Belmont: A 1-2 Tipoff Punch
Even though the Belmont Bruins pulled off one of the biggest campaigns in school history by going 30-5 overall, they still became the fourth team to achieve one-and-done status when they lost the opening game of the NCAA tournament. Belmont's 72-58 loss to Wisconsin, one of the Big Ten's top teams in 2010-11, underscored the problem the Bruins have by playing in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Although Belmont won the league and the conference tournament, the team was largely forgotten thanks to the exit.
Belmont's four losses in tournament play came against UCLA in 2006 (78-44) and Georgetown in 2007 (80-55), followed in 2008 by a memorable 71-70 loss to Duke in a game where Belmont nearly took out one of the storied college basketball programs in the first round.
What is the first team on Belmont's schedule this year? Duke. What is the second team? Memphis. So much for scheduling soft opponents. The 1-2 punch of Duke and Memphis, as part of the season-opening Maui Invitational, is a sure sign Belmont has recognized it needs to schedule tougher teams if it wants to be taken seriously come Selection Sunday. Duke is coming off the big loss of seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith and freshman Kyrie Irving, the top overall selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team still has senior Miles Plumlee and juniors Mason Plumlee, Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins, but Duke (32-5 last year) could be ripe for picking by a strong Belmont squad.
As for Memphis, which went 25-10 overall a year ago, it is a team loaded with young and inexperienced talent, including two freshmen and seven sophomores. Stan Simpson, a 6-10 center, and 6-6 shooting forward Adonis Thomas are among the top incoming players on a Memphis team that lost to Arizona in its only NCAA tournament game a year ago.
Belmont lost only two seniors, Jon House and Jordan Campbell, to graduation and there are five freshmen, three of which are redshirts. Like last year, the Bruins are not senior-dominated, with just three players (5-11 guard Drew Hanlen, 6-10 forward/center Scott Saunders and 6-9 forward/center Mick Hedgepeth) in their final seasons.
If Belmont can score an upset in either of its first two games, life could be interesting in Nashville this winter.
Read the in-depth preview for Belmont Men's Basketball
