Belmont Head Coach Rick Byrd
“It's tough to come that close and not win. I'm so proud of our team and our players; I wouldn't feel any better or be any prouder of them if the score would have been in our favor. We played hard enough and well enough to win. I feel badly that the final sequences transpired as they did. We had a set play with four seconds to go, and Alex (Renfroe) did as he was instructed. It's a play we practice and have scored on this season. It's an anticipation play and if you wait, it won't be there. I should have drawn up a play for a layup, and if it wasn't there, I should have called timeout. I take responsibility for that. Our players did Belmont University proud. The one-point loss is unfair in a way because it doesn’t measure the effort our kids put out – the mental toughness of it.”
Junior Alex Renfroe
“It's heartbreaking. I'm not gonna lie, it's heartbreaking. We felt like we had a chance coming into this game. We played well this season and played well together. People asked about what we thought coming into this game, and it's about confidence. It is more than just on the court, it's with your teammates off the court, in the hotel room hanging out, off-season training. We had a mentality this season to get this done, and we played well tonight. Sometimes in basketball it just doesn't go your way, and the end didn't go our way.”
Senior Justin Hare
“We’ll be remembered as the team that almost did it. It’s hard to go out that way. We beat Cincinnati and Alabama this year, and played a great Xavier team, but playing Duke tonight, the way we did, probably our best game of the year. The final shot, yeah, it looked like it had a chance. Obviously, when you’re that far away, it’s not the shot you want, but it was the best shot we could get. We just tried to play our game tonight and stayed poised. We did that and gave ourselves a chance to win. But it hurts.”
Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski
“We played against a team that played an amazing game. They’re a very good team. We were ready to play. You won’t hear any of our players say that we overlooked them. There’s no way. Watching them on tape, they looked very good. Watching them in person, they looked even better.”
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
It's over.
So close, Belmont Fans... so unbelievably close. Final Score: Duke 71 Belmont 70
(Photo: Last Basket of the Evening)
Down 71-70 with 4 seconds left, the Bruins turned the ball over on the inbound pass. The Bruins quickly fouled and sent the DeMarcus Nelson to the free throw line for a one and one. Nelson missed it and Will Peeples grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 2.1 seconds remaining. Belmont threw it in to senior Justin Hare who hurled a hailmary from half court that barely missed. Final score: Duke 71 Belmont 70.
Stay tuned for all the post-game wrap-ups.
We are proud of our Bruins!
Less than a minute...We're up by one
Probably one of the most hard fought, emotional, and down right stressful games I’ve ever witnessed. Coach Byrd has constructed a Bruin monster that has yet to lie down. Everyone is standing. Everyone is yelling. This is just crazy…
Still keeping it close...
Four minutes remaining and I'm having trouble typing. Alex Renfroe seems to be taking over now. Alex is single handedly driving to the basket, blocking shots, and nailing free throws. Renfroe was the NIA player of the year two years ago at Treveca University. He transferred to Belmont cause his dream was to play in the NCAA. Good thing too....
67 Duke 64 Belmont
Eight minutes remaining....
Holy cow, folks, the Blue Devils are human. The atmosphere in the Verizon Arena is electric and Belmont has managed to gather the approval of both West Virginia and Arizona fans. Although struggling slightly with foul trouble, the Bruins have weathered every storm Duke has constructed. Stay tuned and stay loud...Duke 60 Belmont 58
"It's not quite Easter, but that's a whole lot of stuffing..."
7' 1" Brian Zoubek getting stuffed by Belmont's Jordan Campbell during the First half... (Photo: Speed)
Keepin it close at halftime... Belmont 35, Duke 42
Keeping it close at halftime here in Washington, DC
Tourney Update
The nation’s capital is buzzing, and it doesn’t even involve politics. The tension comes from eight college basketball teams giving everything they have to keep dancing. Two of the games have already been completed with Xavier holding off an emotionally charged Georgia team 72-61 after the Bulldogs failed to maintain an 11-point lead. On the other hand, the day's second game, which pitted Purdue against Baylor, was a blowout with the Boilermakers easily handling Baylor's Bears to a tune of 90-79.
