The show goes on. The Bellarmine basketball program’s season will continue thanks to a postseason invite.
As Al Pacino said in The Godfather Part III, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”. The Bellarmine basketball program’s first season in Division I is not quite over yet. The Knights will travel to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
Thanks to an outdated NCAA Tournament rule, Bellarmine basketball was never going to be able to participate in the NCAA Tournament. But getting a chance to play postseason ball in their first season as a D1 member isn’t a bad consolation prize.
Finishing second in the ASun in their first season was a huge program achievement for Bellarmine. Now they’ll get the chance to grab some official hardware, competing for the CBI title.
What you need to know
Bellarmine basketball (13-7, 10-3 ASUN) will begin their quest for the CBI title by playing against the Army Black Knights. Army finished their season 12-9 (7-7 Patriot League) to finish 2nd in the North division this season.
The Black Knights are led by coach Jimmy Allen who is in his 5th season there. The team is led by senior Lonnie Grayson who averages a team-high 12.7 ppg along with 5.3 rpg and 2 apg.
Should the Knights advance, they would face the winner of Longwood (12-16, 10-10 Big South) and Pepperdine (12-12, 7-6 West Coast). The other teams in the field are fellow ASUN foe Stetson, Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, and Bryant.
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The Knights are coming off of a disappointing postseason debut, following the first-round ASun Tournament exit. They’ll look to bounce back against a very talented team that doesn’t get the credit they deserve. If you remember, Bellarmine went on one of the nation’s longest winning streaks prior to their loss to Stetson. Assuming they can get back to that level, there’s a legitimate chance they could walk away as CBI champs.
Bellarmine-Army is scheduled to be played at 8:30 pm on March 22. The semifinals will take place on March 23 and the championship will be held on March 24. The whole tournament will be streamed on Flohoops.com.
