NCAA Basketball: Top 10 most watchable teams midway through 2019-20 season
By Max Hastings
5. Belmont
Usually losing your star player to the NBA draft means a down year for a team that has suffered that loss, especially a mid-major that doesn’t field many top recruits like the Bruins. But, to everyone’s surprise, Belmont is, as New England Patriot fans like to say, still here. Despite losing top-5 player in the nation in Dylan Windler, head coach Rick Byrd still has his guys playing great basketball.
With a 14-4 record and a 5-1 record in conference play, Belmont has subverted everyone’s expectations, and they’ve once again been one of the most watchable teams in the entire nation. After ranking 1st in the nation in offensive watchability last year, they drop one step down to 2nd, finishing inside the top 30 in every single offensive watchability category. Byrd’s offense is as modern as it gets, with his team both shooting and hitting 3’s at a high rate, getting out in transition and consistently sharing the rock.
Windler left some big shoes to fill as the head of this proficient offense, but sophomore Adam Kunkel has come out of nowhere to take the reigns, averaging just under 17 points a game with a 56 true shooting percentage to boot. Besides Mark Few, Rick Byrd runs the most pro-like offense in college basketball. So, if you’re a fan of the pro game and are looking for a team in college that fits your standards of pro offense, look no further than this year’s Belmont Bruins squad.