The night’s main attraction, however, is the match-up between your Belmont Bruins and the No.2 seeded Duke Blue Devils. The Bruins not only will be prohibitive underdogs on the court but also in the stands as Duke fans have flooded D.C. Belmont’s few fans, though, will definitely make up the crowd difference with their spirit. Now, will the Bruin players do the same? Stay tuned!
4 AM Wake-Up in Nashville
So, it's currently 5:15 a.m. We've been up for nearly an hour and a half and the anticipation is building. We realize that all the cowboy hats and boot-cut jeans of the Nashville songwriters will be replaced by a sea of business suits and trench coats when we touch down in Baltimore in just a couple hours. The other Belmont students show signs of sleep deprivation with a layer of subtle joy just underneath the surface. "This is my first time flying," says sophomore nursing major Sarah Thomas, one of 10 Belmont students to receive free tickets to the NCAA Tournament game against Duke later tonight. We will keep you posted on all that is going on today. Until then, enjoy a day filled with hours of basketball even before the Bruins take on the Blue Devils!
What They Are Saying
What they are saying:
“If Belmont pulls off the upset it wouldn't be the biggest shocker ever…If a 15 seed can beat a 2 seed, this is the game in which it'll happen.” – Josh Katzowitz, SportingNews
“Expect a better battle than you might think. Duke will get up early and will coast, but Belmont will go on enough of a run with the three to get everyone buzzing. And then Duke will be Duke.” – Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com
“The Belmont Bruins have tournament experience but are no match for the Blue Devils inside-out game. There will not be two teams named the Bruins advancing to the second round from this region.” – Ian Zymarakis, Bleacherreport
“I have an active fantasy life. But that upset is not brewing nor is this first round win for Belmont. Great job getting here but Duke has just too much firepower on the perimeter. But, Washington DC is nice this time of year; they should enjoy themselves.” – Joe Lunardi, ESPN
“This should be an easy opening-round victory for the Blue Devils, who have a balanced attack and one of the most experienced coaches in Tourney history in Mike Krzyzewski. There will be a lot of folks around the nation rooting for Belmont, but surely to little avail.” – CBS Sportsline.com
Scouting Duke
Scouting Duke:
Starting Backcourt:
Senior guard, DeMarcus Nelson (#21), is the unquestioned leader of this Blue Devil team. He leads the team not only in points per game (15.2) but also in rebounds (6.0). His backcourt partner is junior Greg Paulus (#3), who has become one of the best floor generals in the entire nation to go along with his deft shooting touch. He currently paces the team in assists per game (3.3) and knocks down a solid 43 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
Starting Frontcourt:
Freshman phenom, Kyle Singler (#12), provides 13.6 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds per game, both of which are second on the team. Wing Gerald Henderson (#15) provides a scoring punch as well. The Blue Devils do not start a true center. Instead they use 6’8” forward Lance Thomas (#42) down on the block. Thomas only averages around 4 points per game and 3 rebounds.
Bench:
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Video Interview with Belmont's Coach Byrd
Check out our video interview with Belmont's Coach Byrd here:
NCAA Interview with Belmont's Justin Hare and Keaton Belcher
I had the chance to talk with some of the Bruin players before they left for Washington, D.C. Tuesday afternoon. Everyone appeared to be very excited, even anxious as they began loading the busses. Senior guard, Justin Hare, and sophomore forward, Keaton Belcher, were kind enough to answer a few question:
Lindsey: Congratulations guys. This is your third straight year going to the big tournament. How do you feel?
Hare: Rudy, we’re excited. We’re playing a great team, Duke, and we really have nothing to lose going into the game. We’re just going to go out, compete, and have a good time.
Lindsey: You’re playing the Duke Bluedevils. “THE” Duke Bluedevils! This is a team that is very well established. Do you guys ever get nervous or intimated against an opponent like this?
Hare: You gotta try not to be intimidated. I’m sure everyone will be a little nervous. We’re playing at NCAA tournament standards and playing against guys who have been here before. Yeah, you’re gonna be nervous.
