Getty Belmont and Ohio University clash in the season opener.
The Belmont Bruins head to the Convocation Center in Athens to take on the Ohio University Bobcats in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday night.
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The game (7 p.m. ET start time) isn’t on TV, but anyone in the US can watch Belmont vs Ohio live on ESPN+:
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You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
Belmont vs Ohio Preview
The Bobcats are fresh from an exhibition against Capital University, handling the Comets a 92-66 loss. “I liked the first half and our energy level,” Bobcats coach Jeff Boals said after the win.
“For the second half, it waned a little bit, which I was kind of expecting, but I thought the guys who came off the bench did a really good job of bringing that energy, both in the first and second half. And I told the guys after the game, exhibition season’s over. We’ve got to be a lot better on Tuesday night, which should be a great contest against a very good team. And I know they’re looking forward to it.”
Ohio University finished its 2020-21 campaign with a 17-8 overall mark, netting 79.2 points a game on offense, while allowing 72.6 points a game to opponents. The team lost its top scorer, Jason Preston, who was selected in the NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, and the squad almost made it to the Sweet 16 after its first-round upset of fourth-seeded Virginia in the NCAA Tournament last year. Look for Dwight Wilson III, Ben Vander Plas, Ben Roderick and Lunden McDay to attempt to fill the void left by Preston.
On the other side, Belmont finished with a 26-4 overall record last year, and the 81.3 points a game the team averaged on offense was ranked 13th in the nation. They’re the favorites to win another Ohio Valley Conference championship again this year after doing it last year, and they’re returning with a few more talented young players in tow this season.
Will Richard and Isaiah Walker have joined the team this year, and the versatility the two 6-foot-5 guards will give the Bruins has the team psyched.
“Both will be really good players in our program before their time here is over,” head coach Casey Alexander said about Walker and Richard. “We have great expectations for them, and we are excited for what they are going to do while they’re here.”
This will be Belmont’s final year in the Ohio Valley Conference, as the team will join the Missouri Valley Conference next year, so Alexander and company could be looking to go on a farewell tour of sorts. Regardless, this will be a tough test out of the gate for both teams, and it should be a hard-fought battle.