Inside - Belmont Vision

Transcription

Vol. 55, No. 7
Special Homecoming Edition
November 17, 2005
Inside:
Homecoming
Events
Player
Profiles
Season
Previews
Team Captains: Jenny Conkle and Brian Collins
PHOTO BY MALLORY GABARD
Page 2
Angel Jones
junior
No. 23
guard
accounting
If you wrote a song about
yourself, what would the
title be? “Gimme Nikes and
Polo”
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I know how to sing.
If you were an animal, what
you be? A monkey – I have
long arms and laugh a lot.
Describe yourself in one
word. Beautiful! That’s what
people say. I asked them!
If you could pick anyone to play one-on-one with who would it
be? Betty Wiseman (B-Dub). She’s got a killer cross over!
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Maybe 10-15,
with hot sauce.
Keaton Belcher
freshman
No. 3
forward
Undecided major
title be? “Tall and skinny”
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I
collect bobbleheads.
would you be? A monkey
because they are good at
climbing
word. Humble
be? Larry Bird
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Seven
Brian Collins
The Belmont Vision HOMECOMING EDITION, Nov. 17, 2005
Homecoming
A chance for alumni to reconnect
By Rebecca Tennille
SENIOR WRITER
A number of events are lined up
for returning Belmont alumni to be
a part of during homecoming festivities.
“We hope that alumni and students will join us this year as we
celebrate homecoming and kick off
a great men’s basketball season,”
said Anna Garrett, assistant director of alumni relations.
A special alumni gathering will
take place at the homecoming bonfire, Nov. 18. Alumni will join
current students for a pep rally, live
music and the inauguration of the
new tradition of the “Byrd Cage”
in honor of Belmont men’s head
basketball coach, Rick Byrd.
This event is presented by the
Student Government Association
and will take place at the gravel lot
across the street from Bruin Hills.
In case of rain, the celebration will
be moved to the Curb Café .
Instead of a luncheon this year,
alumni will be throwing a pregame tailgate party at 5 p.m.,
Saturday, Nov. 19 in the Vince Gill
Room. This will give former students the opportunity to come
together with old friends and tailgate “Belmont style.”
The final
event scheduled
is for alumni
who have graduated within the
past 10 years.
These “young”
alumni will
gather at
Christopher’s
Pizza at 9:30
p.m.,
Saturday,
Nov. 19, for
food and
music.
Steven
Clawson, a
2004 graduate, is set to
be the
musical act
of the
evening.
This is the
second
year for
this event
at
Christopher’s Pizza, owned by
Chris Rioux, Class of ’99.
“Homecoming is a great opportunity for alumni to come back to
campus, reconnect with friends and
learn about new things
happening at Belmont,” Garrett
said.
Alumni Office’s list numbers 14,000
Belmont’s Class of ’55 – the
first graduating class – was honored at May graduation as the first
inductees to the Tower Society.
These men and women were the
first in a long line of graduates that
now numbers more than 14,000,
and it’s the mission of the Belmont
Alumni Office to keep them up to
date on what’s happening at their
alma mater. With direct mail, The
Circle magazine and other contacts, Belmont alums stay close.
There are many reasons for that,
not the least of which are the benefits. Among the special privileges
granted to alumni are these:
• ID cards. Free ID cards provide alumni with access to Bunch
library, computer labs and Beaman
Student Life Center. Cards expire
annually Aug. 31 and are renewable through Safety and Security.
Info: 615-460-6617.
• Beaman Student Life Center.
The student center includes a fitness center with strength training
and cardiovascular equipment, an
aerobics and dance area for a wide
variety of classes, two racquetball
courts, an intramural gymnasium, a
rock-climbing wall and student
locker rooms. Alumni passes to
work out in the facility are $75 for
one semester, $140 for two
semesters, and $200 for the full
year, including summer.
Applications are available at the
front desk of Beaman Center. Info:
Angie Bryant, 615-460-6313.
• Bunch Library. The library
and computer lab are open to all
alumni with a current ID card. Info
and hours: 615-460-6782.
• Communication. Web site:
http://www.alumni.belmont.edu
BIC (http://bic.belmont.edu) Go
to Create My BIC Account for
monthly e-mail and special alumni
mailings.
– Staff reports
senior
No. 10
guard
physical education
title be? “Down, but Not
Out”
I like Disney movies!
you be? A chameleon so I
could always change and
keep the opponent waiting
on my next move
Describe yourself in one word. Oskailey
be? I would bet Bill Gates to play one-on-one for a million dollars.
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Seven
1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville TN, 37212
Phone: (615) 460-6433
E-mail: vision@mail.belmont.edu
Editor:
Managing Editor:
Photo Editor:
Online Editor:
Advertising:
Faculty Adviser:
Online/Graphics Adviser:
Katie Harp
April Watkins
Mallory Gabard
Jacklyn Johnston
Karen Bennett
Linda Quigley
Angela Smith
Senior Writers: Nathan Baker, Rachel Smith,
Heather Schutz, Becky Tennille
Contributors: Eric Detweiler, Amelia Consedine,
Darren Lowry, Jessica Trivisone, Allison Slijepcevic,
Chansin Bird, Tylor Long, Courtney Drake, Ashley
Strosnider, Adaeze Elechi, Ameshia Cross, Linda
Johansson, Shay Everitt, Anne Roberts, Andrew
Cole, Melanie Bengtson, Will Stringfellow
The Belmont Vision HOMECOMING EDITION, November 17, 2005
Page 3
Bruins expecting big
‘Boom’ from big man
Josh Goodwin
junior
No. 4
guard
nursing
By Rachel Smith
title be? “Grown and Sexy”
SENIOR WRITER
Belmont University can expect
to see big things this season out of
one newcomer to the Bruins.
At 6-11 and 260 pounds, Justin
Herndon means business, big business, that is.
Herndon began his athletic
career at the age of 4 playing little
league football, soccer and basketball. He picked up the nickname
Boomer after his childhood hero.
“My little league football coach
wanted to give me some crazy
nickname like ‘Stork Legs’ or
something because even at that age
I was really tall,” Herndon said.
“After watching Boomer Eliason
play in a college football game, he
became my hero. So after that I
told my coach to call me Boomer,
and ever since then it’s just stuck
with me.”
In the years preceding
Herndon’s little league football
days, football became his love.
Until he was a high school sophomore year, he juggled football and
basketball, but was forced to make
the ultimate decision between the
two when his doctor advised him
to pursue only one sport after a
knee injury. That’s when Boomer
chose basketball.
With a dad who is 6-11, a mom
who is 5-10, an older brother who
is 6-6, and two younger brothers
who are 6-4 and 6-7, Herndon’s
fate lay in the numbers. The man
was destined to play basketball.
Herndon’s collegiate basketball
career began at the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville, but after
two years he felt it was in his best
interest to transfer back home to
Nashville so he would have a better opportunity to play basketball
and take on a bigger role at a
smaller school.
“I was dying inside last year sitting on the bench during every
game because I felt like I could
really help the team, but because I
transferred I had to sit,” Herndon
said. “It was a real learning experience. It helped me realize how
much I care about basketball and
how much I love to play.”
The Belmont men’s head coach
Rick Byrd said it turned out to be a
win-win situation for both Herndon
and Belmont.
“It gave Boomer the opportunity to come back to Nashville and
play with guys he knew, and for
Belmont it was a great opportunity
to recruit a player that we could not
possibly recruit out of high
school,” Byrd said. “He’s not just
6-11; he’s a big man with skills.
He can be a man among boys.”
Byrd believes this year’s team
shows a lot of promise, but
Herndon seems to be the key.
“He gives us a chance to be
really good in this league,” Byrd
said. “We’ve got a lot of potential,
but it isn’t worth two points if it’s
not realized. Our NIT team two
years ago didn’t have the depth, the
size and the athleticism this team
has, but it was a good team
because it reached its potential.”
Byrd admits that the team is not
I’m Justin Hare’s father.
you be? A rhinocerous,
because I like to eat monkeys.
word. Huck
be? Boomer’s mom
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Nineteen
Jenny Conkle
senior
No. 24
guard
elementary education/
health
title be? “Hide and Seek”
PHOTO BY RACHEL SMITH
Big man Boomer Herndon wants to make big plays for the Bruins. A junior,
he transferred from UT-Knoxville to Belmont, which is nearer his home.
Boomer Herndon: up close
Name: Justin Paul Herndon
Height: 6’11”
Nickname: Boomer
Weight: 260 lbs.
Classification: junior
Shoe size: 18
Major: broadcast journalism
Position: Center
Minor: psychology
Future aspirations: First and foremost, to keep playing ball as long as
possible. If he can’t play, he wants to
coach and possibly use his degree in
journalism to do sports commentary for broadcast or print.
Hometown: Nashville
High school: Donelson Christian
Academy
Age: 22
as skilled on the perimeter as it has
been in the past, but he believes a
stronger inside game will provide
the team with greater consistency.
“Last year, by far, our depth,
size and strength inside were our
weaknesses,” Byrd said. “Andrew
Preston is playing better and
stronger now. You throw Boomer
in there, and you add Matthew
Dotson to go with Dan Oliver and
Mike Modlin, who’s practicing
better, now all of a sudden our
great strength could be in our size
which was exactly the opposite a
year ago.”
With the season opener nearing,
the pressure is on Herndon to
prove what he is capable of. He
will find the strength and inspiration to play hard with the help of
two rubber bands that are always
around his left wrist.
“I wear these to represent the
two people who give me the inspiration to play, my Aunt Teresa and
my little brother Joey,” he said.
Boomer’s Aunt Teresa had her
sight taken from her at birth and
just recently took a fall that paralyzed her, and Joey, Boomer’s
youngest brother, was diagnosed
with autism at birth and given a
slim chance of an independent life.
“I am so blessed to be in the situation that I am in, to have great
health and a great family and to
have the opportunities that I have
here at Belmont,” he said.
“What kind of person would I
be if I let my opportunities slip
away when there are people out
their like my Aunt Teresa and my
brother Joey who try to overcome
their situations despite the odds
they were given? They make me
realize that I need to make the best
of the situations I’ve been given
because some people are never
given the opportunity that I’ve
been given.”
Herndon seems up for the challenges he is faced with for the
upcoming season and promises to
deliver big things for what he
thinks could very well be
Belmont’s biggest season.
My favorite TV show is I
Love Lucy.
you be? A dog, because they
always get a lot of treats
and they have the best life
Describe yourself in one word. Jovial. Look it up; I did!
be? Dan Oliver, but only if he wears his old school throwback jersey and tight shorts
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Four with fire
sauce!
