VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (4-5) will make the jaunt along I-40 to renew an old Volunteer State Athletic Conference rivalry with an exhibition game with Division I Belmont (6-3) Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. (EST) at the Curb Event Center.
The Eagles and Bruins renew their old VSAC rivalry for the first time since the 1992-93 season. The teams played every year from 1958-1982 when Belmont moved from the VSAC to the Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference.
This is the first time the teams have faced one another since Belmont transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division I in 1996-97.
"This came about in a different way," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Casey Alexander (the Bruins' first-year head coach), reached out in the summer to see if we would have time to play in December. This is an opportunity and experience. It's a nice play, but we have to be focused on using this to benefit us once we get back into SAC play Saturday against Coker."
The stylistic differences between Division I and Division II will be on display. In Division I, there are 19 programs that average 10 or more threes per game (the Bruins are one of those teams). C-N averages 10.1 per game, one of 62 Division II programs that averages 10 or more per game. Carson-Newman ranks 14th in Division II in scoring (91.4 ppg). Translate that to Division I, and the Eagles would be second by a five-point margin.
Belmont is 116-9 (.926) at home since 2001, the third-best home court winning percentage in the nation over that span. Only Kentucky and Kansas have better winning percentages.
"They have big physical bodies who all have similar skillsets, kind of like versatile perimeter guards," Benson said. "Casey's done a good job to keep it rolling for them. They're big, skilled and know how to win. Their style is simple, yet efficient and effective."
Carson-Newman is playing an exhibition game for the first time in three seasons and the ninth time overall under head coach Chuck Benson. Carson-Newman's tightest exhibition contests came in 2012. The Eagles lost by eight that season to East Tennessee State and by three to Appalachian State.
In Boone, N.C., Carson-Newman led the Appalachian State Mountaineers for the first 28 minutes, but a 9-3 Mountaineer run in the second half helped propel ASU to a 62-59 victory over Carson-Newman. Carson-Newman had chances to take the lead and tie with a three on two occasions in the final 60 seconds, but Jay Canty intercepted a pass to thwart one final Eagle heave.
Against ETSU that year, the Eagles, who trailed by as much as 18 points in the second half, rallied back to trail 65-63 with 38 seconds remaining in the contest before the Bucs finished the contest with a six-point run to win by eight, 71-63.
Carson-Newman is among the nation's elite in rebounding this season. The Eagles have seized at least 40 boards in all but one game this year and have outrebounded their last six foes by 12.8 boards per game.
C-N is second nationally in rebounds per game, averaging 47.2 per contest. The Eagles also pull down 16 offensive rebounds per contest, a total that is third in the nation.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Bruins is slated for 7:30 eastern Wednesday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:15 on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
