LOUISVILLE, Ky.—While most of the Louisville-area braces for the first snowfall of the season, the Bellarmine men's basketball team hopes the white-out conditions extend until Saturday as the Knights host in-state rival Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. in Freedom Hall. 
 
Bellarmine has declared the game a "white out" and is asking fans to wear white to the game with Kroger providing free T-shirts to fans while supplies last.  In addition, Bellarmine has arranged for discounted tickets as the Knights welcome an in-state rival for the first time in nearly a decade.  Tickets are available through Ticketmaster (https://www.ticketmaster.com/bellarmine-university-knights-mens-basketball-tickets/artist/1365473) and fans can use the unlock code "PackTheHall" to receive a 50 percent discount.
 
In taking on ASUN Conference newcomer Eastern Kentucky, the Knights establish an in-state league foe for the first time since 2013, when Kentucky Wesleyan left the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
 
While Bellarmine is anxious to welcome an in-state foe, the Colonels represent a serious challenge. Picked second in the ASUN preseason coaches poll, Eastern is putting up numbers worthy of those high expectations.
 
Eastern Kentucky features one of the most relentless defenses in all of college basketball.  The Colonels rank in the nation's top four in total steals, turnover margin, turnovers forced and steals per game.  EKU then turns that defense into offense with the Colonels ranking 10th in points per game while leading the nation in 3-pointers attempted and ranking 3rd in 3-pointers made per game. The Colonels also rank sixth in the nation in total assists.
 
Eastern Coach A.W. Hamilton is getting contributions on both ends of the court from up and down the bench.  Seven different players average better than a steal per game while six players average double digits in scoring.
 
Jannson Williams leads EKU in scoring and rebounding with averages of 11.9 and 6.0.  He also is the team leader and ranks second in the ASUN in blocked shots with an average of just over two per game. Three of the ASUN's top four steals leaders are Colonels:  Jomaru Brown, Michael Moreno, and Cooper Robb.
 
Eastern (8-7, 0-1 ASUN) opened its ASUN slate on Tuesday with a 72-79 loss to Central Arkansas as the Colonels played shorthanded due to health issues.
 
Saturday's contest marks Bellarmine's first game since Dec. 21 after having its last two games canceled by health and safety protocols. The game also marks the ASUN opener for the Knights, who were scheduled to open league play Tuesday at Jacksonville State.
 
In addition to battling health and injury issues, Bellarmine (6-8, 0-0 ASUN) also has been battling a tough schedule.  The Knights' non-conference strength of schedule is ranked second in the nation according to the NCAA's Jan. 5 NET ratings as BU faced the likes of Purdue, Gonzaga and UCLA in its non-conference slate.
 
Dylan Penn is pacing the Bellarmine offense this season.  The Evansville, Indiana senior is fourth in the ASUN in scoring at 16.1 points per game and is second in the league in assists with a 5.4 average.  CJ Fleming adds 11.4 points per game, and the Cincinnati native is leading the ASUN in free throw percentage at 95.1 percent. Graduate student Juston Betz is corralling 6.4 rebounds per game to lead the Knights on the boards.
 
Saturday's contest marks just the fourth meeting between the two Kentucky universities.  The last time Bellarmine and EKU met was the 1990-91 season when the Knights were a Division II team.