Belcher: Maybe there’s a little bit of nervousness there, but we’re gonna be ready. This is our third trip to the tournament. Coach K is going to have his team ready, but I think we match up to them pretty well. Duke really doesn’t have a dominant “big guy,” which favors us. They shoot a lot of 3’s like us so I think the game should be pretty interesting.
Lindsey: What was the main focus in practice this week?
Belcher: The main focus was definitely on the offensive end. Duke plays very hard defense. They get up in you, they box out well, they’re physical, and they’re fast. We just worked on moving the ball and getting open, easier shots in practice.
Lindsey: What is the atmosphere like on the bus ride, on the plane, in the hotel and eventually in the locker room? Are you guys pretty laid back? Or is there more of tense, focused attitude amongst the team?
Hare: I think we’re pretty laid back, ya know? We like to have a good time. We’re all friends. We hang out on the bus, talk a lot, and watch a lot of TV…not that tense.
Belcher: Actually, everybody is really ready to play. We drew the game on Sunday, and everyone has been excited about the game ever since. Duke is a Top Ten team, but we’re just ready to play.
Lindsey: Justin, this is your senior year. This will be your last tournament as a Bruin. Does this change anything going into March Madness?
Hare: Yeah, I think so. For me, I just want to enjoy it. This is my last go ‘round. It’s the last time I’ll be playing college basketball. It’s on a great stage and against great teams. I’m just going to take it all in and have a great time.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Three Keys to the Game
Make at least 10 treys:
The Bruins are fourth in the nation in three-pointers made per game at 10.6. However, Belmont’s bread and butter treys have not been falling for them in the Big Dance. The first two tournament appearances against UCLA and Georgetown, the Bruins made just 10 combined threes out of 45 attempts, which amounts to a paltry 22 percent. Butterflies probably account for the dip in the big games, but this marks the Bruins third consecutive trip. Now, Belmont’s sharpshooters have no excuse this time around to shoot so poorly.
Limit turnovers:
This is really not rocket science. If you are already at a disadvantage in talent, then you can’t afford to shoot yourself in the foot. It helps that the Bruins have loads of experienced ball handlers in senior Justin Hare and juniors Alex Renfroe and Andy Wicke. However, neither one has seen a defender as tough as Duke junior guard Greg Paulus.
Hold their own in rebounding:
Monday, March 17, 2008
Belmont vs. Duke Game Preview
On the surface, this #15-#2 match-up appears more like a David vs. Goliath fight than a quality basketball game. After all, the Duke Blue Devils are college basketball’s royalty, having 32 NCAA Tournament appearances, 14 Final Fours, and 3 National Championships. Their coach, Mike Krzyzewski is so good that seldom a college basketball fan misspells his name. Coach K holds a record 68 NCAA Tournament victories and 802 overall wins which ranks first amongst active coaches.
On the other hand, Belmont is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance after losing by 34 and 25 in its previous two. Yet, by digging a little deeper, this could be a much more competitive game than what the experts are predicting. Duke is not the same Duke of the past decade; they are vulnerable down low without an imposing big man. They also do not have a college superstar as in the past. Both of these factors, are good news to the upset-minded Belmont Bruins. The Bruins, also who severely lack size, are not nervous in the least bit this year against a team they match up relatively favorably with. This year is unlike the past two appearances where the uber-talented UCLA Bruins pounded them and the gigantic trees of Georgetown squashed them. Also, don’t forget Belmont coach Rick Byrd has won 541 career games which is 16th amongst active coaches. His coaching staff has also been together for eight years – tied for the longest in the NCAA with – Coach K and his staff.
Expect – at the very least – to witness one of the most exciting games of the first round. There will be a plethora of three point shots raining down as Belmont and Duke are fourth and ninth respectively in made treys per game. The key for the Bruins is to make at least 10 and hope for upwards of 15 while stymieing the Blue Devils to around just five or so made treys.
We're excited... Tune in to www.gobelmont.blogspot.com for more!
Stay tuned to all the exciting action coming up in the next couple days when the Belmont University Bruins take on the Duke Blue Devils in Round One of the 2008 NCAA Tournament in Washington, D.C. There will be tons of exciting action on and off the court! Check out one of our many upcoming videos here:
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