Henry Harris
freshman
No. 23
guard
exercise science
title be? The struggle
I have hair on the tip of my
nose.
would you be and why? Lion
‘cause I’m a king!
word. Real
If you had to pick anyone to play one-on-one with who would it
be? Allen Iverson
How many soft tacos does it take to fill you up? about seven
Page 4
Meet the freshmen:
They’re tall, confident
and they wanna win
Brittany Myers
sophomore
No. 5
guard
biology/
pre-occupational
therapy
title be? “Dancing Queen”
By Linda Johansson
STAFF WRITER
I love sugar snap peas and
techno music, sometimes
together.
you be?
A smallmouth bass because my dad is a bass fisherman and I tell
him it’s mean to hook those fish. So if he caught me I’d bite his
hand. That’s the only way he would listen.
Describe yourself in one word. Hungry
be? Justin Hare, because I’ve got a not-so-secret crush on him
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Three and a half
with mild sauce, please!
Andrew House
sophomore
No. 22
forward
“arts and crafts”
title be? “Whose House?
House’s House?”
I’m a level 7 dungeon master.
you be? A baby seal,
because they’re cuddly and
make great coats.
word. Gifted
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up?
π2
Keaton Belcher and Matthew
Dotson are two new additions to
the Bruin basketball team. These 6foot-8 guys will provide added
height and depth for the team this
season.
Belcher will sport the No. 3 jersey for the Bruins. He is a forward
and a Pendleton County High
School graduate who came to
Nashville from the small town of
Butler in northern Kentucky.
Influenced by his father, he started
to play basketball at the age of 5
and ended up at Belmont mainly
for the friendly environment.
“Nashville is a great city, I feel
comfortable down here,” Belcher
said.
His high school career speaks
well for the tall player who was
tabbed third team all state as a
senior as well as recording over
1,300 career points. He led his
Pendleton County team to the state
tournament for the first time since
1971. He holds the school’s record
for most dunks in a single season
(21) and is the first player from the
school to represent Kentucky in an
all-stars game.
Belcher believes his good high
school experience will help him
succeed in college.
“I had a great experience my
senior year. Our team was the best
team in school’s history,” he said.
So far, Belcher finds college
more organized and physical than
high school. His personal goal for
“We have a lot of
potential and I
think we will win
the conference.”
Keaton Belcher
freshman forward
Yes, We’ll definitely
win!”
Matthew Dotson
freshman forward
the season is to help the Bruins in
any way he can. He thinks the best
thing he can offer the team is his
ability to play at different positions.
“I can bring my versatility to the
game,” Belcher said.
In just his first season of collegiate ball, Belcher does not lack
any confidence about the Bruins
and sets the goals high.
“We have a lot of potential and
I think we will win the conference,” he said.
Matthew Dotson is also a newcomer to the team. Like Belcher, he
is a forward and can be seen wearing the No. 30 jersey. He started
playing basketball when he was 7
years old after being inspired by
some young basketball players.
Talent, good luck trump
superstition for Bruins
By Heather Schutz
SENIOR WRITER
Rachel Howard
sophomore
No. 44
post
nursing
title be? “Dazed and
Confused”
I love Patsy Cline.
you be? Probably a big soft
bear to cuddle
word. Motherly
be? Andy Wicke, because I have a secret crush on him
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Probably three
“I attended a middle school
game and decided that I wanted to
play,” Dotson said.
Dotson graduated from
Hickman County High School in
Centerville, Tenn., with outstanding
results from the basketball court.
He was named his high school’s
district player of the year both his
junior and senior years. Dotson led
team in points, rebounds, assists
and goals each year, and he is the
all-time leading scorer and
rebounder for his school. He was
also a Nike All-American Camp
participant in 2004.
Dotson decided to attend
Belmont after making a visit to the
university.
“I started Belmont mainly for
the people and coaches who I got to
know during my visits,” he said.
Dotson, like Belcher, believes
he can bring versatility to the game.
Besides that, he mentions another
of his great assets he has on court:
his mental outlook.
“I get very emotional and excited when I play,” Dotson said.
Dotson thinks that the expectations in college basketball are much
higher than in high school.
However, he has enjoyed his time
at Belmont so far and is excited to
get started with the basketball season.
“My main goal is to help the
team out and be a significant contributor,” he said.
Will we win the conference?
“Yes, we’ll definitely win!” he
answered.
While some sports teams go to
great lengths to secure wins
through non-traditional methods,
Belmont’s men’s basketball team
does not.
“I’ve really made a conscious
effort not to get superstitious,”
men’s head basketball coach Rick
Byrd said. “We’re pretty conservative and pretty old school in our
program.”
Byrd, who is rarely seen at a
game without a trademark sweater
vest, said the team has a pre-game
routine, but no superstitions. The
pre-game routine includes a
“shoot-around,” a pre-game strategy session, a scouting report of the
other team, watching video of the
other team’s offensive play and a
team dinner, often held in the caf.
Byrd said he doesn’t want to
create superstitions because he
doesn’t want to be mentally tied to
them. Byrd said that superstitions
and pre-game ritual can become
something you feel like you have
to do in order to win.
Associate head coach Casey
“I’ve really made a
conscious effort not
to get superstitious.”
Rick Byrd
head coach, men’s basketball
Alexander and assistant coaches
Brian Ayers and Roger Idstrom
could not think of any pre-game
superstitions or rituals that they,
the team, or individual players
hold.
Co-captain and forward Dan
Oliver does not have any superstitions, but he wears a pair of shorts
under his uniform for every game.
Last year, he wore a pair of shorts
from a mission trip to the Ukraine,
and this year, he wears a pair of
shorts from Rio de Janeiro. His
shorts have a cross on the left leg.
Oliver says he wears the shorts to
remind him of who he plays for.
Well, it can’t hurt ...
While Belmont basketball players and coaches say they don’t have
strong superstitions, here are some often associated with the game:
• The last person to shoot a basket during the warm-up will have a
good game.
•
Wipe the soles of your sneakers for good luck.
•
Bounce the ball before taking a foul shot for good luck.
•
And throughout his career, Michael Jordan wore his Carolina
shorts under his NBA-issued ones in every game.
Page 5
Dim hopes, but good season
By Darren Lowry
STAFF WRITER
According to head coach Rick
Byrd, last season was supposed to
be a rebuilding year. After all, the
loss of players such as Adam Mark
and Steve Drabyn was supposed to
be very difficult to overcome.
Instead, Belmont finished third
in the A-Sun with a conference
record of 12-8, and reached the
conference semi-finals.
“As it turned out, we were a
close game or two away from winning the whole league,” Byrd said.
“If we had held on in [certain]
games, we would’ve been the
league champions, and that would
have been as good an overachieving year as I can remember our
teams as having.”
For the second straight year,
however, Belmont’s run at the ASun championship ended at the
Curb Event Center in the semifinals with a loss to University of
Central Florida.
There were certainly several
storylines that emerged and played
out as the season progressed. One
was the development of the team’s
two freshmen, forward Will
Peeples and guard Justin Hare. The
two led the Bruins in field goal
percentage and both were named to
the A-Sun All Freshman Team,
with Hare named A-Sun Freshman
of the Year
“We came along as the year
went on,” Hare said. “It takes time
getting used to the speed and the
size of college players, but also
college life in general.”
Still, once Hare got his feet
under him, he was difficult to stop.
“Justin became our go-to guy at
the end of the year,” Byrd said.
Indeed, Hare personally sent
three games into overtime with
shots or free throws and won two
others outright.
“It just kind of happened the
first time,” Hare said. “Then it
became my role: to make something happen late in the game.”
Seniors were also very valuable
to Byrd. Guards Nick Otis and Jese
Snyder were consistent deep
threats last season, while guard
Chad Caterson appeared in all but
one of Belmont’s games as a
dependable defensive replacement.
Junior guard Brian Collins was
named to the pre-season all-conference team, and ended with a solid
all-around year.
Junior forward Dan Oliver also
had a breakthrough season.
Although he had appeared in 45
games prior to last season, he had
never started a game. After an
injury to forward Adrian Jones put
Oliver in the starting lineup, Oliver
never looked back.
“I went into the season with
the philosophy of just work hard,”
Oliver said. “I could have sat on
the bench, but that’s not what happened. That’s sports.”
As a team, Byrd pointed to the
perimeter shooting as a strength,
noting not only the play of Snyder,
Otis and Hare, but also the sharpshooting of sophomore guard Josh
Goodwin. The left-hander finished
second on the team in three-pointers made and free throw percent-
“As it turned out,
we were a close
game or two away
from winning the
whole league.”
Rick Byrd
age.
Not everything went perfectly
for the Bruins. Byrd admits that the
team’s weakness last season was
its inside game.
“We didn’t score as well as we
needed to run the kind of offense
that we want to run.”
Byrd said sophomore center
Andrew Preston ran into problems
when facing bigger or more physical players.
“His problem last year was
simply a lack of strength. When he
gets bumped around and gets
moved out of position, he doesn’t
score.”
The weakness of the inside
game was reflected on the stat
sheet most nights. Opposing teams
ended up out-rebounding Belmont
last season by more than 200.
“We were one of the worst in
the country at rebounding,” Byrd
said. “That was a definitive weakness.”
The Bruins also struggled in
close games. Nearly half (14 of 30)
of Belmont’s games were decided
by four points or less, but Belmont
lost eight of those contests.
Last season was the final year
for several teams in the conference.
UCF, Georgia State and Troy State
all moved on to separate conferences after the season. Belmont bid
them farewell from the A-Sun in
style, going 5-1 in the regular season against those schools.
“We had a very good memory
playing against those teams,”
Collins said. “I would love to play
UCF again, cause they just had our
number two years in a row.
There’s just something about playing them in their stadium, I just
enjoyed doing it.”
A look back at a solid season
A new season is about to begin for Bruins
basketball, but there’s still pride in the
accomplishments of 2004-05.
Those achievements include:
• Andrew Preston tallied 57 blocked
shots, putting him at the top of school
history in the NCAA era.
• Jese Snyder finished with 89 three-point
field goals, putting him 5th on Belmont’s
list of season-high three-pointers in the
NCAA era. On the list of attempts, his
217 gave him 4th place.
• Josh Goodwin was on the court 955
minutes last season, fifth among players in
the NCAA era.
• Guard Justin Hare, who led the team in
scoring six times, was named A-Sun
Freshman of the Year. Joining him on the
all-freshman team was forward Will
Peeples, the leading rebounder among ASun freshmen.
• Thirteen Bruins were on the A-Sun allacademic team, which taps players earning
a 3.0 or higher in academics.
• Guard Brian Collins was selected to the
Atlantic Sun Conference all-tournament
team at the conclusion of the 2005 championship.
