LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Finals Week may be over at Bellarmine, but that doesn't mean the tests are over for the Knights men's basketball team.
Before the No. 1-ranked Bellarmine squad takes the NCAA Division II-mandated seven-day winter break, Bellarmine Coach
Scott Davenport has prepared a couple of finals of his own for the team. These finals will be on the hardwood in the form of back-to-back games against highly-regarded non-conference foes as the Knights host the Bellarmine Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday.
First up for the Knights at 7 p.m. on Tuesday is No. 12 Barry University, which made it to the Elite 8 last year as champion of the South Region. Less than 24 hours later, Bellarmine must brace itself for a challenge from Northern Michigan--one of the top teams in the Midwest Region--for a 3 p.m. game.
The remaining Bellarmine Classic games feature Southern Indiana vs. Northern Michigan on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and a clash between Barry and USI on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
The Knights enter the Classic with a 7-0 record but have been idle since extending their home court win streak to 60 games by defeating Christian Brothers 87-52 on Dec. 8.
The Knights continue to be led by two-time and preseason All-American
Adam Eberhard, who came up two assists shy from a triple double in BU's last outing. The Evansville, Indiana native also continues to climb the career scoring list, surpassing former Bellarmine great Jake Thelen during the Christian Brothers game for 17th with 1,419 points.
On the season, Eberhard is putting up 20 points a game to along with six assists and 5.3 rebounds. Joining the 6-8 Eberhard in the starting front court are
Ben Weyer and
Chivarsky Corbett, who also are averaging in double digits. Weyer adds 14 points and 5.1 rebounds while Corbett averages 13.7 points and a team-leading 5.7 rebounds.
Alex Cook also is making significant contributions to Bellarmine's front line, averaging nine points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
In the backcourt, Davenport is going five deep with starters
Tyler Jenkins and
Daniel Ramser averaging 6.9 and 4.3 points per game respectively. Guards
CJ Fleming,
Parker Chitty and
Dylan Penn also are seeing significant minutes
Over the past decade, Bellarmine fans have grown accustomed to good shooting as the Knights have finished among the nation's top 10 in field goal percentage every year since the 2008-09 season. So far, 2018-19 is no exception as Bellarmine is leading the nation by hitting 57.3 percent of its shots.
Field goal percentage will be a compelling statistic in the Bellarmine-Barry contest as the Buccaneers counter the Knights' good shooting with good defense. Barry currently ranks No. 1 in the nation for field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 36.4 percent shooting.
In addition to their stellar defensive numbers, Barry also limits the number of field goal attempts by their opponents by winning the battle of the backboards. The Buccaneers are fifth in the nation in rebound margin and rank seventh in defensive boards.
Offensively, Barry is shooting just under 50 percent and is among the top passing teams in the country, ranking sixth in assists per game with a 19.6 average.
The Buccaneers are coming into the Classic with a 7-1 record after repelling a Drury comeback on Sunday afternoon to pull out an 82-81 victory. Barry's lone loss was on the road at Nova Southeastern, which is currently ranked sixth in the NABC Division II poll.
Daniel Mortensen, a 6-8 senior forward, paces a balanced Barry offense and is averaging 15.4 points per game after dropping 26 on Drury. Three players put up 10 and a half points a game: Tylan Birts, Evan Walshe and Marko Tomic.
On Wednesday, the Knights face another quality opponent in Northern Michigan. The Wildcats enter the Bellarmine Classic with a sparkling 8-1 record, the only blemish coming on the road at Northwood. Among NMU's marquee wins are a 77-59 victory over Lewis and an 80-68 road decision over Hillsdale.
Coached by former Ferris State head coach Bill Sall, the Wildcats are a fundamentally-sound squad that values the basketball. Northern Michigan averages just 8.8 turnovers (3rd in DII) and is solid defensively, surrendering just 66 points a game to its opponents. The Wildcats also shoot the ball pretty well, ranking 14th in 3-point accuracy at 42.9 percent and 50.1 percent overall.
The Wildcats pack quite a powerful 1-2 punch in Naba Echols and Isaiah Johnson. Both are seniors and both were 1st Team All-GLIAC performers a season ago. Echols, a 5-11 point guard, was the preseason selection for the 2018-19 GLIAC Player of the Year and is putting up impressive numbers, averaging 19.3 points and 4.6 assists per game. However, Johnson--a 6-5 wing--has been perhaps even more impressive this season. He ranks 10th in the nation with a 23.6 scoring average and is 15th in the country with a 53.1 percent 3-point field goal percentage (26 of 49).
Meanwhile 6-9 junior center Myles Howard provides Northern Michigan with a solid presence in the paint. Defensively, Howard is 12th in the nation in blocked shots per game (2.5), and he is raking in a team-high 6.5 rebounds per contest.
Tickets for the Bellarmine Classic will be available at the door for $15, which includes both games of the doubleheader.
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