Inside the Maddox Grand Atrium on Tuesday, Belmont basketball supporters came together to celebrate and preview the upcoming season.
The guests were eager to hear from coaches and university athletics officials about this season’s rosters and schedules.
The energy in the atrium was that of old friends coming together to celebrate the start of another season and commemorate the bond shared between coaches, teammates and fans.
Led by Steve Layman, the primary broadcaster for men’s basketball at Belmont, the event also served as a way to give back to the Bruins season ticketholders and athletics benefactors.
“Belmont does it differently. They just do it differently, and it feels better,” said Layman.
He opened the ceremony with a speech highlighting the success of past basketball seasons at Belmont and his excitement for the upcoming season.
“There is no program in the country that can claim as we sit here today that they have had 20 or more wins in both their men’s and women’s basketball programs for the last nine seasons except for Belmont,” said Layman. “This program sets the model for success and it’s very exciting to think about the challenge of going after number 10 on both sides again this year.”
Layman then welcomed the Athletic Director Scott Corley to the stage.
Corley thanked the invitees for their continued support of Belmont athletics and took a moment to recognize the achievements of both men’s and women’s fall sports at the university.
He shared that with the support of their benefactors, various improvements have been made to the athletic facilities at Belmont.
Women’s head coach Bart Brooks along with players Tuti Jones and Jacee Busick came up next for a panel-style interview. Brooks shared his enthusiasm for the players this season.
“What I love about our group this year is we’re playing with conviction. We’re playing with reckless abandonment. We're playing with the mindset that we are coming after something,” said Brooks.
Following the discussion with the women’s basketball representatives, men’s head coach Casey Alexander took the stage with players Brody Peebles and Jonathon Pierre.
Alexander shared that although half of the season's roster is new to Belmont, the team already feels familiar, and he is confident about the upcoming season.
After reflecting on the prior season, Alexander shared that he is enthusiastic about the experience that the transfer students bring to the team.
“I’m excited that we’ve got a couple veterans present, some natural leadership, more maturity, and honestly a little bit more expectation,” said Alexander.
The men’s team met Georgia State in Chattanooga the previous weekend for a scrimmage and brought home a successful outcome.
“It could be that Georgia State is not going to have a great year, but we played exceptionally well. We won the game by 29,” Alexander said.
Near the end of the luncheon, Alexander expressed his gratitude to the athletics’ supporters and emphasized his love for the team.
“I truly love this team. I don’t have any questions about where their ambitions lie, what they want, if they’re going to work hard or if they’re going to be receptive to coaching,” said Alexander.
The men’s basketball team will kick off its season on Nov. 4 with a home game against Maryville College.
The women’s team begins its season on Nov. 7 on the road at Kansas State before playing its first game in the Curb Event Center on Nov. 14 against Kennesaw State.
This article was written by Haley Ramsey