– Staff reports
FILE PHOTOS BY AMY JOHNSON
Belmont's Will Peeples, top left, and Dan Oliver watch
from the bench as Josh Goodwin sinks a free throw in
the final minutes against Lipscomb Jan. 21, 2005. The
Bruins finished overtime with a 71-61 win to take the
title in the Battle of the Boulevard. Junior forward Dan
Oliver, above left, front, posts up against Andrew
Preston in a practice. Oliver came off the bench in the
game against St. Mary's in the Coaches vs. Cancer
Tournament and scored eight points in just eight minutes of play. Above right, Belmont’s Justin Hare, left,
and Nick Otis reach for a rebound in the opening round
of the Atlantic Sun conference tournament March 3 at
the Curb Event Center. For the second straight year, the
Bruins advanced to the semifinals with a victory over
Georgia State and ended the season with a loss to tournament champion UCF.
Page 6
Kristin Bunch
freshman
No. 15
guard
exercise science
title be? “I Am Just So
FLY”
I actually have common
sense.
you be? Puppy
word. Great
be? Allen Iverson
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Five to six,
maybe more if I’m starving
Will Peeples
sophomore
No. 33
forward
finance
title be? Pour some sugar
on me (I’m diabetic)
I took nine years of piano.
would you be? An eagle;
they have sharp talons.
word. Quandary
be? Casey Alexander
How many soft tacos does it take to fill you up? More than
Boomer
Tonisha Jones
senior
No. 33
guard
finance
title be? “Don’t Stop, Get It!
Get It”
I’m a trained dancer. Yeah,
right.
you be? A liger (lion and
tiger); I’m ferocious.
word. Extraordinary
be? James Naismith, inventor of basketball
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Two and a half
Conkle lights up
from behind arc
By Rachel Smith
SENIOR WRITER
She catches, she shoot and she
scores – consistently.
As if last season wasn’t big
enough for Belmont women’s basketball player Jenny Conkle, she is
back to deliver some more of that
for her fourth and final season with
the Bruins.
During the 2004-05 season as a
junior, Conkle broke records and
earned honors primarily due to her
unstoppable perimeter shooting
abilities, but without reference to
her stats, Conkle’s success on the
floor would go unknown to many
due to the her humility.
Conkle’s most publicized
achievement from last season was
that she led the Atlantic Sun conference and all NCAA Division I
schools in three-point field goals
per game at an average of 3.1.
“Honestly, I wasn’t aware of
what I had accomplished,” Conkle
said. “My brother was looking
online one day and came across the
A-Sun record I had broken. I had
no clue. It’s pretty cool though.”
However, that was just one of
Conkle’s many accomplishments
last season.
According to her stats, last year
Conkle was only one of three
Bruins to start and play in all 28
games. She led the A-Sun in threepoint field goals made in a season,
which totaled 87 out of 226
attempted. She also set a new
Belmont and A-sun record for the
most three-pointers made in a
game by scoring nine three-pointers against Mercer. Conkle scored
in the double digits the last 13
games of the season, was perfect
from the free-throw line 10 times,
and hit at least one three-pointer in
all but one game last season.
Conkle also received Atlantic Sun
All-Academic team honors.
Tony Cross, the women’s head
basketball coach, said Conkle’s
shooting abilities are hard to
explain.
“Some people can shoot it, and
some can’t.,” Cros said. “Some
players could work daylight to dark
and still not be a good shooter.
“Someone has taught Jenny the
mechanics of shooting the ball very
well, and it wasn’t me. But we
recruited her because she was such
a good shooter.”
Unlike her coach, Conkle
doesn’t see the difficulty in something seems to come so naturally to
her.
“Not much really goes through
my mind when I’m setting up my
shot,” Conkle said. “I just catch the
ball, and if I’m open I’ll shoot, and
if I’m not then I won’t..”
Now that people are aware of
her records, Conkle anticipates that
the pressure to perform will intensify.
Cross agrees.
“Everyone in the conference
knows that she’s our top returning
scorer so she’s going to draw a lot
FILE PHOTO BY AMY JOHNSON
Belmont’s Jenny Conkle, with arm taped, and Destri Bockey go
up for a rebound with two Virginia Commonwealth players in
Belmont’s regular season home opener Nov. 20, 2004.
Conkle, one of just three players to start and play in all 28
games last season, returns this year.
of attention from the first game in
the conference throughout the season to see if anyone else can do
anything,” Cross said.
David Fish, a recent Belmont
graduate, also believes Conkle will
face that challenge this season, but
he knows it is nothing she can’t
handle.
“Jenny has proven herself to be
one of the best shooters in
women’s NCAA basketball, period,” Fish said. “Not to mention she
also has great passing skills and a
skill for driving to the basket. I
don’t think that any Coach Cross
would have imagined that she
would have developed into the
phenomenal player that she is
today. I can’t recall a time when
I’ve watched her play, and she
wasn’t giving 110 percent.”
Cross believes with it being
Conkle’s senior year, she finally
has what it takes to play freely.
“All along she’s had great leadership and athletic abilities, and
now she has the responsibility and
expectations to lead our team,”
Cross said. “She’s really the only
one on our team that has the green
light to shoot a three point shot at
any time so that should give her
confidence. She should really enjoy
an outstanding season. We’re
going to miss having her next
year.”
Conkle has high hopes for her
team and herself this season.
“With it being my last year,
obviously, I would like the team to
go father than we ever have since
I’ve been at Belmont,” Conkle
said. “Individually, I want to help
my team as best as I can and be a
good leader out there on the floor. I
want them to be able to depend on
me to score and make good decisions.”
Fish believes the best is yet to
come for Conkle.
“Last year everyone was blown
away at what she was able to
accomplish individually, and
despite the additional pressure, I
think we’re going to see her step
up and prove to everyone that she
is a leader on this team.”
Conkle encourages the Belmont
community to come out to their
games this season.
“We’ve really got a lot of quick
girls that are going to turn it into an
up tempo game that will be fun to
watch.”
Page 7
Brooke Sunday
sophomore
No. 32
post
social work
title be? “Brooke’s Goodies”
I used to be an Eskimo.
you be? A giraffe, because I
have a black tongue
word. Innocent
If you could pick anyone to
play one-on-one with who would it be? Clyde Russell
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Three
Boomer Herndon
FILE PHOTO BY AMY JOHNSON
Both with and without Belmont blue face paint, fans cheered the men’s and women’s teams on last year all
the way to the A-Sun Conference tournaments.
Top 10 things a
BU basketball fan
should know
10. We sit in the middle!!! We don’t sit in the end zones like most games you will see on
ESPN!
9. It’s OK to paint one’s face or entire body for the cause.
junior
No. 5
center
broadcast journalism
title be? It’s a country song
titled “My Dog’s on Crack
and My Cats on ‘Shrooms.
Why’s Life so Crazy for Big
Boom?”
I have over 10 nicknames
and I answer to all of them,
but I don’t respond to my
real name.
If you were an animal, what you be? A liger
Describe yourself in one word. Superfluous
be? Verne Troyer a.k.a “Mini Me”
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Two more than
Will Peeples can eat
8. Don’t ever wear another school’s shirt, shorts, jersey, socks, underwear, etc… to Belmont’s
games.
7. Make sure you are there early! Don’t miss the tip off!
6. The Belmont Student Section in the Curb is called the Byrd Cage! Don’t forget it!
5. Don’t let parents of the other team tell you sit down!!! Tell them they are in the Belmont
Student Section and we NEVER SIT DOWN!
4. Don’t ever give up! Even though we are down that doesn’t mean anything! The louder we
cheer the more likely the Bruins will get back into a game!!
3. Boomer, Andrew and Mike are tall.
2. The Lady Bruins are just as amazing as the men’s team. Make
sure you are there to be crazy!
1. It’s scientifically proven that if you come to Belmont
Basketball games that you are likely to make more friends,
make more money, be healthier, your portfolio will expand,
you’ll get better grades, your teachers will like you a lot,
you’ll get a promotion, and your hair will stay in longer…
(Not really scientifically proven.)
LaWanna Holiday
freshman
No. 35
guard
accounting
title be? “Momma’s House”
I’m like Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde. I have two personalities.
you be? A cat, because they
sleep all the time and they
are very curious
Describe yourself in one word. Motherly
be? Magic Johnson
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Nine or ten
Page 8
The Belmont Vision, HOMECOMING EDITION November 17, 2005
Women look to build off last season
By Shay Everitt
STAFF WRITER
Last season the women’s basketball team ended up
with a record of 17-10 and placed third out of eleven
teams in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
“After starting the season off pretty slow, we came
on strong towards the end,” said women’s basketball
coach Tony Cross. “We weren’t shooting the ball very
well, but we progressively got better.”
At one point in the season, the Bruins were 7-7 and
what lay ahead in the season was uncertain.
“There was some doubt whether we would even be
in the top eight in the conference,” Cross said.
There were some wins and losses that impacted
team’s ranking last season. Cross felt the team’s
biggest win was against the school’s boulevard rival,
Lipscomb University.
“They beat us at the beginning of the season 62-53.
We came back and beat them 80-76,” Cross said.
“Anytime you beat Lipscomb, it is an exciting win.”
A key player who aided in last year’s success was
then senior Brandi Miller, who was the top scorer and
rebound leader on the team and made first team all
conference.
One returning player this season is senior Jenny
Conkle, who was the team’s third leading scorer last
season and averaged 12.9 points a game.
This year’s team includes two seniors, two juniors,
four sophomores and five freshmen.
“Our ladies are pretty young,
but they are exceptionally
talented. It will just take some
time for them to gain
experience.”
Tony Cross
head coach, women’s basketball
“Our ladies are pretty young, but they are exceptionally talented,” Cross said. “It will just take some
time for them to gain experience.”
One of the freshmen, Alysha Clark, was Tennessee
Class AAA Miss Basketball last year.
“She’s not only a good player, but she’s the type of
player that helps players around her both offensively
and defensively,” Cross said.
As for this year, Cross has high hopes for the girls.
“I just believe that sometime during this year we
will have a very good team. I think we will challenge
for the conference championship. As far as the tournament is concerned, I think we will have a very strong
team,” Cross said.
Women finish ‘05 season 17-11
Junior post player Destri Bockey, above, was the team’s second-best three-point shooter last season. Bockey played in all
28 games her freshman and sophomore seasons and is back
for her third year. Hollie Davis (‘05), below, moves with the
ball in last year’s Battle of the Boulevard against rival
Lipscomb.
The Belmont women’s basketball team is starting
the season with a young, but solid team. Here are
some of last year’s accomplishments, as well as
some expected high points for this season with a
stellar recruit:
• The team went into the Atlantic Sun tournament
a No. 4 seed, but fell to Stetson for the second
straight year in their opening game of the tournament. The Bruins finished last season with a
record of 17-11 overall and 12-9 in the A-Sun.
