Duquesne will host Belmont as part of their non-conference schedule for the 2020-21 season, Pittsburgh Sports Now has learned.
The Belmont Bruins, which are located in Nashville, Tennessee, are members of the Ohio Valley Conference and have been a successful mid-major program in recent history.
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Last season, Belmont finished with a record of 26-7 and 15-3 in conference, which was tied for first place with Murray State. Belmont earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Murray State, 76-75, in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Game. The Bruins finished No. 109 in the KenPom Ratings and were ranked No. 101 in the NCAA’s NET Rankings.
Belmont is a high-scoring team that averaged 79.6 points per game this past season and will return four of their five leading scorers. Sophomore guard Adam Kunkel (16.5 PPG), sophomore center Nick Muszynski (15.3 PPG), sophomore guard Grayson Murphy (9.8 PPG) and junior guard Nick Hopkins (5.6 PPG) will all return for head coach Casey Alexander.
Belmont is the second quality non-conference opponent that Duquesne has on their 2020 non-conference schedule joining Furman, who finished the 2020 season with a record of 25-7 and No. 81 in the KenPom Ratings and No. 74 in the NET Rankings.
The Dukes are also playing Wyoming in the MWC/A-10 Challenge, along with playing in a preseason tournament with a field that includes Maryland, San Jose State and Cal Baptist, with the latter two at home.
Duquesne does not yet know where it will be playing its 2020 nonconference games thanks to coronavirus-related construction delays on UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
Much discussion has occurred since it was announced that Duquesne wouldn’t be playing Pitt for the second consecutive year. Although Duquesne would’ve liked to take on the Panthers, Dukes athletic director Dave Harper and head coach Keith Dambrot have done a good job of filling the schedule, at least based on last season’s rankings, with quality opponents.
Name |
2019-20 KenPom Rating |
2019-20 NET Rankings |
Belmont |
#109 |
#101 |
Furman |
#81 |
#74 |
Maryland |
#18 |
#11 |
Duquesne |
#95 |
#94 |
Pitt |
#111 |
#109 |