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Two of the best mid-majors in the country face off on Thursday night, as Belmont travels to play MTSU. Only one of these Middle Tennessee teams will come out on top. Find out more, here.
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The Virginia Cavaliers should have no problem against the Belmont Bruins in their first game of the 2015 NCAA tournament.
Record: 22-10
Region – Seed: East – No. 15
RPI: 105
BPI: 54
Conference: Ohio Valley Conference
How They Qualified: OVC Tournament Champion
The Belmont Bruins have had success in the past, but this trip to the NCAA Tournament is a bit unexpected. Yes, Belmont won a share of the Ohio Valley Conference East Division title, but Rick Byrd has had better teams during his 29-year tenure in Nashville.
Byrd is an outstanding coach and he got his team playing well at the right time. Belmont has won seven in a row, including an 88-87 upset win over OVC regular season champion Murray State in the tournament championship game.
What You Need to Know:
Leading Scorer: Craig Bradshaw, 17.9 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Evan Bradds, 7.1 rpg
Leading Passer: Reece Chamberlain, 5.9 apg
Bad Losses: at Wright State, at Jacksonville State
Good Wins: Murray State
Byrd will have his team ready to play in the big dance. He has been there before, even though many of his best players haven’t. Junior guard Craig Bradshaw is an excellent shooter, while Evan Bradds is the main interior player for the Bruins.
Taylor Barnette is another outstanding shooter for Belmont, and he hit the game-winning shot in the OVC Tournament championship. Reece Chamberlain is an outstanding distributor at the point for the Bruins.
The OVC has had some success in the NCAA Tournament recently, but Belmont is probably a long shot to win a game. However, with Byrd’s experience on the bench, they will be a tough out.
Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
The Belmont Bruins have had success in the past, but this trip to the NCAA Tournament is a bit unexpected.