• The Bruins ‘lit it up’ behind the arc in 2004-2005
season. Jenny Conkle led the nation in threepointers made per game (3.1).
• Teammate Hollie Davis finished tied for fourth in
the nation averaging three treys per game.
• Brooke Sunday got a career-high 19 points
against Stetson in the final game of the A-Sun
tournament.
• Brandi Miller scored her 1,000th career point in
the final game of the A-Sun tourney. She is the
second Bruin ever to do so.
• With a cumulative GPA of 3.392, the women’s
basketball team had the ninth best GPA among
NCAA Division I women’s basketball teams.
• And on the court this year will be Alysha Clark,
of nearby Mt. Juliet, Tenn. As a high school student, Bruin recruit Clark was named 3A Miss
Basketball for Tennessee. She was also named
to the 2005 Girls All-Southern basketball team as
the only representative from the state and the
2005 Mid-State Player of the Year. In the first
exhibition game of the new season, Clark scored
33 points and had 13 rebounds in a victory over
Kentucky Wesleyan.
– Katie Harp
Opening last year’s season, senior Brandi Miller,
left, drives to the basket in Belmont’s 70-54 win
over Virginia Commonwealth. Later in the season,
Belmont center Brooke Sunday, above, shoots
over Stetson’s Kristy Brown at the Curb Event
Center on Jan. 20 in a 78-72 win over the
Hatters. Sunday, who played in 28 games and
had 27 starts as a freshman, is back this season
at the post.
Page 9
Justin Hare
sophomore
No. 24
guard
exercise science
/athletic training
title be? “Cool Under Fire”
I have 13 brothers and sisters.
you be? A bear, because
they are calm and strong
and fierce when they need
to be.
Describe yourself in one word. Humble
be? Bob Cousy
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Four or five
Laura
Cowley
sophomore
VISION PHOTO
Tony Cross, head coach of the Belmont women’s basketball team for 21 seasons, goes over
plays during a timeout in last week’s exhibition game against Kentucky Wesleyan. The Bruins
won 73-66, led by freshman Alysha Clark’s 33 points and 13 rebounds.
Coach Tony Cross
back for 21st season
By Tylor Long
STAFF WRITER
It’s been a long road to this homecoming for
Belmont women’s basketball coach Tony Cross.
That road has spanned 21 seasons coaching his
alma matter, and those seasons now include Belmont’s
first Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship. A preseason analysis suggests that this season’s team will be no less of a success.
“Young and talented” are the words Cross used to
describe this year’s women’s basketball squad.
“We have more talented players than we’ve had in
the past,” Cross said.
With the Belmont women selected to finish in
fourth place in the conference by the Atlantic Sun
coach’s poll and third place by the media poll, it seems
Cross has reason to be confident.
With so much attention and expectation placed on
the Belmont women, one would think that Cross
would set out strict guidelines to keep players in line.
His coaching style, however, is one that focuses less
on a strict list of what to do and what to avoid and
focuses more on putting faith in the individual character of the women.
“We don’t have a list of do’s and don’ts,” Cross
said. “We have to represent Belmont University.”
While Cross does not have specific conduct rules
for his team, he expects his athletes to adhere to a
level of honorable conduct that will represent Belmont
in a positive light. So far this has been a success, with
Cross finding no need to seriously discipline any of his
athletes. And that’s a rather impressive fact when
looking a regular practice of player suspensions and
disciplinary action at the college level in many areas.
With the combination of Cross’ expert coaching
and his own time playing with the Bruins while a student at Belmont – Cross is a 1974 business administration graduate – it was no surprise to those who know
him that he was inducted into the Belmont Athletic
Tony Cross up close
Tony Cross is in his 21st season as a
Belmont coach, but there’s more:
• Coming into the season, Cross has an
overall record of 450-196 as a coach at
Belmont. In 20 of those seasons, he had a
winning percentage of a least .500.
• Cross’ first basketball coaching job was at
Norma Elementary School. Both of Norma’s
boys and girls teams had a 72-18 record in
his three seasons at the realm.
• In 1983-1984, he was a grad assistant to
Pat Summit, of the Tennessee Lady Vols.
• Since joining the Atlantic Sun Conference,
Cross has had at least one player on the allconference first team every season.
• For the last five seasons, Cross’ teams
have placed in the Top 15 of the Women’s
Basketball Coaches of America (WBCA)
Top 25 Academic Honor Roll.
Hall of Fame in 1994.
Cross himself, however, takes an almost ironic
view of this accomplishment, “I’m probably the only
basket ball player in the Hall of Fame that only average about two points a game.”
With expert coaching, a fresh and talented team,
and the support of the Belmont community, 2005-06 is
shaping up to be a season worth watching for the
Belmont women.
Coach Cross’ challenge stands: “We’re ready. Are
you?”
No. 21
guard
exercise science
title be? “Shake That Laffy
Taffy,” because it’s the
goofiest song ever.
My mom said that when I
was little – key word, little –
I used to sneak cat food
and eat it.
you be? Probably a seagull,
and I can cruise up and
down the beach all day and eat people’s food. I also get accused
of having bird legs anyway.
Describe yourself in one word. Random
be? “White Chocolate” in the movie “Along Came Polly.” The
best basketball player on the face of the earth.
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? My stomach is
an endless pit.
Adrian Jones
junior
No. 0
forward
marketing
title be? I’m “cooler than
the other side of the
pillow.”
I’m an heir to a million
dollar empire.
would you be and why? Bird
so I can hover above people.
Describe yourself in one word. Smooth
be? Casey Alexander
How many soft tacos does it take to fill you up? Fifteen
Page 10
The Belmont Vision, HOMECOMING EDITION, November 17, 2005
The Belmont Stoop
Concrete’s cold, but views unbeatable for basketball team
By Rachel Smith
SENIOR WRITER
Out of all of the comfortable and cozy
congregating areas on Belmont’s campus
adorned with beautiful landscaping, lively
lawn art and chipper campus squirrels,
Belmont athletes, the men’s basketball team
in particular, didn’t pick the most posh spot
on campus to “see and be seen” by most
spectators; however, like the old
saying goes,
is in the
“I hang out “beauty
eye of the beholdhere to check er.”
The men’s basout Jenny
ketball team takes
Conkle when great pride in the
she walks by.” concrete slabs that
stand tall and
Dan Oliver strong at the
senior, entrance of the
entrepreneurship Beaman Student
Life Center where
they can often be
found lounging
around between
classes, convocation hour and feeding frenzy
times in the caf.
At any of these times on a nice sunny
day, a few players can usually be spotted sitting on the side of one of the stoops, swinging their legs to and fro while having a snack
and sippin’ on one of Ms. Gerri’s delicious,
frozen concoctions from What’s Bruin?
Andrew House, a sophomore player, said
fellow teammate Will Peeples loves the
team’s prime hangout spot because he is
close to an array of campus eateries.
Peeples just shook his head with no
response.
Mike Modlin, a senior biology major, and
Boomer Herndon, a junior broadcast journalism major, said they frequently visit “the
stoop” because it is a perfect place to people
watch since it is in a rather central location
on campus.
An unidentifiable source amongst all the
commotion said they “chill” there to spotcheck all of the lovely ladies.
Almost immediately, Dan Oliver, a senior
entrepreneurship major, made an addition to
the comment.
“But I hang out here to check out Jenny
Conkle when she walks by,” Oliver said.
Members of Belmont’s
basketball team, above,
from left, Andrew
House, Andrew Preston,
Mike Modlin, Boomer
Herndon, Dan Oliver,
Henry Harris and Will
Peeples take a break
between classes to
hangout at the Beaman
Stoop. Oliver, Harris
and Peeples are in
photo at left.
Oliver said he also enjoys sitting
there because it’s cool – cool, that is,
as in the temperature of the concrete.
Henry Harris, a freshman exercise
science major, agrees with his fellow
teammates that the spot is rather comfortable and convenient.
Herndon said despite the cold
weather that is approaching as the fall
semester comes to an end, he guarantees that will still be their spot.
“Maybe we’ll just get a space
heater or something,” Herndon said.
For whatever the reasons the draw
to the cold, slabs of concrete may be,
“the stoop” is the domain of many athletes, and they don’t seem to be budging anytime soon.
Your presence here today
Adds a warm touch of love and joy.
Belmont University is all of us
In a togetherness relationship.
That is why we say
"COME OFTEN."
Herbert C. Gabhart
Chancellor's Office
PHOTOS BY MELANIE BENGTSON
A warm “WELCOME BACK” to
all my former players from
1968 – 1984.
You paved the way and
set the standard for
women’s athletics at
Belmont University!
And…you have a very special
place in my heart!
Coach Betty Wiseman
Wired?
Keep up
with news
about
Belmont
at
belmonvision.com
Page 11
Men’s Basketball 2005- 2006
Date
11/19/2005
11/22/2005
11/26/2005
12/1/2005
12/3/2005
12/10/2005
12/14/2005
12/17/2005
12/29/2005
1/2/2005
1/4/2005
1/7/2005
1/9/2005
1/14/2005
1/16/2005
1/20/2005
1/22/2005
1/27/2005
1/31/2005
2/2/2005
2/4/2005
2/9/2005
2/11/2005
2/16/2005
2/18/2005
2/24/2005
2/26/2005
3/2/2005
3/3/2005
3/4/2005
Day
Saturday
Tuesday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Saturday
Wednesday
Saturday
Thursday
Monday
Wednesday
Saturday
Monday
Saturday
Monday
Friday
Sunday
Friday
Tuesday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Friday
Sunday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Opponent
WRIGHT STATE
at Chattanooga
at Oklahoma (PAX-TV)
* at East Tennessee State
* at Kennesaw State
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
at Ohio State (PAX-TV)
at Wright State
at Kansas State
* CAMPBELL
* GARDNER-WEBB
* at North Florida
* at Jacksonville
* STETSON
* MERCER
* at Lipscomb (CSS)
* at Florida Atlantic
* FLORIDA ATLANTIC (CSS)
* LIPSCOMB (CSS)
* at Mercer
* at Stetson
* JACKSONVILLE
* NORTH FLORIDA
* at Gardner-Webb
* at Campbell
* KENNESAW STATE
* EAST TENNESSEE STATE
1-at Atlantic Sun Championship
Location
Curb Event Center
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Norman, Okla.
Johnson City, Tenn.
Kennesaw, Ga.
Curb Event Center
Columbus, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Manhattan, Kan.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Jacksonville, Fla.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Nashville, Tenn.
Boca Raton, Fla.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Macon, Ga.
DeLand, Fla.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Boiling Springs, N.C.
