Busting Brackets
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MVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Harry Schroeder

Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Belmont Bruins guard Ben Sheppard Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
Belmont Bruins guard Ben Sheppard Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Belmont Bruins – Head Coach Casey Alexander
 
2021-22 record: 25-8 overall; 15-3 in the OVC

Graduation and one significant transfer hurt this team more than most. Coach Casey Alexander is excited about joining the Valley, but admits they joined the league ‘one year too late’. Some all-time greats, Nick Muszynski, Grayson Murphy, and Luke Smith graduated with master’s degrees, and all-newcomer team member Will Richard transferred to Florida.

The cupboard is far from bare, but Belmont will have growing pains. Belmont fans may have to face a non-20-game winning season for only the second time since the Clinton Administration.

All Ohio Valley Conference guard Ben Sheppard returns. He was the Bruins’ leading scorer and is a defensive stopper. Sheppard can hit the three (.370) and gets to the free-throw line. Alexander will build around the 6’6 senior.

Joining Sheppard in the backcourt is Tennessee Tech transfer Keishawn Davidson. The 6’2 senior ranked in the OVC top ten in six different categories and has tallied 904 career points. Alexander says he is a ‘plug and play’ guy. He’s ready to go.

After those two players, there are plenty of questions. Returners Even Brauns, E.J. Bellinger, Frank Jakubicek, Michael Shanks and Derek Sabin all played supportive roles behind the stars of the last four years of Bruins’ basketball. Belmont has traditionally stock-piled highly decorated high school players and developed them into productive college players.

Each of those players has outstanding high school credentials. How they develop into prime-time players is a key for BU success.

Incoming prep players fit the Belmont mold. 6’7 freshman Cade Tyson is North Carolina’s reigning ‘Mr. Basketball’. 6’4 Kyler Vanderjagt is a two-time State of Michigan all-state player. 6’5 Keith Robbins was the number 5 recruit in Georgia.

Ja’Kobi Gillespi was Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball and the State Tournament MVP.

Transfer Drew Friberg is a very interesting player. The 6’7 Princeton grad transfer could be the key ingredient to Belmont success. Since the Ivy League does not allow graduates to play, Friberg went looking and his Princeton coaches thought Belmont was his best fit. While averaging 9.3 points, Friberg connected on 40% of his shots from deep while making 75 trifectas last season.