College Corner: Belmont’s Dylan Windler, Vanderbilt Golf, MTSU Men’s Basketball

/in , , /by

Belmont’s Dylan Windler Signs Deal With New York Knicks

Dylan Windler. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Former Belmont University men’s basketball star Dylan Windler has signed a contract with the New York Knicks. 

Windler played the last four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, after being selected No. 26 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Windler scored a career-high 15 points against Atlanta and made nine consecutive 3-pointers during a two-game stretch – the most for a Cav in six years. 

The Indianapolis, Indiana native led Belmont to 94 victories and three conference championships in his career, including A5 victories over UCLA, Georgia and Vanderbilt. Windler capped his career by helping the Bruins earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with a win over Temple. Two days later, he scored a game-high 35 points against Maryland. 

As a senior, Windler averaged 21.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Windler became just the fourth Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) player since 1971 to post at least 1,600 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. In fact, of the nine 30 point-20 rebound games in college basketball over the last two seasons, only Windler and South Dakota State All-American Mike Daum recorded multiple 30-20 games. 

He graduated 18th in college basketball history in effective field goal percentage (.640) and ranked fourth nationally in offensive efficiency by noted statistician Ken Pomeroy.

Windler averaged 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 41 percent 3-point shooting in 11 game appearances for the Canton Charge of the NBA G-League last season – including 70 points over his final three games. He averaged 15.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for Canton in 2021-2022.

 

 

 

Vanderbilt Golf To Compete In Scottish Tournament

Gordon Sargent. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

The Vanderbilt men’s and women’s golf teams have been invited to the inaugural St. Andrews Links Collegiate Presented by TopGolf and World Wide Technology, to be held at the historic Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, this Oct. 23-25.

The signature three-day event will also feature men’s and women’s golf teams from Georgetown University, the University of North Carolina and the University of Notre Dame with two days of stroke play on the Jubilee Course followed by a day of medal match play on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

“We are honored and proud to partner with St. Andrews Links Trust on this new collegiate invitational at the Home of Golf,” says Tom Knapp, NBC Sports EVP, Golf. “The St. Andrews Links Collegiate elevates and enhances our already impactful college golf platform. We’re excited to have TopGolf and World Wide Technology join us as presenting sponsors, and we’re thrilled to showcase men’s and women’s student athletes from distinguished universities like Georgetown, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt this October in Scotland.”

NBC Sports will present live coverage of the St. Andrews Links Collegiate on Golf Channel and Peacock in the United States. Sky Sports will provide coverage in the United Kingdom.

 

 

 

MTSU Hires Robert Burlingham As Director Of Basketball Operations

Robert Burlingham has joined Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) men’s basketball as Director of Basketball Operations.

A familiar face to the Blue Raider staff, Burlingham reunites with Blue Raider Head Coach Nick McDevitt and Assistant Coach Eric Wilson. Burlingham started his coaching career as a student manager in 2013-2014 under McDevitt at UNC Asheville, where he was in charge of film and day-to-day functions of the program while also assisting with player workouts, basketball operations and team inventory.

“I want to thank AD Chris Massaro, Diane Turnham, Coach McDevitt and all who were involved,” Burlingham says. “When this opportunity presented itself, it was a no-brainer for me to get back with Coach McDevitt. He gave me my very first opportunity in college basketball and has been a key mentor in my growth as a coach. I look forward to competing for championships with this staff and this team.”

An Asheville, North Carolina native, Burlingham spent 2014-2016 as a manager at Western Carolina, where he worked under Ohio Hall of Fame Head Coach Larry Hunter and Wilson, then an assistant coach for the Catamounts.

Burlingham comes to Murfreesboro from McNeese State, where he served as Director of Basketball Operations for two seasons. He helped the Cowboys to three Southland Conference Tournament victories in his two seasons, while being instrumental in the development of 2022 SLC Freshman of the Year Johnathan Massie and two-time All-Southland selection Christian Shumate.

Prior to McNeese, Burlingham spent time on the staffs of Central Michigan, West Virginia Tech and Carolina Day School. While the top assistant coach at WVU Tech, Burlingham helped the Golden Bears to a 30-5 record, the River States Conference regular season and tournament titles and the second round of the NAIA National Tournament with three All-Conference selections in 2018-2019.

Belmont Drops 2023-2024 Non-Conference Schedule

/in , /by

Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont University’s men’s basketball team has announced its 2023-2024 non-conference schedule, which includes a game at Pac-12 powerhouse Arizona.

The schedule features a blend of returning postseason teams and area rivals coming to the Curb Event Center as the Bruins enter year two in the nationally-regarded Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).

