NCAA Basketball: 2021 ESPN Events Invitational preview and predictions

DETROIT - APRIL 03: A detail of a player from the Connecticut Huskies holding a basketball with the 2009 Final Four logo on it during practice prior to the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Ford Field on April 3, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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Belmont’s Grayson Murphy NCAA Basketball Ovc Belmontvseku 11 /

Belmont Bruins

Record: 3-2

After being one of the measuring sticks in the Ohio Valley for over a decade, the Belmont Bruins are hoping their last season in the conference is as fruitful as previous years. Before they depart for the Missouri Valley, the 3-2 Bruins are looking for one last NCAA run in the OVC and early in the season, Casey Alexander’s team has certainly been tested.

They lost on opening night to a good Ohio team before bouncing back with a blowout win over Evansville. Sitting at 1-1, the Bruins have gone 2-1 over their last three games, knocking off a very good Furman team and Kennesaw State but falling to LSU in a blowout 83-53.

As expected, Nick Muszynski and Grayson Murphy are the gas that makes the engine go, but junior Ben Sheppard has been of a bit of a surprise putting up a stat line of 14.8, three, and 2.2 over the first five games.

Through those five games, Belmont has been doing the things that have made them so successful, shooting a lot of threes at a decent percentage, 34.5%, and scoring at a high pace averaging 81 points per game. Those numbers are good enough to have them ranked 40th in offensive efficiency and the Bruins get a few more chances at quality wins in the ESPN Events Invitational.

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