Belmont Women’s Basketball Receives 14 AP Votes, Picked To Finish First In MVC

/in , /by

2022 OVC Tournament MVP Destinee Wells. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

College basketball season is just a few weeks away and the Belmont women’s basketball team is looking at what could be another historic, and potentially championship, season.

The Bruins won both the Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Title, as well as the OVC Tournament title last season behind sophomore superstar and OVC Tournament MVP Destinee Wells. For this reason, Belmont have been picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference this season–their first in the MVC.

Wells was also named the MVC Preseason Player of the Year after a brilliant 2021-22 season where she averaged 16.7 ppg, 4.5 apg, 122 rebounds and shooting 45 percent from the field. She is also a member of the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List and Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List.

The Bruins received 32 of 44 possible first-place votes in the MVC preseason poll and return three first-team all-conference selections in juniors Madison Bartley and Tuti Jones. With seven of its top nine scorers in 2021-22 back, Belmont features five newcomers, including transfers Kendal Cheesman (Vanderbilt) and Sydni Harvey (South Florida).

Belmont also received 14 votes in NCAA women’s basketball Associated Press Preseason Top 25 Poll, the most votes ever received to start a season. They are the only MVC program represented in the preseason national media poll.

A pair of top 10 opponents are on the Bruins’ non-conference schedule with Belmont hosting preseason No. 7 Louisville on Nov. 13 to close out the opening week of the season. The Bruins travel to preseason No. 4 Iowa the following Sunday (Nov. 20) before possibly facing No. 18 Baylor and No. 25 Michigan in the 2022 Gulf Coast Showcase form Nov. 25-27 in Estero, Florida.

Additionally, both Villanova and Georgia received votes in the preseason AP Top 25. The Bruins take on the Wildcats in the Sunshine State to begin the Gulf Coast Showcase on Nov. 25 and Belmont travels to Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Dec. 17.

With one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, the Bruins face no fewer than 11 20-win programs from a year ago and at least 12 teams who made a national postseason tournament last March. Belmont is slated to play seven 2022 NCAA Tournament squads and hosts ACC mainstay Georgia Tech (Dec. 4), in addition to reigning Final Four participant Louisville.

Steven Boero
Latest posts by Steven Boero (see all)