now ranked 20th overall in the NCAA in Field Goal Percentage.  

Blake has proven to be the X-Factor, as Drew Hanlen mentioned in our exclusive interview.  His range of abilities has made opponents rethink the attack, has made them delve deeper into their reserves, and has left us more open on the perimeter.

And, we all know, an open Belmont perimeter is a good thing.

In Blake Jenkins we trust.

-bMm

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The Third Third: Analyzing The Rest Of The Season

In Features on February 8, 2012 at 5:52 pm

I read a quote from Ian Clark once, and I’ll paraphrase it liberally, that basketball is a game of runs. One team will do well for a time then the other will do well for a time. The trick to being successful is in understanding how to capitalize fully on the times your team is doing well, and how to manage effectively when your team is not.

The same strategy can be used in evaluating a season. With six games left in Belmont’s regular season, it appears that the Bruins have righted the ship from some mid-season struggles and are poised to finish the season on a winning streak heading into the conference tournament. However, not every run in Belmont’s season has been so rosy.

Let’s look back at the season, breaking it down into thirds. Belmont has 31 games on its regular season schedule so I’ll break it down to 10-10-11.

The first third included Belmont’s three toughest opponents (Duke, Memphis & MTSU) as well as the current ASun front-runner Mercer. From November 11th through December 15th Belmont was 7-3, splitting a series with MTSU (both on the road) and losing to then-#6 ranked Duke and then-#10 ranked Memphis in the first two games of the season. In my opinion, Belmont played its best basketball in the first ten games highlighted by wins over Middle and Mercer and an average margin of victory of 16 points in the season’s first seven wins.

 The second third of the season is where things began to break down. From a December 17th loss to Miami (OH) to an inexplicable loss to South Carolina Upstate on January 21st, Belmont managed a 6-4 record. On the surface, this doesn’t seem that bad as compared to the record in the first third of the season, however, the four losses, including Marshall and Lipscomb, came at the hands of much worse teams.  But during this stretch, Belmont played 6 games away. It’s also important to note that both Christmas and New Year’s occurred during the second third. The highlights of this portion of the season would be a win at Austin Peay, a soon-to-be OVC rival, and a win at home against Marshall, setting the series back to 1-1.

Ultimately, the middle-10 games have served to dictate the overall opinion of Belmont’s season so far. But five games into the final eleven game stretch, the Bruins may well be on the way to righting the ship. With five straight victories over ETSU (Belmont’s favorite road venue), Jacksonville, UNF, Lipscomb and Austin Peay Belmont goes into its second to last road trip of the season with an aim of reminding the Atlantic Sun why its crew has won four of the last six conference championships and why it deserves to jump to the OVC next season. I look at the six games, in order of importance as follows:

  1. Mercer (Feb 25) – The final game of the season in the same venue as the ASun tournament against the current conference leader. If Belmont and Mercer are still tied for the lead at this point, it could go a long way in determining how Belmont’s ASun tenure will be remembered.
  2. ETSU (Feb 18) – The Bucs always play tough in Nashville and a loss to ETSU would set Belmont way back.
  3. Upstate (Feb 20) – Another must win. Belmont can’t lose twice to any ASun opponent and expect to win the tournament.
  4. Stetson (Feb 13) – We already noted that Stetson is Belmont 2.0. The Bruins handled the Hatters once this season but still can’t sleep on the rematch.
  5. FGCU (Feb 11) – Should be a walk-thru game, but then again, Upstate should have been as well.
  6. Kennesaw (Feb 23) – The poor owls of Kennesaw. I expected this team to be better this year. Belmont should win easily.

Let’s also quickly look at Mercer’s remaining five games in order to try and ascertain where they might be on Feb 25. Mercer beat 1Kennesaw in Macon by 30, beat 2Jacksonville and 3UNF by 10 and 11, respectively, beat 4Lipscomb in Nashville by 7 and lost to 5Belmont in the Curb by 4.

If past performance indicates future performance, Mercer should wrap up 4-1. But this is the ASun we’re talking about. Mercer will have to be ready for Lipscomb – the Bison(s?) may decide to play well that day. The Bears should also watch out for Jacksonville and UNF. Both of those teams are improving greatly and judging from Belmont’s past, it’s tough to win in Florida late in the season.

-Matt Sherrill

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Agree?  Disagree?  Leave it in the comments for a good old-fashioned, Oxford-style debate.

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Belmont Passes OVC Test, 94-55

In Game Posts on February 7, 2012 at 3:14 pm

If this was a preview of the Ohio Valley Conference, Belmont passed with flying colors against Austin Peay on Monday night.

Scott Saunders must love the Governors as well, as his combined points and rebounds during our home and away match-ups this year is at 46 points and 16 rebounds.