Buies Creek, N.C.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Johnson City, Tenn.
Johnson City, Tenn.
Johnson City, Tenn.
Time
7:00 PM
6:00 PM
TBA
6:00 PM
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
6:50 PM
7:00 PM
12:00 PM
4:00 PM
3:00 PM
6:00 PM
2:00 PM
7:00 PM
6:30 PM
1:00 PM
6:30 PM
6:00 PM
6:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
2:00 PM
6:00 PM
12:00 PM
7:00 PM
3:00 PM
TBA
TBA
TBA
Women’s Basketball 2005- 2006
Date
11/10/2005
11/19/2005
11/22/2005
11/25/2005
11/26/2005
11/29/2005
12/1/2005
12/3/2005
12/19/2005
12/21/2005
1/5/2005
1/7/2005
1/12/2005
1/14/2005
1/17/2005
1/19/2005
1/26/2005
1/28/2005
2/2/2005
2/4/2005
2/9/2005
2/11/2005
2/16/2005
2/18/2005
2/23/2005
2/25/2005
2/28/2005
3/4/2005
3/10/2005
3/11/2005
3/12/2005
Day
Thursday
Saturday
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
Tuesday
Thursday
Saturday
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Tuesday
Thursday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Saturday
Tuesday
Saturday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Opponent
KY. WESLEYAN (Exh.)
at Eastern Kentucky
TENNESSEE STATE
1-vs. Clemson
1-Memphis/Austin Peay
INDIANA
* at ETSU
* at Kennesaw State
at Radford
at Virginia Commonwealth
* GARDNER-WEBB
* CAMPBELL
* at Stetson
* at Mercer
* LIPSCOMB
* at Florida Atlantic
* JACKSONVILLE
* NORTH FLORIDA
* MERCER
* STETSON
* at Campbell
* at Gardner-Webb
* KENNESSAW STATE
* ETSU
* at North Florida
* at Jacksonville
* at Lipscomb
* FLORIDA ATLANTIC
2-Atlantic Sun Championship
Location
Curb Event Center
Richmond, Ky.
Curb Event Center
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis, Tenn.
Curb Event Center
Johnson City, Tenn.
Kennesaw, Ga.
Radford, Va.
Richmond, Va.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
DeLand, Fla.
Macon, Ga.
Curb Event Center
Boca Raton, Fla.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Buies Creek, N.C.
Boiling Springs, N.C.
Curb Event Center
Curb Event Center
Jacksonville, Fla.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Nashville, Tenn.
Curb Event Center
Dothan, Ala.
Dothan, Ala.
Dothan, Ala.
Time
5:30 PM
6:30 PM
5:30 PM
8:00 PM
3/5:00 PM
7:00 PM
3:45 PM
1:00 PM
6:00 PM
6:00 PM
5:30 PM
2:00 PM
6:00 PM
1:00 PM
7:00 PM
6:00 PM
5:30 PM
12:0PM
5:30 PM
2:00 PM
6:00 PM
1:00 PM
5:30 PM
7:00 PM
4:00 PM
12:00 PM
7:00 PM
5:30 PM
TBA
TBA
TBA
Page 12
The Belmont Vision, November 17, 2005
TOMORROW'S
BRUINS
THE RA
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Page 14
The College of Business Administration
Backs Its Bruins
We’re proud of the 86 athletes in the school of business who exemplify Belmont’s core
values in their athletic, academic, and community endeavors.
Baseball
Basketball
Ryan Ashner
LaWanna Holiday
Kevin Boyle
Adrian Jones
Jacob Coleman
Angel Jones
Eric Diaz
Tonisha Jones
Sam Grooms
Dan Oliver
Justin Hobbs
William Peeples
Charles Lee
Andrew Preston
Braden Manifold
Christopher Anderson
Sarah Brandt
Keith Jacobs
Kari Lennon
Caitlin Lipari
Katie McCabe
Brendon Miller
Mark Photivihok
Eric Pittel
Cross Country
Elizabeth Porter
Jacob Buckman
Carlos Quintero
Nathan Holden
John Rodrigues
Benjamin McGlothlin
Kyle Roelke
Edwin Polley
Jegir Salman
Kelsey Reed
Ian Schinelli
James Snellen
Tyler Suffron
Lauren Williams
Eric Susewind
Wilson Tucker
Volleyball
Tennis
Matthew Warnat
Sarah Boelkins
Felipe Abreu
Derek Wiley
Sara Jacobson
Ignacio Gesto
Softball
Erin Janson
Alex Gillott
Sara Peeples
Catherine Mundy
Felipe Lima
Cheerleader
Soccer
Samantha Pope
Steven Alexander
Christopher Manning
Christopher Marlow
Brandon McCall
Benjamin Meador
Brandon Paetznick
Matthew Parks
Benjamin Petsch
Matthew Reynolds
Marshall Lipman
Fausto Rocha
Track
Jacob Buckman
Taylor Hart
Nathan Holden
Benjamin McGlothlin
Kristin McKnight
Brendon Miller
Cornelius Perry
Edwin Polley
Kelsey Reed
James Snellen
Lauren Williams
Golf
Daniel Amundson
Katherine Austin
John Baldwin
Kevin Burrell
Gudmundur Einarsson
Brenton Flynn
Patrick Kelly
Jeff Lanier
Tara Long
Scott O'Brien
Adam Wynia
Javier Rodriguez
Do business, but be not a slave to it.
– Thomas Fuller
Page 15
Coach Byrd: 20 years and counting
By Jacklyn Johnston
ONLINE EDITOR
From the Rebels to the Bruins,
NAIA to NCAA Division I, for 20
years of Belmont basketball, Rick
Byrd, head coach of the men’s basketball team, has been there pacing
the sidelines in his trademark
sweater vest.
Byrd has infused the basketball
team with respect for both players
and coaches, an emphasis on academic achievement and a pretty
hefty number in the winning column.
Byrd was first drawn to
Belmont when he was coaching for
Lincoln Memorial University and
played Belmont.
“I liked what I saw. I felt there
was a lot of potential,” Byrd said.
“It is a good academic school, and
with it being in Nashville, it adds
potential to the program. I felt it
would allow me to recruit the guys
I’d like to coach.”
The two seemed to fit. But what
has kept Byrd here for 20 years?
“I like the young men I coach,”
Byrd said. “You realize you’re
lucky when you get up and look
forward to going to work and seeing the people you work for and
work with.”
Byrd said it’s easy to get caught
up in getting to the next level in a
career or getting a bigger paycheck,
but to him there is greater value in
enjoying daily life where you are.
When faced with the decision to
coach somewhere else, Byrd said,
“When it came time to pull the
trigger, I just didn’t want to leave.”
In his 25 years of coaching,
Byrd has become very particular in
the men he chooses to recruit.
“It’d be nice to say the first
thing I look for is character, but in
TOWER AND ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT PHOTOS
Belmont head coach Rick Byrd, coaching in a 1997 game, above left, and in a 2005 game, has made his intensity and his personal fashion statement –
always a sweater vest – trademarks through 20 years of coaching at Belmont
July when we start looking, we first
see if they are good enough to help
us win games,” Byrd said.
But that’s not all he looks for.
“We look more seriously than
most other schools at character and
the boys’ desire to succeed academically,” Byrd said. “We want
players who will put their best
effort into it.”
Byrd said one thing he will not
‘Byrd Cage’ makes debut
Belmont has always had a rich
basketball history and in honor of
that, during homecoming, the new
student section will be unveiled as
“The Byrd Cage.”
Coles said the ideas ranged
from Coach Byrd bobble heads to
plastic sweater vests, and then finally the dedication of the student
section.
“This is what the students wanted,” said Amy Coles, director of
student activities. “We thought
he’d [Byrd] say no when we pro-
posed our idea for the student section but he loves the guys so much
and said that as long as it was
about the team we could do it.”
Coles said that the new student
section is not just about Byrd but
also the spirit of the Belmont community, one that Byrd has been a
huge part of. Coles hopes that even
when Byrd is not coaching at
Belmont, that students will remember him as a man driven my strong
character and integrity.
Another view of Coach Byrd
Casey Alexander, assistant head
coach, offers his own “Byrd’s-eye”
view of the head coach:
What is one thing that gets
Coach Byrd fired up?
“Lipscomb. I mean that in a good
way. Good, healthy rivalries are supposed to do that.”
What ticks him off?
“Walks that aren’t called by the
officials”
After being with Coach Byrd
for all these years, have any of
his expectations changed?
“I consider it a great testimony to
what type of guy he is when I can
honestly say he says and believes the
same things he did 15 years ago.”
What happens if one of the
players doesn’t meet up to
these expectations?
“He has a great tolerance for a player that is not as good as he hoped
for. That’s his/our fault, not the players’. If it’s because a lack of effort or
desire that’s a different story. He
has little tolerance for that.
stand for on the team is when an
athlete does not reflect sportsmanship and draws attention to himself.
“I cannot tolerate a player who
has a selfish attitude or who does
not give his best effort,” Byrd said.
“A real ‘team’ cannot be built on
people like that.”
Megan Byrd, Coach Byrd’s
daughter, said, “I’ve known most
of my dad’s players over the years,
and there have been quite a few,
and rarely has there been a guy on
his team who isn’t a grade A guy.
He wouldn’t recruit Dennis
Rodman if his life depended on it.”
Once the season starts, Byrd
holds his team to a higher standard
than most college coaches.
“It’s a responsibility they
assume when they come here,”
Byrd said.
Byrd said that he has fewer
‘rules’ but the players know what
he expects: for them to represent
Belmont in a first class way.
“I am still pretty old school
when it comes to expectations
about out appearance and behavior,” Byrd said.
This translates into no jeans or
hats when they are traveling and no
headphones while getting on and
off the bus.
Casey Alexander, assistant head
coach who also played for Byrd,
said, “It may not be the cool thing
but they do it because he asks.”
Byrd is as concerned about
behavior on and off the court and
in the classroom. He wants his
player to enjoy being college students and not get special privileges.
“I really dislike the athletes who
walk around campus thinking they
are better than everyone else.
They’re not,” Byrd said. “So
they’re good in one area. So is
everyone else. Theirs is basketball
while others may be music.”
Byrd wants players to remem-
ber that they are students first.
“I have the strong opinion that
college athletics is about college
students playing their sports, not
just a talent farm for other teams,”
Byrd said. “Athletics and academics are not mutually exclusive.
But athletics is still important.
“It’s hard not to let your selfworth be tied into your win-loss
record,” he said. “It’s a lot like the
feeling a good student has, there is
a level of personal pride and anxiety when it comes to grades. I feel
that same pressure but multiplied.”
