Trying to Climb Mount Belmont

All OVC Teams Measured Against the Bruins

(St. Louis, MO) – Belmont’s latest challengers are attempting to climb Mount Belmont much like the Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial found celebrities climbing ‘Mount Paramount’. During the Bruins eight years in the Ohio Valley Conference, challengers have come and challengers have gone, but the Bruins remain on top of that mountain.

Belmont’s latest combatants (Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State) are climbing to the pinnacle of OVC greatness to meet (to paraphrase the commercial) ‘a handsome (bald) man’ in Bruin coach Casey Alexander, who calls all the shots.

The Nashville-based school is 20-1 and a perfect 14-0 in league play. They have won seven titles in eight years and are the defending OVC Tournament champions. Alexander’s team has won 32 of their last 33 games and have defeated 26 straight OVC opponents.

This is clearly ‘Mount Belmont’ and everyone else is attempting to reach those heights.

Eastern Kentucky Challenge

The Colonels are off to their best start since the 1940’s. Coach A.W. Hamilton’s squad is making their final season in the OVC a memorable one (EKU heads to the ASUN in July). EKU (15-4, 9-3) climbs the mountain tonight inside the Curb Event Center. The Colonels have run into a rough patch lately, losing two straight before Monday’s road win at Southern Illinois Edwardsville.

EKU presses and runs the floor. Hamilton’s ‘most entertaining 40 minutes’ is fun to watch and effective. The Colonels are second to Belmont in scoring, lead the nation in steals and are second nationally in turnover margin. They cause problems for the opposition.

Their three league losses came at Morehead State and to perennial challengers Austin Peay and Murray State.

Despite playing virtually all season without potential stars Jomaru Brown and Brandon Knapper the Colonels have four other players averaging double digits in scoring. Freshmen Curt Lewis and Wendell Green Junior have exploded on the scene. Green leads the league in assists (5.5 per game) and is sixth in scoring (15.1 ppg). Lewis in the league’s top 20 in scoring and rebounding.

Returners Tre King and Michael Moreno have been outstanding. King is the OVC’s second leading scorer (16.2 ppg) and fifth leading rebounder (7.4). Moreno has become a long distance marksman. He is second in the league at three-point percentage and third in treys per game.

Morehead’s Resume

So you want freshmen? Eagle rookie Johni Broome is off the charts. The 6’10 Broome is a six-time winner of the OVC’s ‘Freshman of the Week’ award. EKU’s Green is the only one close to him with four such honors. Broome averages over 12 points per game, is the league’s third leading rebounder (7.7) and is tied for the conference lead in blocked shots.

Morehead’s calling card is defense too. A more traditional defense, but great defense none-the-less. The Eagles are the OVC’s best at preventing points (62.6 per game), rebounding margin (6.3), defensive shooting percentage overall (.407) and the three-point line (.300). This will come in handy while playing the league’s best shooting team in Belmont.

The two meet in Nashville on Saturday at 4 pm on ESPN+.

The Cooper brothers (De’Von and Ta’lon) are both guards and ARE NOT brothers, but are big contributors. De’Von averages over twelve points during league play and is the team’s second leading rebounder. Ta’lon comes of the bench to lead the team in assists.

Wright State transfer Skyelar Potter has collected two OVC ‘Newcomer of the Week’ awards scores nearly 11 points per game and is just behind De’von in that in-squad rebounding race. James Baker and K.J. Hunt round out the main contributors.

As coach Preston Spradlin tinkers with the ship, only De’Von Cooper has started all 21 games, all six of the noted players average over 20 minutes of playing time.

Can Someone Climb Mount Belmont?

Since joining the OVC, the Bruins have won 85% of their league games. They have been conference or division champions seven of the last eight seasons and grabbed three tournament titles.

Broadcaster Bob Belvin, the ‘voice of the OVC’ says all other OVC programs measure themselves by the Bruins.

While challengers try to climb ‘Mount Belmont’ that bald man at the top of the mountain seems to be in charge.

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