Vanderbilt Promotes Two Within The Men’s Basketball Program

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Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt men’s basketball head coach Jerry Stackhouse has promoted Ian Thom and CJ Preston to serve as director of basketball operations and to director of basketball research & special projects respectively.

Thom is elevating to his new position after spending the last two seasons on Stackhouse’s staff as a graduate assistant for the Commodores.

“We are thrilled to promote Ian Thom to a full-time position for the 2023-24 season,” Stackhouse says. “He has been an important and valuable piece to our success the past two seasons. He is a tremendous worker with great energy and organizational skills. Ian has a bright future in coaching and we are excited about his ability to continue helping our program as our director of basketball operations.”

As a graduate assistant, Thom was a consistent part of the individual improvement of players such as Scotty Pippen Jr., Liam Robbins and Rodney Chatman through on-court individual skill sessions. In his new position, Thom will coordinate team travel and handle day-to-day logistics for the program, in addition to other duties.

Thom began his coaching career as an assistant at Mount Saint Mary College in New York during the 2018-19 season. He moved on to coach at Gulf Shores High School in Alabama for two seasons.

Thom earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in economics from Birmingham-Southern in 2017. He continued his education by earning his master’s degree in marketing from the Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland in 2018 and another master’s degree in leadership and organizational performance from Vanderbilt in 2023.

Preston has been promoted from assistant video coordinator to the director of basketball research & special projects. The 2023-24 season is his fourth overall on Stackhouse’s staff.

“CJ Preston has been an essential part of our program and coaching staff for the past three seasons,” Stackhouse says. “He has excelled within our video department and we are excited for him to leverage his knowledge of Vanderbilt and Nashville in his new expanded role. As the landscape of college basketball continues to evolve, CJ’s skillset and relationship building abilities will be extremely valuable in this new position.”

In his new role – among other duties – Preston will oversee alumni relations for the program, serve as the student-athlete career development liaison, and research trends across the college basketball landscape including NIL and the transfer portal to keep Vanderbilt ahead of the curve.

A Vanderbilt Man, Preston was previously elevated to the assistant video coordinator position before the 2022-23 season after spending the previous two seasons as a graduate assistant for the program.

Preston has been a mainstay with Vanderbilt athletics since he arrived on campus in 2014 as an undergrad. He was a student manager for the men’s basketball program from 2014-18. He went on to serve as an intern for the communications and marketing departments for Vanderbilt athletics during the 2019-20 academic year before becoming a graduate assistant for men’s basketball in 2020.

He is a two-time graduate of Vanderbilt, earning his bachelor’s degree in human and organizational development in 2018 before completing his master’s in leadership and organizational performance in 2022. He was a member of the Dean’s List three semesters as an undergrad.

Joe Dubin Named Color Commentator For Blue Raider Football Broadcasts

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Chip Walters & Joe Dubin. Photo: Courtesy of MTSU Athletics

Former local Nashville sports anchor Joe Dubin has been named the Color Commentator for Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) football on the Blue Raider Radio Network alongside play-by-play voice Chip Walters.

Dubin, a 1997 MTSU graduate, replaces former MTSU quarterback Jeff Murphy, who spent a year in the booth.

A three-time Emmy-winning sports anchor in the Nashville market, Dubin has been one of the preeminent voices for sports in the mid-state since starting his career at WKRN News 2 in Music City, where he would go on to win two Edward R. Murrow Awards. Dubin also won two of his three Emmys with WSMV Channel 4.

Additionally, Dubin has hosted a drive time sports talk radio show for 102.5 The Game and 560 AM.

The 2023 football season marks the 17th year of the Blue Raider Network under the umbrella of Middle Tennessee Athletics and Learfield.

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

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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.

TSU Football Voted To Finish Fifth In Big South-OVC Poll

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The Big South-OVC Football Association preseason poll is out and Tennessee State University was voted to finish fifth, while a handful of players were named to the Preseason Watch List.

TSU players named to the watch list include quarter back Draylen Ellis, defensive lineman Terrell Allen, linebackers James Green and K’Vaughan Pope, and defensive backs Josh Green and Bryce Phillips. Allen was named to the First Team All-OVC last season after having 36 total tackles and 4.5 sacks in 10 games. Quarterback Ellis played 10 games in 2022 and had a 54.84 passing percent with 1,807 yards and eight touchdowns.

Southeast Missouri State University was voted the favorite in the inaugural Big South-OVC Football Association preseason football poll for the 2023 campaign by the league’s head coaches.

The Redhawks, the Ohio Valley Conference co-champion in 2022 and FCS Playoff participant, received six of the 10 first-place votes and 96 points to claim the top spot in the first year of the Association. Gardner-Webb, last season’s Big South Champion, finished second in the polling with 86 points and collected two first-place votes.  UT Martin, co-champion of the OVC last year, was third with 85 points and earned one first-place vote.  All three members have been ranked in at least one preseason poll ahead of the 2023 campaign, with SEMO ranked as high as No. 9 in two polls.

Tennessee Tech received the remaining first-place vote and was fourth in the voting with 58 points – just ahead of Tennessee State (57 points).  Bryant was predicted sixth with 48 points, followed by Lindenwood in seventh-place with 45 points.  Eastern Illinois (eighth – 33 points), Charleston Southern (ninth – 30 points) and Robert Morris (10th – 12 points) round out the inaugural poll.

As the joint OVC-Big South Association conference debuts, TSU will play six conference games. Matchups include Gardner-Webb, UT Martin, Lindenwood, Charleston Southern, Eastern Illinois, and Tennessee Tech.

TSU will kick off its season against Notre Dame on Sept. 2 in South Bend, Ind. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock.

Belmont Drops 2023-2024 Non-Conference Schedule

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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

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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

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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

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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.