“We have several goals for non-conference scheduling and this year’s slate meets them all,” says head coach Casey Alexander. “We maintain several local rivalries and face a number of quality national and mid-major programs that will boost our strength of schedule.”

Belmont opens the season Nov. 6 vs. Georgia State. The Bruins made national headlines in the home opener last season as Cade Tyson‘s dramatic, game-winning 3-pointer made ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 plays. Belmont then travels to Greenville, South Carolina to face defending Southern Conference (SoCon) champion Furman on Nov. 10. The Bruins and Paladins have split high-scoring meetings the last two seasons.

The Bruins will welcome Berry (GA) College to the Curb Event Center on Nov. 14. Former Belmont standout and athletic hall of fame inductee Mick Hedgepeth is head coach of the Vikings. Belmont heads to the desert to face perennial college basketball giant Arizona on Nov. 17. Arizona All-Pac-12 center Oumar Ballo returns for reigning Associated Press National Coach of the Year Tommy Lloyd. The Bruins and Wildcats met in the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah.

From there, Belmont heads to the City of Brotherly Love and the historic Palestra for a Thanksgiving weekend tournament at the University of Pennsylvania. Monmouth of the Coastal Athletic Association and Lafayette of the Patriot League round out the field.

“We will get a tremendous experience and an opportunity for a signature, Quad 1 win against Arizona,” Alexander says. “The highlight for me is the multi-team event in Philadelphia where we’ll play three games in one of America’s most iconic venues, The Palestra. Non-conference will serve to prepare us for another rigorous run through the MVC.”

Following the start of Missouri Valley Conference play—slated for late November and early December—Belmont hosts the Battle of the Boulevard and rival Lipscomb on Dec. 6. Belmont has won 17 of the last 20 meetings. Alexander has led both Belmont and Lipscomb to the NCAA Tournament.

Three days later, Belmont travels down I-24 to face Middle Tennessee. The Bruins and Blue Raiders, who finished fourth in Conference USA, played an unforgettable overtime game last season which saw NBA first-round selection Ben Sheppard score 33 points.

Semester exams lead into a Dec. 16 game at Samford. The Bulldogs tied Furman for the SoCon regular season championship last season. Non-conference play concludes on Dec. 20 vs. Arkansas State.

The complete 2023-2024 schedule—including Missouri Valley Conference opponents, dates, times and television—will be released in the future.

Belmont Women’s Hoops To Participate In The Ball Dawgs Classic

/in , /by

For the second consecutive season, the Belmont’s women’s basketball team will compete in a mid-season tournament as the Bruins have been invited to participate in the 2023 Ball Dawgs Classic over Thanksgiving week.

Held at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada, the home of the NBA G League Ignite, on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 24, the Ball Dawgs Classic will also feature Stanford, Florida State and Northwestern.

“Our firm has quickly found a home at The Dollar Loan Center as we annually manage the Big West Championships at the site, provide operational support for the Ignite home games and have launched and managed our own events at the arena over the past year,” says bdG Sports President & CEO Brooks Downing. “We look forward to generating excitement and exposure for the teams and players in this event through our partnership with Ball Dawgs and hope that translates to a packed building on Thanksgiving week.”

The four-team Las Vegas tournament managed by bdG Sports will tip off on Wednesday, Nov. 22 with first-round games beginning at 1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT. Following a day off from games for Thanksgiving Thursday, consolation and championship games will be played on Friday, Nov. 24 starting at 8:30 p.m. CT/6:30 p.m. PT.

Matchups and tipoff times will be announced at a later date.

Both three-time National Champion Stanford and three-time Elite Eight participant Florida State reached last season’s NCAA Tournament. Northwestern is only two seasons removed from reaching the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 as a No. 7 seed. The Cardinal went 29-6 last year and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, while the Seminoles were a No. 7 seed and finished 23-10.

Consistently playing one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country, the Bruins took on the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida, last November where Belmont faced top-25 ranked Villanova, Saint Louis and Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech.

Vanderbilt Basketball Names Brad Calipari Director of On-Court Player Development

/in , /by

Vanderbilt men’s basketball has added Brad Calipari to the 2023-24 coaching staff to serve as the program’s Director of On-Court Player Development, head coach Jerry Stackhouse announced.

He spent the 2022-23 season as the Director of Player Development for Long Island University in Brooklyn. At LIU, Calipari worked alongside head coach Rod Strickland – an NBA veteran who made the transition to coaching. Calipari is the son of Kentucky head coach John Calipari.

“Brad is a talented, young coach who has worked hard to prepare himself for this opportunity,” Stackhouse says. “He is knowledgeable, high-energy, and a strong communicator. We are very excited about his ability to add value with our student-athletes and within our coaching staff.”