Byrd’s daughter, used to hate
seeing her dad come home and
watch game tapes into the early
morning after a loss.
“It always seemed to me that
whenever the team won, he would
say that the players did an awesome job, that they really worked
hard and came in prepared,”
Megan said. “If the team lost, it
wasn’t so much the players, but
him. He hadn’t prepared them
enough, he hadn’t watched enough
tape, he hadn’t anticipated this or
that.”
Wes Burtner, former Belmont
basketball player, said he remembers Byrd being very competitive
and hating to lose more than he
wanted to win.
So what’s the best part of
coaching college ball?
“The sense of comrades in arms
trying to get a victory, that’s what
pulls us all together,” Byrd said.
“It’s about relationships.”
“The underlined principle for
Coach Byrd is he genuinely has the
best interest of others at heart,”
Alexander said. “A lot of coaches
will say that but won’t live by it.
He lives by it.”
Burtner remembers the way
Byrd would motivate the team.
“Some coaches are yellers and
cuss, but Byrd is no where near
that type of coach,” Burtner said.
“It wasn’t that you were scared of
him, but you knew the effort he put
into it, and you didn’t want him to
be disappointed.”
“When Coach tells you to do
something you listen to him,”
senior Mike Modlin said. “He is
the greatest basketball mind I’ve
ever played for and that brings
respect.”
Byrd considers himself lucky
that he has the chance to work with
young men that he says, teach him
more than he could possibly give to
them.
“When the season’s over, we
don’t remember the games or
records, we remember the road
trips, bus rides and what happens
off the floor,” Byrd said.
And as for the season, Byrd said
the Bruins have a hard schedule,
but more size, more depth and a lot
of potential.
“But potential doesn’t win
games,” Byrd said. “We have a lot
to work on and we need to play
hard.”
Supporting him through that
work have been daughters Megan
and Andrea, his biggest fans.
“He’s been the coach at
Belmont since I was in diapers, so I
can’t really remember a day when
he wasn’t sitting on the sidelines,
wearing his sweater vest, and
yelling at refs up and down the
court,” Megan said.
Megan will be right back in her
seat at the first game of the season,
right behind her dad cheering him
on.
“I honestly don’t think my dad
gives himself enough credit for the
things that he has accomplished,”
Megan said. “He’s a humble guy.
He’ll never give himself enough
credit for what he has done.”
Page 16
Shane Dansby
sophomore,
No. 21
forward
undecided
title be? I’m Sooo Fly
If I wanted people to know I
would tell them.
would you be and why?
Bruin
word. Fresh
be? Michael Jordan
How many soft tacos does it take to fill you up? One
Jessica Bobbitt
freshman
No. 41
post
undecided
title be? “Crazy Legs”
I’m goofy.
you be? A frog, because
they’re green
word. Goofy
play one-on-one with who would it be? Kevin Garnett
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Eight or nine
Andy Wicke
sophomore
No. 20
guard
environmental studies
title be? “Goonga GaLoonga”
My favorite movie is “The
Last of the Mohicans.”
you be? A blue whale,
because my heart would be
the size of a small car
Describe yourself in one word. Random
be? Magic Johnson
Brian Collins enters
final season with
eye on record books
By Ameshia Cross
Collins’ stats
at Belmont
STAFF WRITER
Brian Collins is a Belmont
senior on track to break several
basketball records this season.
Currently he stands at fourth in
the all-time leader board for the
Bruins since the NCAA Division I
era in rebound (353), rebounding
average (4.0 rpg) and in free
throws made (211). He is also
third in assists (316) and free throw
attempts (349).
Men’s coach Rick Byrd spoke
candidly of his senior leader.
“Brian has been a real success
story for himself as well as the
team,” Byrd said.
Collins began as a diamond in
the rough. When he arrived as a
freshman after a prep career at
Whites Creek High School in the
Nashville area, he played his own
way. The coaching staff broke him
in, and soon he was playing the
Belmont way. In 2004-05, he was
the only Bruin to start and play in
all 30 games.
Collins has developed in many
ways during his time at Belmont
through his involvement in basketball. He is a point guard, which in
itself is a leadership position, as
well as a co-captain along with fellow teammate Dan Oliver.
According to Byrd, Collins is
the best supporter of the coaching
staff and has even picked up on
some of their lingo.
Coach Byrd is Collins’ major
influence.
“Coach Byrd is a legendary
coach and veteran of the game,”
Collins said. “He knows everything
there is to know about the sport
and is very personable and easy to
talk to.”
Being a team player has not
always been easy for Collins, who
averaged 15.8 points per game in
high school and tallied more than
1,000 career points playing for the
Whites Creek Cobras.
Brian Collins
4th in Rebounding (NCAA
era): 353
4th in Rebounding Avg
(NCAA era): 4.0
6th in FG made (NCAA era):
305
4th in FT made (NCAA era):
211
3rd in FT attempted (NCAA
era): 349
T-2nd in steals (NCAA era):
121
6th in minutes played (NCAA
era); 2466
3rd in assists (NCAA era):316
Byrd was tough on Collins in
the beginning; he tried to help
Collins hone his skills and develop
his craft.
Collins was a quick study – his
father, Ricky, was a former head
coach at Pearl-Cohn High School,
so he had a longtime role model –
and he soon became one of the
Bruins’ best players, contributing
to a growing success in NCAA
Division I.
Byrd doesn’t think that it’s a
coincidence.
“Brian Collins is a leader,”
Byrd said. “He puts his best foot
forward in every game. He excels
in defense and passing. Brian
Collins is the player that leaves the
opposition in fear of what he
brings to the court. Yet, Brian is
not only amazing on the court; he
is outstanding off the court as
well.“
Collins’ goal for the season is to
win the Atlantic Sun
Championship. He believes that the
team has had him develop skills
that will lead him onward, such as
responsibility, humility and
patience. Collins feels that being a
leader is a good thing.
“It feels good, the team has
great potential, and people expect a
lot,” he said. “I take it to heart
when we don’t succeed.”
Brian describes his relationship
with his teammates as one of family and brotherhood. His advice for
upcoming players is:
“Academics come first. When
you’re not doing schoolwork, work
on your game. When you’re sleeping, someone else is working on
theirs.”
Brian’s roommate and fellow
teammate Josh Goodwin is his
favorite player, an acknowledgement that Collins is truly a team
player.
Brian plans to continue his basketball career after college, playing
at the professional level either in
the United States or overseas; he
would also like to coach.
Media, coaches put Bruins at 3rd
The Belmont Bruins men’s
basketball team was selected to
finish third by the Atlantic Sun
coaches and media when the ASun men’s basketball preseason
poll and preseason All-Conference
selections were announced recently at A-Sun Media Day.
The Bruins were picked both
third in the coaches poll and the
media poll following a 14-16 season and a berth in the A-Sun
Tournament semifinals in 20042005. BU returns four players that
started at least 19 games last season.
The media predicted GardnerWebb to also capture the tourna-
ment championship while the
league’s coaches expect newcomer ETSU to win the conference’s
automatic bid when they host the
2006 General Shale Atlantic Sun
Men’s Basketball Championship
on March 2-4 in Johnson City,
Tennessee.
The coaches poll resulted in a
tight race as GWU edged the
Buccaneers by just two points and
Belmont by only six points despite
collecting only three of 11 possible first place votes. Rounding out
the poll were: Lipscomb (4th -coaches/5th – media), Florida
Atlantic (6th/4th), Mercer
(5th/6th), Stetson (7th – coach-
es/8th – media), Jacksonville
(8th/7th), Campbell (9th/9th),
Kennesaw State (10th/10th) and
UNF (11th/11th).
Gardner-Webb and ETSU
dominated the Preseason AllConference team. The Runnin’
Bulldogs had three players selected (Brian Bender, Simon Conn,
and Tim Jennings). ETSU had one
player, Tim Smith, who was also
named A-Sun Preseason Player of
the Year. The only non
GWU/ETSU player was Will
Emerson of Mercer.
– Belmont Athletics
Page 17
Bruiser: more than bear facts
Belmont’s mascot, Bruiser, is one of the
most recognizable faces in Belmont athletics. Vision staff writer Eric Detweiler
caught up with him recently to find out
about the bear behind the hype.
The Vision: So, Bruiser, this is your
third year as Belmont’s mascot. What
did you do before this?
as I heard Belmont was
in the market for a
mascot,
I
jumped at the chance. Bobby [Fisher] and I
met for lunch one day, and it was only a few
hours before I got a call saying the job was
mine if I wanted it. From there, well, you
know the rest.
Vision: Do you ever regret leaving
your childhood home behind?
Bruiser: Not really. I’ve got a nice
room in the bowels of the Curb, and
Belmont’s been working with the people
up at Mammoth Cave to find me a summer home. And Miss Tonya always lets
me know when the caf has leftover fish.
Not only that, they’re hooking me up with an
electric scooter this
year. Back at
Glacier, if I
want-
Bruiser: Well, as you probably know,
there aren’t too many brown bears in this
part of America these days. I was actually
born about 2,000 miles northwest of
Nashville in Glacier National Park.
Splendid place, I have lots of great memories of my years in Montana. I lived a life
of pleasant solitude, eating all the fish I
wanted and occasionally giving some
tourists a good scare. That went on until
one day in March about five years
ago. I was passing by an
empty cabin and
heard
the Beaman. It may sound a little crazy, but
that bear’s been like a mentor to me. If I’m
ever riled up after a game, I just go and pose
beside it for a while. It’s a liberating exercise, really clears the mind. And sometimes
I’ll just vent a little. I feel like we’ve got a
real connection going. Beyond that, I get to
spend plenty of time with people at games.
I love kids. Occasionally they get a little
freaked out when a bear walks around the
corner, and that’s one of the saddest
moments for me. I just look forward to a
day when man and bear can live in harmony, when children
and cubs alike
won’t have
grow up
with these
fears.
I’ve also
got a reputation as something of a ladies
bear.
Vision: All right,
Bruiser, one last question.
Have the recent steroid scandals in various sports had any
repercussions in the mascot world?
ed
to get anywhere, I just had to rely on
my bear feet.
some
loud cheering
going on inside,
so I stopped in. Someone had left the television on and the NCAA tournament was
playing. I was mesmerized. After that, I
guess I was never really the same bear.
Soon I cared more about three-pointers than
I did about salmon. I still loved the park,
don’t get me wrong, but it’s almost impossible to get ESPN in the middle of the woods.
You could say it got to be more than I could
bear (laughs). I got my affairs in order and
hitchhiked to Nashville. I’d heard they had
some openings on the collegiate level, but
things didn’t come together immediately. I
spent a while singing for a local band called
Death Cub for Cutie, but there’s a lot more
anti-bear sentiment in America than most
people realize. The old-timers in some of
the clubs just didn’t want to see a bear on
stage, and I had to leave that part of my life
behind. I took a few temp jobs, but as soon
CLASSIFIED ADS
Seeking efficiency
in an older home,
West End/
Centennial Park
Neighborhood.
