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#129
Belmont Bruins
Atlantic Sun
2004-05: 14-16, 12-8, 3rd
2004-05 postseason: none
By
Joel Welser
A trio of seniors
are creating a lot of buzz and expectations in Nashville. Brian
Collins, Josh Goodwin and Dan Oliver will need to lead the way
if Belmont is to head to the post season. The Bruins were up and
down last season, including a sluggish 2-7 start, which had more
to do with a tough non-conference schedule than poor play
Belmont. A few big wins early in the year could really help the
morale throughout the season.
Who’s Out:
Down by two with a few seconds left, Belmont would have the ball
in the hands of Jese Snyder. He’s a sensational shooter and has
a knack for scoring. Returnee Josh Goodwin is the likely
candidate to replace Snyder as the go-to-guy. As a senior last
year Snyder averaged 11.8 points per game and shot a healthy 41%
from behind the arc. Guard Nick Otis played in all 30 contests,
starting three. He averaged 6.5 points, 1.2 assists and 2.8
rebounds as a senior. Also heading out of Nashville are seldom
used Chad Caterson and Vann Patton.
Who’s In:
Keaton Belcher fits well into the
Belmont system. He’s a 6-7 power forward who can step out and
hit the long ball. Belcher plays hard and should see some
minutes off the bench. Head coach Rick Byrd’s best newcomer
could be Tennessee transfer Boomer Herndon. The 6-10, 255 pound
center never saw too many minutes with the Volunteers. He logged
6.6 minutes a game, averaging 1.6 points and 1.8 rebounds two
years ago. After spending a year on the Belmont sidelines,
Herndon should be ready to come in and make a big impact. Guards
Andy Wicke and Henry Harris redshirted last season. Wicke is a
solid shooter and floor leader who may see some minutes off the
bench. Harris averaged 22.0 points and five assists as a senior
in high school. Rounding out the group of newcomers is redshirt
freshman Andrew House.
Who to Watch:
The post presence will be the key
for the Bruins and that falls mostly on the shoulders of junior
center Andrew Preston. The 6-10, 215 pound Winchester, Kentucky
product started 19 games for Coach Byrd’s squad last year,
averaging 6.8 points and 3.2 boards. Preston placed third in the
conference in blocked shots with 1.9 per contest. If he can
contribute more on the offensive end and on the glass, it would
make things much easier for the Bruins.
Projected
Conference Rank:
Gardner-Webb, Lipscomb and Mercer
won’t make this a runaway for Belmont by any means. The Bruins
should have enough talent to slip by their conference
competitors and get a 1st place finish in the
Atlantic Sun and their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected Starting
Five:
Brian Collins, Senior,
Guard, 10.6 points per game
Josh Goodwin, Senior,
Guard, 10.4 points per game
Justin Hare,
Sophomore, Guard, 10.7 points per game
Dan Oliver, Senior,
Forward, 7.0 points per game
Andrew Preston,
Junior, Center, 6.8 points per game
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