Collegehoopsnet.com gives a short writeup for it's preseason Top 144. They have Belmont going to the NCAA tournament, which leads me to believe they will be the only Atlantic Sun team in the countdown. I'll keep an eye out for others though and pass it on if Gardner-Webb, Mercer or Lipscomb pop up.

#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