The Bruins never let up, and perhaps the biggest story in the game was the 21 forced turnovers against the Governors.  Our defense was relentless, our perimeter defending held the Govs to 16.7% behind the arc, and 42% from the paint.  Our conditioning looked top tier, the opponents huffing down the court with five minutes left in the first half behind our fast breaks and spot-on passing.

Drew Hanlen scored 13 with 5 assists, while Mick Hedgepeth scored the same and had 7 boards.   Blake Jenkins’ game was explosive as well.  His spot-on assist to Scott Saunders in the first half looked like a perfectly placed throw from Manning to Manningham, and his dunk (although he was abruptly benched following) in the second half showed the spark that has caught fire on this team, bringing them to new levels.

The reserves even got some time to show what they were capable of, with red-shirt freshman Reece Chamberlain showing promise under the basket with his speed and ball-handling skills.  He played 14 solid minutes of basketball, went 3-4 with 2 assists.

And with the entire Belmont (starting) bench holding their hands up in the “O” signal, red-shirt freshman Chad Lang entered the game.  The excitement of the crowd was really unbelievable at this point, especially with us being up by nearly 40 points.  I mean, the guy is huge.  Almost 7 feet tall and 275 lbs, Lang towered over their Peay’s tallest at 6’8”.  His bulky frame, combined with us being up the 40 points, just begged the refs for lame calls.  But Lang’s charm to the student body is not just by size alone, his abilities are clear.  His patented shot-  hook? lob? toss?  Okay, i’ll just call it the “Lang”- The “Lang” is dependable.  It has clearly been practiced with discipline and just begs for more chances.  Lang has the size and basics, he definitely does NOT need me to tell him that- I look forward to his development this off-season.

All in all, Belmont has been revving things up the closer we get to the tournament.  If you haven’t noticed, our offense has been ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA.  We are now ranked 5th in points-per-game and 7th in assists-per-game.  

If Belmont keeps this up, well, it is from here to anywhere…

 

bMm

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The Battle of the Boulevard: The Last A-Sun Battle

In Game Posts on February 3, 2012 at 6:03 pm

You may have seen this guy’s awful dunk on the Byrd Cage Facebook page or even here.  I guess it doesn’t even count as a dunk, because it didn’t go in, but defining Jordan Burgason on that one clip alone is simply not fair, I hate to say.

Now understand this, I hate Lipscomb.  As far as journalistic integrity goes, I post the truth- but you need to understand that the truth is going to be a bit biased here.  This fact is unavoidable.  I love the Bruins and I hate the Bisons.

All that being said, Jordan Burgason needs to be talked about.  He is currently ranked fourth in the entire NCAA in 3-Point Field Goal % Per Game.  He also averages 16.9 points per game.

So, it isn’t like he is just playing a few minutes and shoots a few threes.  The guy is clutch, and the fact that we held to him four attempts (making two)  is an admirable goal in and of itself.

So what went wrong last time?

PART ONE: LOSING AT HOME

Belmont’s defense allowed double-digit points from every starter and one bench player against Lipscomb on January 6 putting together a total of 85 points against us in total.  We have only allowed three other teams to score 80 points or more against us this year, and those teams were; Memphis,  MTSU, and Marshall.  We even kept Duke below 80.

So what was the deal with Lipscomb?  That always seems to be the question.  Drew Hanlen, in our exclusive Byrd Cage interview, even said the same thing- and he didn’t have an answer.  But to not look at last game as two separate halves drastically changes the story.

In the first half, Belmont and Lipscomb were evenly matched.  Ian Clark had 14 by halftime, Drew Hanlen and Clark were a combined 6-9 from the three, and our bench even had five steals.  We walked into the locker room at half-time up, 39-36, feeling hopeful about the outcome of the game.  But things were going in for Lipscomb as well.  Shooting over 50%, the Bisons obviously didn’t feel too bad about their position coming back out.

This is where things changed.

J.J. Mann made 1 out of 7 three-pointers.  Kerron missed all four of his three-point attempts.  In the second half we shot 5-19 at the 3 point arc.  A miserable 26.3%.  Of course they out-rebounded us in the second half.  Our post players scored 7 total, with only 6 total rebounds.

We fell apart.  They made 15 of 16 free throws.

I felt sick.

Lipscomb took the game 85-74 and proceeded to stand in the middle of our court in a huddle after the game.

“Get off the floor!” some yelled.  ”Isn’t it curfew?” others screamed.  Others stood silently, holding up 4 fingers.  You may have won the battle, but we always win the war Bruin fans seemed to pronounce without words.

Defeat at home, in the worst way.

But now it is February, after-all, the Bruins favorite time of the year.

Tonight we will come in swinging.

