LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After four seasons in one historic basketball venue, the Bellarmine University men's basketball team is now set to make its official return to its original historic basketball venue.
 
The Knights take on Virginia Military Institute this Saturday inside Knights Hall at 3 p.m. ET. Tickets are still available and fans can skip the lines by purchasing ahead of time at BUKnightsTix.com.
 
"Coming back to Knights Hall on the first Saturday of college basketball is proof that hard work, dedication and putting players first pays off," said Bellarmine head coach Scott Davenport. "Our administration and everyone in our athletic department deserves praise for making it happen. Our students will be much more engaged and the entire community will add to the game experience."
 
Bellarmine went 31-21 (.596) in games at Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center from 2020 to 2024.
 
Last Time Out
Bellarmine (0-1, 0-0 ASUN) dropped their season opener at Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday, 84-65. The Knights fell by 19 despite shooting 46.4 percent from the field. VCU bested Bellarmine by going 52.7 percent from the floor, including a whopping 15-for-29 (51.7 percent) from three. For the Knights, Ben Johnson and Dezmond McKinney each scored 15 points and Jack Karasinski added 11 in his Bellarmine debut. The 15 for McKinney was one short of his career high, set last December against Evansville. Johnson, who hit a team-best 69 threes last season, went 7-of-10 from the field and missed his only three-point attempt.
 
Even with the loss to open the season, Davenport felt the game was beneficial.
 
"VCU was a tremendous learning experience and it would be impossible to simulate what we learned in practice from an athletic and physicality standpoint," he said. "I was very proud of our entire program and appreciative of VCU for the opportunity."
 
About Virginia Military Institute
VMI (1-0, 0-0 SoCon) opened their campaign with a 103-54 demolition of Division III Washington College. The Keydets shot 49.3 percent and outscored the Shoremen 50-14 in the paint and 21-5 in transition. Like VCU, VMI boasts a slew of transfers. Sophomore Indiana State transfer forward Augustinas Kiudulas led the way in their opener with 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting. Sophomore Pacific transfer guard Tan Yildizoglu registered a rare double-double with just two points by grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out 15 assists. Sophomore Lipscomb transfer forward TJ Johnson added 17. Sophomore forward Cyprian Hyde (Portland) and junior guard Rickey Bradley, Jr. (Georgia State) also joined the program from the portal. Bradley spent his freshman year at VMI before leaving and rejoining.
 
VMI last season went 4-28 and finished last in the Southern Conference at 1-17. The Keydets were ate the bottom of the conference in both in scoring 68.9 points per game and in allowing 82.6 points per game. They also registered a SoCon-worst 0.66 assist-to-turnover ratio. VMI was picked to finish last in the conference again in the preseason coaches poll.
 
Davenport on the Keydets
"VMI presents a great challenge at both ends of the floor. Their zone defense is something we have not faced, but we have prepared for. On the offensive end, they are a very complete team. They have combined for 51 assists in two games against outside competition. That is an amazing statistic. They score inside and out like all balanced teams do."
 
Saturday's contest is billed as one of Bellarmine's two games that are part of the scheduling alliance between the Atlantic Sun Conference and the Southern Conference. The Knights will also travel to Western Carolina on December 4.
 
Live coverage of the game will be carried on ESPN+.
 
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