Pet friendly,
please. Moving
date on December
15. Call Jeff at
615-599-0908.
Vision: What’s the
social scene like for bears
in Nashville?
Bruiser: Let’s be honest, it’s not too exciting. I
don’t have much of a
chance to socialize with
other bears. I’ve tried to
hang out with the bears at
Grassmere a few times, but
we just don’t have much
to talk about. Plus basketball season conflicts with
the average bear’s hibernation schedule, so most of
my species is sleeping
while I’m at my most
active. When I feel lonely,
I usually just go hang out
with the statue in front of
Bruiser: Oh man, talk about a volatile
subject. I’m clean, always have been.
There’s no need to mess with that kind of
stuff. If I need extra energy before a game,
I just take a few swigs of honey to get the
blood flowing and give Boomer [Herndon] a
solid chest bump. As far as other mascots
go, I don’t want to point any paws, but have
you watched any Michigan State games
recently? You think the Spartan got those
muscles just from working out? It hasn’t
been too big a deal here in Nashville,
though. Look at Vanderbilt’s mascot, for
roaring out loud: an old man with a long
beard and a big hat. I’m more worried he’s
going to break a hip during the halftime
show than I am about him being on steroids.
Vision: Thanks for your time, Bruiser,
and good luck this basketball season.
Bruiser: No problem. There are some
big games brewing for the Bruins this year.
I’ll see you at the Curb!
– Eric Detweiler
Healthy Volunteers Needed.
If you are healthy and between the ages of 18 and 50, you
may be eligible for a study aimed at understanding the
chemical changes that occur during depression. Samples of
blood, spinal ﬂuid, urine, and saliva are collected during two
4-day hospital stays. No medication is involved. Your data
will be compared to that of depressed individuals.
Participants must be willing to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine during the study.
The Office of
Career Services
supports the
Belmont Bruins.
Compensation up to $1500
Interested individuals should contact Dr. Salomon
or Heather Farmer at 343-9664
www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/depression
Happy Homecoming.
Go Bruins!!
Page 18
It’s Showtime!
Belmont Basketball is back for the
2005-2006 season.
This season is going to be filled with great
promotions, unbelievable giveaways and the
most exciting basketball in town!
PACK THE CURB THIS SATURDAY NIGHT
AT 7:00 AS THE BELMONT MEN TAKE ON
WRIGHT STATE!
GO BRUINS!!!
Dan Oliver
senior
No. 11
forward
entrepreneurship
title be? “Wasting Time”
I have a secret desire to
speak Spanish.
you be? A cat, because
sometimes I’m playful and
sometimes I just need to be
alone
Describe yourself in one word. Non-conformist
be? Coach Ayers
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Nine
Amber Rockwell
freshman
No. 2
guard
exercise science
title be? “Goofin’ Outta
Control”
I’m smart.
you be? A bird, so I could
fly
word. Slow
be? Michael Jordan
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? 15-20 (Yes!!!!)
Andrew Preston
junior
No. 45
center
accounting
title be? “I play miniature
golf, not basketball”
I played baseball for eight
years.
you be? Eagle, free to fly
anywhere
word. Simple
be? Michael Jordan
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Eight from Taco
Bell
Page 19
Justin Hare:
Behind really big shooter
stands a really big family
By Linda Johansson
STAFF WRITER
Every devoted Bruin basketball
fan knows about Justin Hare, last
season’s Atlantic Sun Conference
Freshman of the Year.
Hare was a three time A-Sun
player of the week, and was second
on the Bruin squad in scoring. On
the court, Hare may have the big
shot, but after the game ending
whistle sounds, Hare has the support from his big family.
Hare was born in 1985 in
Rome, Ga. At the age of 5, his
father Lidelle, a former basketball
player from Berry College, influenced him to play the game. Since
then, Hare has been playing with
his older brother, Josh, who graduated from Samford University last
year. The two brothers were great
rivals when they were younger.
“Yes, we used to play, but I
never won,” Hare said.
Until he was 10, Justin shared
his parents with just his two siblings, Josh and Jessica. That
changed when his parents decided
to start a foster home in 1995.
“It is something I was interested
in doing,” Hare’s mother, Jolene,
said.
Jolene Hare said running a foster home has been hard at times
because she has to constantly give
all her children attention. However,
they have given her a richer life.
The decision to run a foster
home also changed Justin’s life.
His family became instantly bigger
with more children in the house,
and the time spent with each parent
had to be shared with his new family members. Today, the family has
11 foster children.
“It was difficult in the beginning because I couldn’t spend the
time with my parents like I used
to,” Hare said. He believes he has
learned to be more patient, thanks
to the experience of living in quite
literally a full house.
Justin explains that some of the
children stay at their house for a
long period of time while others go
back to their original homes.
“It is great if they can go back
to their original parents, but it’s
hard when you get attached,” he
said.
It is hard because Justin considers all of the foster children his
brothers and sisters.
“They are like a family,” he
said.
Justin’s father inspiring him to
play basketball has led him to
where he stands today: on the basketball court at Belmont University
representing the Bruins.
Justin is very excited over this
years’ team and thinks they will do
better this season. He believes that
the chemistry between the players
is good, and the team has more
experience at every position comparing to last year.
“We have a chance to be really
good,” he said.
Sophomore Justin Hare, above, holds on to the ball in one of
the 30 games in which he played last season. In his rookie
season, he averaged 10.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game,
was named Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, was a threetime A-Sun Player of the Week and was second on the Bruin
squad in scoring.
Page 20
Bruin Club supports
BU student-athletes
Destri Bockey
junior
No. 30
post
social work
title be? “I’m Miss Chico
Stick”
I have a permanent toe ring.
you be? A flamingo; I like
pink and warm weather and
I have long legs.
word. Spunky
be? Miss T
Matthew Dotson
freshman
No. 30
forward
undecided
On Belmont’s campus, there are
221 athletes on 15 teams that are
achieving big things academically
and athletically.
But they can’t do it without
support, and Clyde Russell, executive director of the Bruin Club,
looks to alumni as well as current
students, faculty and staff to help.
The primary focus of the Bruin
Club is to fund athletic scholarships, and 65 percent of every
membership dollar goes to that
end, Russell said.
“The Bruins boasted 68.8 percent of student-athletes earning a
grade-point average of 3.0 or better,” Russell said, pointing out that
he believes the money is well
spent.
That academic achievement
also made Belmont the first
Atlantic Sun school to claim the
conference’s academic champion
trophy for four years running.
In addition to the money desig-
nated for scholarships, the Bruin
Club membership dollars also go to
enhance Belmont’s athletic programs (20 percent) and to maintain
the Curb Event Center (15 percent).
Of course, Russell understands
that those considering joining may
also ask, “But what’s in it for me?”
Every membership level has
different benefits, from T-shirts
and sports newsletters for “Bruin
Cubs” 13 and under to priority
seating behind the scoring table
and hospitality room privileges at
some of the higher levels.
The Bruin Club is growing, but
the need for new members
remains.
“We need your continued help
and support more and more each
year as Belmont athletes strive to
get to the next level,” Russell said.
Signing up
If you are interested in
joining the Bruin Club,
please contact Clyde
Russell, executive director
of the Bruin Club at 4605453 or go to
http://www.bruinclub.com.
Online sign-up is available.
– Staff reports
Women 3rd in media poll
title be? “The Funky
Floater”
I’m a preacher. Well, I
preach at my church on
occasion.
you be?
Ostrich. I resemble it greatly
and possess its speed.
Describe yourself in one word. George
be? Phil Mickelson
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Ten
Belmont women’s basketball
Head Coach Tony Cross had one
question to start his portion of the
recent 2005 Atlantic Sun Women’s
Basketball Media Day teleconference.
“We’re ready. Are you?”
The Belmont women’s team
was selected to finish fourth in the
A-Sun coaches’ and third in the
media polls that were released on
Wednesday morning in Dothan,
Ala., site of the 2006 A-Sun
Women’s Basketball Tournament.
The Bruins earned one first-place
vote in the coaches’ poll and two
in the media poll. Belmont was
also chosen in both polls to win the
A-Sun Tournament.
The Bruins concluded the 2004-
05 season tied for second in the
Atlantic Sun with a 12-9 mark and
a 17-11 overall record. Belmont
earned a berth to the A-Sun
Tournament for the fourth-consecutive year last season but failed to
get past the first round, falling to
Stetson, 68-54. The Bruins return
eight letterwinners, including
senior guards Jenny Conkle (New
Haven, Ind.) and Tonisha Jones
(Brownsville, Tenn.). Conkle
wrapped her junior campaign as
the number one three-point shooter
in NCAA Division I, averaging 3.1
per game.
The top-five of both polls indicated another tough season with
plenty of close games for the
league’s top teams. The coaches’
poll had a mere 12 points separating the first and fifth place teams
while the spread was more than
doubled, 32 points, in the media
poll.
Lipscomb was tabbed first in
both polls with two first-place
votes in each. Stetson selected second in both polls but came away
with three first-place votes in the
coaches’ poll and four in the media
poll.
Gardner-Webb dominated the
preseason All-Atlantic Sun team
with two nods going to senior
guard Sequenta Blackman and
junior forward Shameka Smith.
Bruins get letters of intent from three
Though the new season is just
beginning, Belmont is looking
ahead, and both the men’s and
women’s teams have commitments
from players expected to join the
Bruins next fall.
The Belmont women’s basketball program nabbed two of the
region’s top players in the early
signing period. Paducah, Ky.,
native Angela Roof and Shaunda
Strayhorn, a native of Newbern,
Tenn., signed National Letters of
Intent to play for the Bruins, beginning in the 2006-07 season.
For the men’s team, Jordan
Campbell, a senior at North Central
High School in Indianapolis, today
signed a National Letter of Intent
to play at Belmont.
Roof, a 6-3 post player, helped
St. Mary’s High School to a 20-10
record during the 2004-05 campaign. As a junior, she averaged 22
points, nine rebounds, and two
“A player who adds
defensive and
rebounding skills
that will make us
better in those
areas.”
Rick Byrd
blocks per game while shooting 72
percent from the free throw line.
She shot 70 percent from the floor
and led the entire state of Kentucky
during the season in the category.
Roof was a two-time District
Player of the Year, two-time AllTournament Regional team selection and two-time District
Tournament team selection. The
three-time All-A Regional
Tournament team honoree was
named the All-Purchase Player of
the Year as a junior.
