The Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represents Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont completed a 10-season run in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2021âÂÂ22, and joined the Missouri Valley Conference in July 2022. The Bruins play their home games at the Curb Event Center under head coach Evan Bradds. Their most recent NCAA Division I tournament appearance was in 2019.
The Battle of the Boulevard, also referred to as the BelmontâÂÂLipscomb basketball rivalry is a college basketball rivalry between the Belmont University Bruins and the Lipscomb University Bisons. Its nickname was established because of both school's close placement in Nashville, Tennesseeâ about three miles apart on the same road.
Recently, the Bruins have been building a rivalry with Murray State University since the Bruins' entry into the OVC in 2012. From that year until both teams' departure from the OVC in 2022, Belmont and Murray State combined to win every regular season championship, including two seasons (2018-19 & 2019-20) where they shared the title. In three consecutive years (from 2018 to 2020), the Racers and Bruins met in the OVC Tournament finals, with Belmont winning the 2020 meeting. With Belmont joining the MVC alongside Murray State, the rivalry will continue in that conference. The Bruins currently lead the all-time series 17 to 12.
All-Americans
(*) Denotes Honorable Mention
Academic All-Americans
(*) Denotes 1st team <br> (**) Denotes 2nd team <br> (***) Denotes 3rd team
NACDA Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award
NCAA Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award
Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year
Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year
Ohio Valley/ASUN Conference Player of the Year
OVC/ASUN Defensive Player of the Year
OVC/ASUN Coach of the Year
NAIA National Coach of the Year
NAIA National Player of the Year
NAIA All-Americans
(*) Denotes 1st team <br> (**) Denotes 2nd team
They have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 1âÂÂ8. They qualified for the 2020 NCAA Tournament before it was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) four times with a combined record of 3âÂÂ4. They have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) once with a record of 1âÂÂ1. Prior to joining NCAA Division I, they participated in five NAIA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 9âÂÂ5.
In the 2008 tournament, the #15 seeded Bruins, playing in the West Region, played an exciting, hard-fought first-round game with a perennial powerhouse, the #2 seeded Duke Blue Devils. The Bruins came up one point short of the upset, losing the game 70âÂÂ71 after Justin Hare's desperation three point attempt barely went wide left of the net. The Bruins rallied from 9 point and 7 point deficits in the second half to take a 70âÂÂ69 lead late in the game, before Duke scored what proved to be the game's final basket with under a minute left to play.
In 2011 Belmont University won the Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship and the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. The Bruins finished 30âÂÂ4 overall (marking their first 30 win season in the NCAA era) and 19âÂÂ1 in conference play. By doing this they received their highest seed in their history, a #13. They faced the perennial powerhouse the #4 seed Wisconsin Badgers in the second round of the Southeast Region, where they lost 58âÂÂ72.