PART TWO: THE THREE PART COMBO FOR WINNING AT ALLEN ARENA

1.  Blake Jenkins.  Blake has steadily risen to the top of the Bruins lineup, proving he can score below and stand tall as a strong arm defender in both the passing and shooting lanes.  Jenkins’ success tonight will be a deciding factor in tonight’s game.

2.  Controlling the ball.  Drew Hanlen leads the tempo of the game in explosive bursts.  His expert footwork, skilled ball-handling, speed, and minimal turnovers give Belmont the edge in the A-Sun when it comes to controlling games.  But I would like to see what the Bruins can look like as a controlled, composed, and in-charge squad at the end of games.  I haven’t seen that this year.  Hanlen’s last minute lob down the court at the end of their last game against UNF gave Hanlen an ear-full from Coach Byrd when we were up and needed to control the clock.  We’ll need to be focused down to the last-minute of tonight’s game with a quiet confidence to win at Allen Arena.

3.  Shutting Down Jordan Burgason.  The man has averaged 21.5 points a game since the first meeting with Belmont.  He is, frankly stated, on fire and this must be squelched.  While their team has only gone .500 since our last meeting, their inconsistency as a team cannot be counted upon at Allen Arena tonight.  Hands must be in Burgason’s face during every shot attempt.  An open Burgason equals a losing Belmont squad.

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Now, if you will, a moment of silence for the last A-Sun conference rivalry game between these historic squads.

Tip-Off is at Allen Arena tonight at 6.   Tickets may still be available here

-Brett McReynolds

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Byrd Cage Exclusive: Drew Hanlen Discusses Lipscomb Rivalry and Expectations

In Interviews on February 1, 2012 at 3:56 am

Drew Hanlen joined the Byrd Cage earlier today for an interview.  He was asked about the Lipscomb rivalry, the team’s expectations, and his friendship with  Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins.  Read below for the full interview.

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Brett McReynolds:  You’ve been Academic All Conference every year, you ranked 6th in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio last year, and you’ve averaged double-digit points a game while leading your team to a successful season thus far. What does a regular day in the life of Drew Hanlen look like?

Drew Hanlen:  You know it really depends on the day, but, usually I wake up, attend classes and we pack our mornings full of classes because we have afternoon practice and we’ll go in, do 30-45 minute weight training session.  This includes, not only weight-lifting, but stretching and agility and kind of making sure our bodies are staying healthy.  After that, we’ll go through an hour and a half practice.  It is really critical we give our bodies a break, so, as we go further into the season, practices get shorter and more strategic- instead of just, you know, wear and tear on the body.  I’ll have Tuesday and Thursday night classes, but after that we normally just get together as a team, you know, go to a movie, or just hanging out and watching NBA games all night.

BM:  You are majoring in Entrepreneurship and you’re finishing up your last year at Belmont.  What is next?

DH:  I actually currently own a basketball training company, so i’ll continue doing that… i’ll travel around the country and host camps and clinics, as well as- right now I work with a couple NBA guys and other college basketball players and I do strategic consulting, breaking down their video and also doing training with them during the off-seasons.

BM:  Coach Rick Byrd has been praised multiple times by top coaches in the NCAA like Duke’s Coach K and Vanderbilt’s Coach Stallings, what has it been like for you playing under Coach Byrd?

DH:  It’s been a great experience.  You know, when I came into Belmont I knew that he obviously had tons of accolades as far as wins under his belt, and he just came off three straight NCAA tournament appearances, but the biggest thing i’m going to get from Coach Byrd is the stuff I get off the court.  Alot of coaches teach basketball, but he teaches life lessons through basketball.  Something really special. I think he feels like we are more than basketball players to him, we feel like we a part of his family.  He makes sure to invite us over on our birthdays, or make sure to let us know when we do something well off the court, in the classroom, or in the community. I just feel like there is so many different lessons- and just the respect he gives us is something that is going to last a lot longer than anything he has ever taught me on the court.

BM:  What is Coach Byrd like at half-time of a close game in the locker room?  If you don’t mind, take us there.

DH:  It depends on how we are playing.  Coach Byrd does a really good job not worrying about the score, but worrying about the process.  And so, you know, a couple nights ago we were in a tie ballgame and we were not playing well.  So he focused on us getting better and being the best team we can become by the tournament down in Macon.  But if we are playing well, and shots just aren’t falling-   He focuses on the importance of letting those misses go, focuses on the makes and keep doing what we’re doing… Most of the time he tries to point where we can get better, what we are doing well, and what we need to do coming out in the second half- then hopefully we can get the win.

BM:  At the beginning of the year, some previews of Belmont’s team had them as high as an 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  If you look now, some are saying it is Mercer’s A-Sun tournament to lose.  What do you say to those critics who might say this team isn’t playing to earlier expectations?

