Belmont Basketball: A Look at the Team’s History

Belmont Basketball has a long and successful history. The team has won numerous championships and produced some of the best players in the game. In this blog, we take a look at the team’s history and some of its most famous players.

Belmont basketball A Look at the Team’s History

Basketball is a sport that has been around for over a hundred years. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith and has since become one of the most popular sports in the world. Belmont University’s basketball team is no exception. The team has a rich history, dating back to when the school first opened its doors in 1900.

The Belmont Bruins have had many successful seasons throughout their history. The team has won several conference championships and has made multiple appearances in the NCAA tournament In recent years the team has seen a resurgence under Head Coach Rick Byrd. The Bruins have won two conference championships and have made four NCAA Tournament appearances since 2009.

The Belmont Bruins are a Basketball team with a rich history dating back to 1900. The team has seen success both in the past and in recent years winning multiple conference championships and making several appearances in the NCAA tournament

The Early Years

The Belmont Bruins men’s basketball team represents Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bruins compete in the Ohio Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play their home games at the Curb Event Center. The program has qualified for nine NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournaments It also appeared in seven NAIA Tournaments, winning the championship in 1960. The Bruins have competed in the National Invitation Tournament three times, with a combined record of 3–3.

The Golden Era

The Belmont Basketball team was one of the most dominant squads in the country during the late 80s and early 90s. Led by star players like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird the team won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1987 and 1988. After a brief period of decline in the early 1990s, Belmont regained its status as a national power under head coach John Calipari The team won another NCAA championship in 1996 and made four consecutive Final Four appearances from 1996 to 1999. Belmont’s run of success came to an end after Calipari left to take over as Head Coach of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies in 2000.

The Post-Golden Era

After the school’s lone NCAA Championship in the 1965-66 season, Belmont Basketball entered a period of decline. The team posted only three winning seasons in the next 25 years and failed to make an NCAA tournament appearance. In 1992, things began to look up for the team when they hired Rick Byrd as Head coach

The Modern Era

In the early 2000s, the Belmont basketball team began to reap the benefits of decades of recruiting and player development The team slowly began to climb in the national rankings, culminating in a #15 ranking in the AP poll during the 2006-2007 season. The team also reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2007, where they narrowly lost to Georgetown in the first round.

The following years were marked by even more success, as Belmont established itself as one of the top mid-major basketball programs in the country. The team won back-to-back conference championships in 2008 and 2009, and made consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament In 2010, Belmont finally broke through to win a first-round NCAA Tournament game, defeating Temple before losing to Wisconsin in the second round.

Despite these successes, Belmont has yet to make a serious run at a National Championship The closest they came was during the 2012-2013 season, when they won their conference championship and made it to the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive year. But Belmont lost in the first round of that tournament to eventual National Champion Louisville, putting an end to their best season ever.

Still, there is much to be optimistic about for Belmont basketball fans The program has come a long way since its humble beginnings, and with continued recruiting and player development there is no reason why they can’t compete with any team in the country.

Belmont in the NCAA Tournament

Belmont in the NCAA Tournament
The Bruins have appeared in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament seven times. Their combined record is 4–7.

Belmont has not fared well in the NCAA Tournament with a 4-7 record. They have however made seven appearances in the tournament.

Belmont in the NIT

In 2019, Belmont made it to the National Invitational Tournament for Men’s Basketball. This was a huge accomplishment for the team, as they had only been in Division I for seventeen years. The team had made it to the NCAA Tournament six times, but this was their first time in the NIT.

In the first round of the tournament, Belmont faced off against Murray State The game was close, but Belmont ultimately won with a score of 78-69. This sent them to the second round where they would face Louisville.

Belmont kept it close against Louisville, but they were ultimately defeated with a score of 82-56. Despite the loss, Belmont had a great run in the NIT and proved that they could compete with some of the best teams in the country.

Belmont in the CBI

In 2019, Belmont made its first appearance in the college basketball Invitational (CBI). The tournament, which began in 2008, is a single-elimination event for teams that did not make the NCAA or NIT tournaments. Belmont was one of 16 teams invited to participate in the 2019 CBI and was seeded third. The Bruins won their first game against sixth-seededMAU but lost in the second round to Hofstra.

Belmont in the CIT

In 2009, Belmont made its first appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Bruins defeated Campbell in the first round before losing to eventual tournament champion George Mason in the second round.

Belmont returned to the CIT in 2012, defeating Green Bay in the first round before falling to Milwaukee in the second round.

Belmont’s All-Time Leaders

All-time leading scorer: Evan Bradds – 2,720 points
all-time leading rebounder: Hickman – 1,331
All-time assist leader: Dylan Windler – 524

Bradds is the only player in NCAA Division I history with 2,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocked shots.