OVC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

8. Nick Muszynski

A 6’11 center from Pickerington, Ohio, Muszynski spent four very productive seasons at Belmont. He arrived in 2018 and was immediately an important weapon for Rick Byrd. His role would only continue to grow as Casey Alexander took over the program in 2019, and before long a productive four-year run with the Bruins had occurred.

Consistency was the key to Muszynski’s career. He started nearly every game across four seasons at Belmont and had similar numbers all four years, averaging right around 15 points and 5 rebounds per game each season. As a freshman, he had 16 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Temple, albeit his only trip to the Big Dance. During his sophomore year, he helped lead the Bruins to the OVC Tournament title, though the pandemic canceled the postseason. He remained a potent part of Belmont’s attack for his upperclassman seasons, though the Bruins fell just short of the Big Dance.

Not only was Muszynski named OVC Rookie of the Year as a freshman and Tournament MVP the following year, he was the rare athlete to be named First Team All-OVC in all four of his seasons. He totaled 1886 career points, led the conference in blocks on multiple occasions, and was an important factor for the Bruins on both sides of the ball, helping the program to 104 wins during his career.