The Bellarmine University Men’s Basketball Team was ranked 2nd in the NCAA Division II standings released on March 8th.
The Knights will enter the Final Four with an overall record of 31-2. Bellarmine will face Minnesota State University-Mankato in the semifinal matchup.
The Knights’ Season
The Knights are on the journey of a lifetime as they narrowly defeated Midwestern State University 70-64 to advance to the semifinals. This was the school’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance and now Final Four appearance.
Defense was the key to this game as Bellarmine forced a shot clock violation and gained steals in the final 4:46 left in the game to seal the victory. Bellarmine was outrebounded 29-24 for the game, but outscored Midwestern State 17-12 on second-chance points.
Bellarmine also won their second consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament with a win over the University of Southern Indiana, and earned the No.1 spot going into the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Scott Davenport leads the Knights but relies on Jeremy Kendle, Braydon Hobbs, and Justin Benedetti.
About The Team
Head Coach Scott Davenport is in his sixth season with Bellarmine University and has turned the program from a last place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference to multiple winning seasons. For the first time in school history, the Knights have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons.
They have also posted back-to-back-to-back NCAA appearances since the 1969-70 season. Davenport was named Coach of the Year in the Midwest and GLVC Coach of the Year.
Senior Jeremy Kendle and Junior Braydon Hobbs were both named to the All-Midwest First Team and All-GLVC First Team. Kendle was also named the GLVC Player of the Year. Kendle averages 17.3 points per game, was named the conference’s player of the week three times, and is listed in the GLVC’s top 15 in assists (3.3), free throw percentage (81.8%), and assist-to-turnover ratio.
In two seasons at Bellarmine he has scored over 1,000 points. Hobbs averages 12.6 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and is third in the country for assists per game with 6.6. He also ranks for steals, blocked shots, three-point field goals made, and three-point field goal percentage.
Senior Justin Benedetti averaged 12.3 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 44.3% from behind the arc. His biggest three came earlier in the season when he nailed a three from the right wing with three seconds left in the game to beat Indianapolis 99-97. He was named to the All-GLVC Third Team for his performances this season.
About The School
Bellarmine University is located in Louisville, KY and is one of the premier independent Catholic University’s in the South. There are almost 3,000 students enrolled at Bellarmine with a student-faculty ratio of 12:1.
The average class size is 19. Bellarmine consistently ranks among the nation’s best colleges and universities and is named after Saint Robert Bellarmine who invites us to live in veritatis amore: in the love of all that is beautiful, true and good in life.
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