Prior to his time in Brooklyn, Calipari was a graduate assistant for the Kentucky men’s basketball program, earning his masters certificate in sports kinesiology in 2022. As a student-athlete, Calipari began his career at Kentucky, suiting up for the Wildcats during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons on teams that made the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively. He played the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Detroit Mercy for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

Calipari graduated from Kentucky in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies before earning a master’s degree in liberal arts from Detroit Mercy in 2021.

Belmont Names Lee Scott Director Of Sports Performance

/in , /by

Lee Scott. Photo: Courtesy of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Belmont University has hired Lee Scott as Director of Sports Performance.

Scott spent the past nine years at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and led the Islanders’ strength & conditioning program as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance for the last seven.

“We are excited to welcome Lee and his family to Belmont,” says Renee Schultz, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator. “Lee brings a wealth of experience in the sports performance field and will be instrumental in developing our student-athletes to maximize their athletic potential. Lee stood out during the interview process because he is a proven, collaborative leader who values whole-person formation in a Christ-centered environment.”

Scott was part of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s back-to-back Southland Conference Championships in men’s basketball, which included consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and victory in the 2023 First Four. The Islanders also claimed the 2023 Southland Conference All-Sports trophy for women’s sports, claiming championships in basketball, tennis and beach volleyball.

Prior to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Scott served as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Texas A&M-Kingsville, overseeing strength & conditioning for the school’s 12 intercollegiate athletics teams. He designed and implemented programs for every team at Texas A&M-Kingsville, and helped the Javelinas pick up conference championships in baseball and men’s track in 2014. Additionally, the Texas A&M-Kingsville men’s track team finished fourth in the nation.

Previously, he worked at Houston’s Downtown Club at the Met as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer. In addition to his duties with the Downtown Club, Scott designed a plyometric and strength program for the John Lucas Camp in Houston. He also spent a year working as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer at the YMCA in Victoria, Texas.

His career began at Midwestern State University (MSU), where he earned his Master’s in exercise physiology. As a strength & conditioning graduate assistant, he crafted and carried out offseason conditioning programs for the MSU women’s basketball team. He also designed and implemented the walk-on/redshirt football program for the Mustangs and assisted in the strength & conditioning for football, men’s basketball and softball.

Scott was a student-athlete at Northwestern State University, serving as a placekicker for the Demon football program before ending his career at MSU. He won conference championships in 2004 and 2009 while twice leading the Lone Star Conference in kickoff coverage.

Following his collegiate career, Scott was one of four kickers chosen to participate in the National Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. He also played semiprofessionally in the Arena League for the Houston Stallions and Corpus Christi Fury.

A native of Elgin, Texas, Scott now lives in Nashville with his wife Julie, and daughters Hattie and Sadie, due in October.

Vanderbilt Basketball Promotes James Strong To Assistant Coach

/in , /by

Vanderbilt men’s basketball Head Coach Jerry Stackhouse has announced that James Strong has been elevated to Assistant Coach.

Strong, who graduated from Vandy in 2000 and was a captain for the Commodores, has served on Stackhouse’s staff in various roles for each of the last four seasons.

“We are excited to promote James Strong to an assistant coach,” says Stackhouse. “He is a Vanderbilt man who loves the university, the city and our basketball program. He is an excellent basketball coach with extensive experience across the Southeast. We are confident that his connection to Vanderbilt and his familiarity with the spirit of Memorial Magic will tremendously benefit our program as he continues to mentor our student-athletes.”

The program record holder for steals in a game and in a season, Strong previously served as an assistant coach at Belmont for eight seasons and Furman for five. Prior to that, he was on staff at Vanderbilt under Kevin Stallings for six seasons.

Strong recently completed his 27th season in college basketball as a student-athlete, coach or staff member. He has been part of 18 winning seasons, six NCAA Tournaments and 10 NIT appearances. His teams have won seven regular season championships and three conference tournament championships.

“I love what we are building here at Vanderbilt,” says Strong. “There’s something special about working for your alma mater, and I’ve loved serving on the staff the last four seasons. I’m excited and thankful to Coach Stackhouse for this opportunity to continue to work with our student-athletes in a new role.”

During his current tenure with the Dores, Strong has helped the resurgence of the program, including back-to-back NIT quarterfinals appearances. He spent the 2022-2023 season as the program’s Director of Operations, the 2021-2022 campaign as the Director of Scouting & Recruiting and the previous two as the Director of Player Personnel.