DH:  You know, I think that is partly true.  I think that we dropped a couple games that we shouldn’t have dropped, but one thing that Coach Byrd has done a good job is we are the same team that we were when everyone was projecting us an 11 seed, we were the same team that we were when we lost to Duke by 1 point, you know what I mean?  So, we had better wins this year than we did last year.  We had the win at Middle Tennessee, I don’t know what their record is now- but with three losses they are one of the better teams in the country.  A win against Marshall.  I mean, those are two quality wins that we didn’t have last year.  So our strength of schedule is up.  And the other thing is, Mercer has been playing great- and not to take anything from them, but we have the same team we had last year, and we have the capability of being the best team in the Atlantic Sun- we just gotta keep getting better, and hopefully put it all together and be more consistent by the time the tournament comes.  And we feel like, if we play our best, we are the team to beat.

BM:  Blake Jenkins has started the past three games.  What can you say about him as a player?

DH:  Oh man.  Blake is our X-Factor right now.  He has been playing great, we knew he had it in him, and uh- I don’t know what it took to get it out of him but, you know what- it started with his defense.  That is the reason he got in the game.  He is a longer, taller defender that can guard almost any position out on the floor.  So we used him to guard [Adam] Sollazzo from ETSU. And he has really fed off his defensive productivity and that has led to great offensive productivity.  You know, he is a guy who is really athletic and obviously gives us easy baskets below the rim.  Or he is just floating around and finding the right spots, and when we get it to him, he is either dunking it or finishing it home. He is definitely that X-Factor, if he can keep playing the way he has been playing, he is going to help us go deep in March.

BM:  How do you think Belmont’s move to the OVC will affect the program?

DH:  You know, I think it is going to be good for them.  Obviously, it won’t be as exciting for the players not traveling to Jacksonville and changing that out with some of the cities that the OVC has to offer, but the reality is when we go on these trips you don’t get to do much anyway. You are in the hotel and then you play games.  I think it will add to the experience as a Belmont basketball player because I think the games are closer which means fans can actually travel. I think that other fans will come to Belmont, watch those games, which will increase attendance and ultimately it will create better rivalries.  With the OVC everything is close and everyone is close where these games play.  You know, if we played  Murray State this year it would be sold out in both places.  They always typically have one good team, or multiple teams at the top of the league.  I think it is going to add to the overall, I guess, attraction of Belmont basketball.

BM:  Be honest.  What is the first thing the comes to mind when I say this next word; BISONS.

DH:  Um.  Well, really the first thing is, “I can’t believe we blew it.”  You know, the last few times we played them (and its more of a phrase than a word) I feel like we have lost the game instead of them winning the game.  I think it was a 16 or 18 point lead last year at Lipscomb that we blew.  And it was an 11 point lead, I think, this year.  I don’t really know what happened in those games. I always get asked that question, “What happened in those games?”  But we will need to do a better job of finishing out games in general.  We have lost a couple this year where we have blown leads… We are going to make sure that, if we get that lead, we are going to keep it on Friday.

BM:  Drew, one time I was on Lipscomb’s campus at 3 a.m. (I won’t tell you why), and they had speakers all over campus blasting Contemporary Christian Music.  What is up with that?

DH:  You know what, I have no idea.  You know, obviously Lipscomb has their own ways and we have alot of different things than them.  But I will respectfully just say that [Laughter], its their choice and they do things differently than Belmont in that way.  And i’m just glad i’m on this end of the Boulevard and not that end.

BM:  I noticed Vanderbilt Coach Stallings’ John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli sitting in the stands of a Belmont game.  Are they trying to steal your moves? I think there is a friendship there, how did that start?

DH:  Well I actually am John’s trainer- I train John.  I mentioned a little bit earlier about my company, and he is actually one of my clients.  So it started out as me working him out in the offseasons and just getting him better, and it transitioned into me meeting alot of the guys from Vanderbilt.  And i’ve probably worked out almost every player on Vanderbilt’s team.  John and I are best friends, you know, I work him out probably 3-4 times a week, and we go through video all the time.  But, we also go to the movies all the time.  We go to Chili’s probably every night.  John’s a big Chili’s fan.  So we go to Chili’s all the time and watch NBA games.  But you know, John’s one of my best friends and Festus and all those other Vanderbilt guys go to the games because i’ve worked them all out and also developed friendships with all of them.

BM:  Thanks for taking time out of your day to talk to the Byrd Cage.  Anything you’d like to say to the fans?

DH:  Just hope everyone can continue supporting us, and following us, and we won’t disappoint.  We will be better team than we have been all season, and come March our goal is to make it to the NCAA tournament and do damage like we wanted to last year.

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