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Mid-major Basketball: Preseason Top-25 power rankings for 2020-21 season

By Tristan Freeman

Feb 1, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs forward Matt Mitchell (11) dribbles while defended by Utah State Aggies forward Justin Bean (34) during the first half at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs forward Matt Mitchell (11) dribbles while defended by Utah State Aggies forward Justin Bean (34) during the first half at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mid-major basketball Belmont Bruins (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Mid-major basketball Belmont Bruins (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

20. Belmont Bruins

Had this ranking came out in August, Belmont would’ve been closer to the top-10 than 20 among mid-majors. Even though they lost two starters via graduation (Tyler Scanlon and Michael Benkert), there was a lethal trio of contributors they could rely on.

However, the Bruins suffered a devastating blow, losing leading scorer Adam Kunkel via transfer to Xavier recently. He shot nearly 46% from three and was a consistent producer on offense. They may be down to just two stars but look for them to have a major impact.

6’10 center Nick Muszynski led Belmont with 15.3 ppg and 6.4 rpg, making 60% of his shots from the field in just 25 mpg. Point guard Garyson Murphy is one of the best all-around players in the country, scoring 9.8 ppg while also leading the team with 7.4 rpg and 6.2 apg. The 2.6 steals per game led the Ohio Valley Conference and he was rewarded with the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The Bruins are hoping that bench players Caleb Hollander and Tate Pierson can become effective starters this season, replacing most of the production from Scanlon and Kunkel. Murphy will have to be more of a scorer than facilitator this time around but Belmont has plenty of talent to remain near the top of the Ohio Valley this season.

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