Prior to his return to Vandy, Strong made a tremendous impact for Belmont as an assistant coach – helping the Bruins reach four NCAA Tournaments during an eight-season stretch. Belmont went 195-71 during his tenure, won six consecutive regular season conference championships, received top 25 poll votes and earned victories over North Carolina, Marquette, Stanford and Georgia.

As a student-athlete, he was a four-year letter winner for the Commodores (1996-2000), leading Vanderbilt to three postseason appearances – one NCAA Tournament, two NIT appearances. As a junior, Strong led the SEC and established a Vanderbilt single-season record in steals (77). He ranks fourth on the Commodores’ career steals list (209) and served as Team Captain as a senior.

Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Strong earned a Bachelor’s degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt in 2000.

Belmont’s Ben Sheppard Selected By Indiana Pacers In First Round Of NBA Draft

/in , /by

Ben Sheppard vs Drake University. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont University men’s basketball star Ben Sheppard was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 26 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Thursday from Barclays Center.

Sheppard joins Joe Gaines (1972, Portland Trail Blazers) and Dylan Windler (2019, Cleveland Cavaliers) as the third Belmont men’s basketball player selected in the NBA Draft.

Sheppard led Belmont to 98 victories and three conference championships during his decorated career, impressing NBA organizations throughout the pre-draft process.

Beyond individual workouts, Sheppard wowed scouts at the 2023 NBA Combine in Chicago, posting the fastest shuttle-run time and scoring a game-high 25 points in his final scrimmage.

The guard stood among select company in college basketball as players with at least 1,500 points, 450 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals.

Sheppard averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this past season as Belmont won 20 or more games for a 13th consecutive season.

A finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year award this past season, Sheppard posted 29 double figure scoring games, including 12 games with 20 or more points.

Sheppard was one of only four players in college basketball this past season with at least 600 points, 150 rebounds, 75 assists, 75 3-point field goals while shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point distance (Brandin Podziemski, Souley Boum, Landers Nolley).

The first player in the conference named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week three times this season, Sheppard was the only player this season named All-MVC First Team and MVC All-Defensive Team.

Among his notable performances, Sheppard scored a career-high 41 points at Tennessee Tech, a conference season-high 35 points at Murray State Feb. 1 and 33 points vs. Middle Tennessee Dec. 10.

The Atlanta native adds to Belmont’s growing NBA ledger, which includes 2017 NBA Champion and six-year veteran Ian Clark, Windler, Utah Jazz assistant coach Evan Bradds and leading NBA skills development coach Drew Hanlen.

Sheppard becomes the 275th men’s basketball player in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference selected in the NBA Draft, joining the likes of Larry Bird, Walt Frazier, Doug Collins, Hersey Hawkins, Kyle Korver, Doug McDermott and Landry Shamet.

Belmont’s Ben Sheppard Predicted As First Round Pick In NBA Mock Drafts

/in , /by

Ben Sheppard. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont’s Ben Sheppard is on the verge of being just the second player in Bruins history to be drafted in the NBA Draft as many mock drafts have him selected late in the first round.

Dylan Windler was the first Belmont star to get drafted when he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. After a fantastic career at Belmont, Sheppard is poised to follow in Windler’s footsteps as he continues to impress NBA scouts and coaches.

Last season, Sheppard averaged 18.8 points per game (ppg) and 5.2 rebounds per game (rpg). He finished his Belmont career averaging 12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg and shot 47. 5 percent. Sheppard was runner-up for the Larry Bird Trophy, which is given to the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of Year.

A mock draft by SB Nation has Sheppard being selected No. 29 overall by the Indiana Pacers, who he worked out with just a few weeks ago.

The Pacers seem to be a popular prediction for where Sheppard may land as Yahoo Sports also has the Atlanta, Georgia native get picked up by Indiana with the No. 26 overall pick. This year, the Pacers have two selections in the first round with the No. 26 and No. 29 overall picks, allowing them the luxury to take two solid players in the first round.

ESPN’s most recent mock draft also has Sheppard as the Pacers’ No. 29 overall selection, seemingly confirming this as the most likely outcome if no crazy draft day trades or antics occur.

NBA Draft.net’s most recent mock draft also has Sheppard going in the first round, but to the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 30th overall pick.

However, the Athletic’s Top 100 NBA Draft Prospects and Final Rankings  has Sheppard as the 28th best prospect overall, after predicting he will go No. 44 overall in the second in a mock draft from early May. The Athletic complimented Sheppards ‘3 and D’ potential plus his great wingspan. He has a high basketball IQ, and his three years of starting experience at a school like Belmont will only help him impress scouts and coaches.

The 2023 NBA Draft is set for Thursday, June 22 at 7 p.m. CT at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York  and air on ABC and ESPN.