A year ago, Belmont was one of our bracket busters and went out was easily handled for the most part by Wisconsin, playing seemingly scared. Back for more, this team is eerily similar to last year's. KenPom likes them a lot more than the RPI as they have them 23rd and 61st respectively. Belmont doesn't have any signature wins but lost by only 1 at Duke very early in the year, though that game was a matter of Duke letting off the gas more than anything.
In KenPom, they're 9th in AdjO and 82nd in AdjD, so like Davidson, they're an offense first team. Overall, they're 4th overall in scoring. They are 5th in assists per game and 17th in FG% shooting. It matches up with effective FG% as well. Belmont's is 55.7%, 5th best. They protect the ball, 32nd in TO % (17.6 % vs 20.4% national). 34.5% on offensive rebounding %, 83rd best, above the national average. They make 38% of their 3's, 32nd in the land.
Defensively, they're not great but they are good enough (slightly above average) to cause some fits. Overall, their scoring defense is 190th but their effective FG% on defense is 47.8%, 126th overall and they foul teams about the same as the national average, so they don't typically give up extra cheap points. They hold their own on the defensive boards, too, finding themselves smack dab on the national average. FWIW, they are on the positive side on rebound margin.
Belmont is lead by a three headed guard attack. SR. PG, Drew Hanlen hits his 3's at 48% clip. JR. G, Kerron Johnson averages 14.1 pg and shoots 52.6% from the field. JR. G, Ian Clark hits 41% of his three's and completes the troika. Mick Hedgepeth is the man in the middle. He's been a bit up an down his SR season running into occassional foul trouble.
I liked this team a lot last year but they fizzled. I like them again this year and will say something cliched like with the experience of last year, they will give someone a scare and maybe steal a game and be more competetitve.
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