BIG RAPIDS, Mich.--For the 10th consecutive year, the Bellarmine men's basketball team is competing in the NCAA Division II National Championship. Back in 2009, the Knights were simply glad to be a part of the 64-team field as Bellarmine had taken an 18-year hiatus from the "big dance."
 
The 2009 team went on to narrowly miss going to the program's first Elite 8 when they lost in overtime in the Midwest Regional final to eventual national champion Findlay. However, that run to the regional final put Bellarmine on the map, so to speak in DII basketball.
 
Now, the Knights clearly have higher aspirations than just being in the field of 64.  With a national title in 2011 and four Elite 8 appearances (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017), Bellarmine is firmly established as one of the upper echelon programs in Division II. 
 
As Bellarmine embarks on its latest quest for a national title, the Knights are faced with a difficult road to Sioux Falls, beginning with their first round opponent--Truman State--on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Ferris State's Wink Arena.
 
Although Bellarmine already owns two double-digit victories over the Bulldogs, Truman State is a team that keeps getting better as the year wears on.  In fact, TSU wasn't among the top 10 in the first two regional rankings of the year. However, the Bulldogs used the new Great Lakes Valley Conference points system to grab the No. 2 seed in the GLVC postseason tourney where they advanced to the finals before falling to top-seeded Bellarmine. 
 
The NCAA national committee rewarded Truman State for its late season surge with a number 7 seed in the Midwest Regional, which sets up a rematch with Bellarmine.
 
In Sunday's GLVC final, the Knights were able to minimize Truman State's 3-point game and came away a 75-61 winner. Known as a team that shoots well from the perimeter at all five positions, the Bulldogs made just nine of 34 from 3-point range for 26.5 percent in the GLVC final.
 
Saturday's regional game will be the third meeting between Truman and Bellarmine in three weeks. The initial meeting in Kirksville, Missouri on Feb. 17 saw the Knights go up by as many as 24 only to see the Bulldogs slice that margin in half over the last 3:55 of the game as BU took an 82-70 victory.

The first round NCAA rematch between GLVC tournament finalists is nothing new for Bellarmine.  After falling to Drury 70-77 in the 2015 GLVC championship game, the Knights found themselves playing the Panthers in the opening round of the Midwest Region.  Bellarmine won the rematch 84-60 and went on the claim its third NCAA regional crown. 
 
Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport said the opponent doesn't matter at this point in the season. "On Sunday there were 314 teams competing, and on Monday 250 of them weren't practicing," he said. "The only thing that matters is advancing to Sunday."
 
Should the Knights advance to the field of 32 on Sunday, they will meet the winner of the Findlay-Drury game. Sunday's game time is set for 5 p.m.