NCAA Basketball: Analyzing the 4 new Division I teams for 2020-21 season
By Erik Mauro
Bellarmine Knights
The Knights join the Division I ranks hailing from Louisville, Kentucky. They are coached by Scott Davenport, going into his 16th season as head coach in 2020. Davenport had turned the Knights into a power at the D2 level, making 11 straight NCAA Tournaments with one national championship before COVID-19 cut last season short, but he and his team were well on their way to a 12th straight appearance. The transition will offer him a new challenge.
On the floor, the Knights ran through Alex Cook, he was tops in PPG with 16.6, rebounds with 171, shot over 40 percent beyond the arc, and could pretty much do a little bit of everything. Dylan Penn and Ben Weyer both added over 11 PPG. Like Tarleton State, their best player was a senior, so Cook will not be able to try his hand at D1 level competition. Weyer was also a senior last season, so it’s up to Penn to be the team’s leader this season.
Penn led the Knights in assists and was tied for second in steals, plus he scored the second-most points. Also returning are CJ Fleming and Pedro Bradshaw, who were top five on the team in scoring, with Bradshaw being the leading returning rebounder. Bradshaw also shot over 50 percent from the floor, and 42 percent from long range. If Bellarmine wants the transition to be a smooth and successful one, Bradshaw will have to step up and keep doing his thing.
The Knights won the Division II National Championship in 2011 and have won 20+ games 12 years in a row. This is a program that’s used to winning, so teams better be on their toes. Bellarmine should be looking to make an impact and open some people’s eyes, they are set up well to do that in 2020.
The Knights will be playing in the Atlantic Sun Conference.