Strayhorn, a 5-6 guard, has
recorded over 1,200 points during
her career at Dyersburg High
School. As a junior, she averaged
12.5 points, 5.3 assists and 3.3
steals per game en route to helping
DHS to a 33-5 record. She was
also instrumental in DHS becoming in the first state runner-up in
school history. A three-year starter,
Strayhorn has received All-District
honors and was tabbed the Region
7AAA MVP. She has also been
named to the All-State Tournament
team.
Women’s head coach Tony
Cross is excited about the potential
these two players bring to the
Bruins.
“Angela and Shaunda have the
potential to do great things here at
Belmont,” Cross said. “We are
excited they have chosen to
become a part of the Bruins program.”
Men’s head Coach Rick Byrd
also expects great things from
Campbell, a 6-4 guard who averaged 10.5 points and five rebounds
per game last year as North Central
finished its season with a 17-9
record.
Campbell and the Panthers will
look to avenge their season ending
loss in the regional finals when
they face league rival and defending Indiana 4A state champion
Lawrence North on ESPN Jan. 19.
Campbell’s play has garnered
local and national attention. He was
named First Team All-Metro
Indianapolis and earned national
honorable mention by Street &
Smith magazine. Campbell is also
on the rivals.com watch list.
“Our basketball staff is very
excited about receiving Jordan
Campbell’s National Letter of
Intent,” Byrd said. “Jordan is
exactly the kind of player we were
looking for in this recruiting class;
a wing with the skills required by
our offensive style, but a player
who adds defensive and rebounding skills that will make us better
in those areas.
Byrd added, “Jordan played a
very competitive summer schedule
against the best players in the
country and his high school team
plays in one of the top leagues anywhere. That kind of competition
will make him ready for college
basketball very fast. Jordan continues our emphasis on recruiting outstanding students and quality people and we are fortunate that he
chose Belmont University.”
Cole Rose
junior
No. 12
guard
English
title be? “I’m Really, Really,
Really, Really, Really,
Really Ridiculously Goodlooking”
Since I transferred to
Belmont, I have answered
this exact question four
times.
you be? A goat. They can eat anything and dominate all terrains.
Describe yourself in one word. Jaunty
be? Ron Bugundy
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? 97
Alysha Clark
freshman
No. 22
forward
psychology
title be? “Go Lysha”
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I
sang backup for Milli
Vanilli! (Ha, ha!)
you be? A cat, because
that’s the animal I favor and
I have reflexes like them.
And I LOVE to take naps.
Describe yourself in one word. Stupendous!
be? Allen Iverson, because we need to set a wedding date
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up?
10 – with hot sauce.
Michael Modlin
senior
No. 35
center
biology
I took tap dancing
you be? An anteater
because I have a big nose.
word. Ridiculous
play one-on-one with who
would it be? Lynette
Herndon, Boomer Herndon’s
mom
How many soft tacos would it take to fill you up? Ten less than
Boomer Herndon
Page 21
Freshman arrives
with a record
By Chansin Bird
STAFF WRITER
She made a name for herself in
high school basketball. Miss
Basketball for Tennessee,
Tennessee Gatorade Player of the
Year, State tournament MVP,
AAU All-American ... the list
goes on.
Now freshman Alysha Clark
wants to make a name for
Belmont.
“Nobody really knows about
Belmont,” Clark said. “It’s not
like they’re horrible. They’ve had
good programs and teams, but
nobody really recognizes them.
People on the outside say, ‘You
go where? Belmont?’ I want
Belmont to get more respect. We
have a lot of good players.”
Clark is one of those good
players.
“She stood out among those
players on her team and the players from the other teams,” said
Donna Brown, women’s associate
head coach. “She did whatever it
took to win a game.”
In high school, she lived only
45 minutes down the road in Mt.
Juliet. Brown and the other coaches had been watching her for several years and signed Clark in
early November of her senior
year. Belmont wasn’t the only
school who noticed her.
Vanderbilt, UNC, Arkansas,
Indiana and Chattanooga all
looked at her.
“Those were the ones I was
going to choose from,” Clark said.
“There were some schools up
north, but I didn’t want to go that
far.
She actually was leaning
toward Vanderbilt because she
wanted to be a pediatrician. After
some thought, though, she decided Belmont was just as good of a
school. A hip injury her junior
year confirmed her decision
because Vanderbilt stopped
recruiting her.
“Belmont was with me constantly letting me know that they
still wanted me regardless,” Clark
said.
Still, other schools tried to
recruit Clark. People told her she
should have gone to a larger university.
She believes she made the
right decision.
Brown thinks Clark chose
Belmont because Nashville is
close to her family and because of
the academics and the teammates.
“We have some really special
young ladies on our team,” Brown
said. “When she came to visit, we
made sure she met the entire
team. That alone sells our program. We tell them we are a family. A lot of schools say that, but
we really mean it.”
On a Belmont visit during her
senior year, Clark met then freshman basketball player Rachel
Howard. Clark had worn the num-
“People know
about Alysha
Clark. ... Belmont is
going to be great
because of Alysha,
and Alysha is
going to be great
because of
Belmont.”
Donna Brown
women’s associate head coach
ber 22 throughout high school,
and she noticed Howard had the
same number.
“You’re number 22?” Clark
asked Howard.
“Yes,” Howard replied.
“Ummm ... How long have
you had it?” Clark said hesitantly.
“Since my eighth grade.”
“Okay ...”
“Are you 22?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you can have it. I don’t
care.”
At that moment Clark knew
Belmont was where she wanted to
go.
“If somebody is willing to sacrifice ...,” Clark said. “I mean, it’s
just a number, but most places
you go people are like, ‘No, I’ve
been this number, and I’m going
to be the only person to wear it.’”
An unselfish attitude seems to
be the theme of the varsity
women’s team.
“When I watched her for the
first time at the [high school] state
tournament, I was like, ‘Man, this
girl is real good,’” freshman post
Jessica Bobbitt said. “She scored
a lot of points, but they weren’t
selfish points at all. She’d get the
ball, and if somebody was wide
open, instead of taking it in and
trying to be a ball hog, she’d pass
it out. She was a good team player.”
Brown agrees Clark cares
about giving her teammates the
ball and an opportunity to shoot.
One time when Brown called to
check on Clark and find out the
score of her high school game,
she was told Clark had 37 points
and 25 rebounds.
“A lot of people talk about
points all the time, but when you
put in the extra effort and focus
on rebounds to let others shoot,
that says so much about her,”
Brown said. “Not only am I going
to score for you, I’m going to get
rebounds so others can score too.”
At the exhibition game against
Kentucky Wesleyan last
Thursday, Clark was the leading
scorer with 33 points; she also
made 13 rebounds.
“You’d think a player of her
status would be real cocky,”
Bobbitt said. “As many compliments as she’s gotten over the
past few days because of the
game, she is the same person no
matter what. Most of the time, if a
player gets 33 points in one night,
their heads just inflate. She’s real
down to earth.”
She remembers where she’s
been and how far she’s come.
Clark began playing basketball
in the seventh grade, but it was a
non-serious, after school activity.
She didn’t get really involved
until ninth grade. At that time she
lived in Kansas where track and
volleyball were her main sports.
When her mother’s job moved the
family to Mt. Juliet during Clark’s
10th grade year, Clark said she
was less than impressive.
“When I first got here, I was
horrible,” Clark said. “I was dribbling above my head. My passes
were horrible. I couldn’t shoot for
anything. It’s funny now, but back
then I felt like a dork cause I
didn’t know what I was doing.”
From then on, she lived in the
gym with the rest of her dedicated
high school team. If they didn’t
have practice, they had a shooting
chart to complete. She really loves
the game.
“At my high school, it was
pretty much like a college would
be because we had workouts
almost every day,” Clark said.
“To have that much dedication
and time I put forth, you seriously
have to love the game or be
crazy.”
She must love the game
because she said she would be
willing to play for the WNBA if it
were presented to her after college.
“If not, I’d be okay,” Clark
said. “One of the girls who played
here last year is playing with a
travel team around the U.S. I
think that would be fun, too. I
kinda would like to just be normal
after college.”
But if the opportunity presented itself, she would most likely
continue to play. As it is, Clark is
majoring in psychology and is
looking into being a school or
sports psychologist.
Clark and the women’s team
will be playing this coming
Saturday at Eastern Kentucky.
Their first official home game is
Nov. 22 against TSU.
“People know about Alysha
Clark,” Brown said. “She’s going
to be great for us by not only
bringing students with great academics, but also bringing some
top players. That’s huge for
Belmont. Belmont is going to be
great because of Alysha, and
Alysha is going to be great
because of Belmont.”
Page 22
Men’s basketball:
The tradition continues
Women’s basketball: A tradition of excellence…
Page 23
MEMORABILIA COURTESY OF BETTY WISEMAN
Page 24
Belmont, too, has royal couples
By Allison Slijepcevic
STAFF WRITER
Homecoming has a long tradition at Belmont, including the
court, above, in 1962.
Honorees are, from left,
Maxine McCants, Murray
Mathis, escort; Linda Miller,
Don Selley, escort; Carolyn
Songer, Ronnie Underwood,
esort; Brenda Moorefield,
Bobby Russel, escort. In
1972, Dr. Herbert Gabhart,
then president and now chancellor at Belmont, crowns
Kathy Dickson.
Tired of
Shaving?
Stop!
This year a new Homecoming court
nomination process is underway, making the
king and queen selection more meaningful
to Belmont’s close-knit student body.
In the past, freshman through senior
classes were able to nominate an unlimited
number of nominees for Homecoming court
posts. In the fall, nomination cards were sent
to every Belmont student’s mailbox. As a
result, SGA dealt with sifting through the 22
to 40 nominations per class for the positions
of duke, duchess, king and queen.
“We even had fake names,” said Amy
Coles, director of student activities. “We’ve
reframed how you become king or queen.
In the past it was hard. To be specific, it was
like a popularity contest.”
This summer, Coles took inspiration
from an interning graduate student from
Auburn University in her office. The intern,
who was passionate about the Student
Government Association, said Belmont’s
homecoming court resembled a high
school’s. Coles said Belmont is a small
school, as far as personal connection is concerned, although it is growing in numbers.
In response to her intern, she and SGA have
put in place major changes to bring dignity
back to homecoming court positions.
“We want the king and queen to be
respected and honored positions,” Coles
said. “The king and queen can only be
juniors or seniors. We want it to be about
people who are making a difference on campus and off.”
The first change made was the elimination of the duke and duchess representatives
for each class. Coles and SGA then came
up with a set of questions for nominees that
exemplified what they wanted the king or
queen to represent. All student organizations were given the chance to nominate two
members for the Homecoming court. This
year a total of eight women and six men
were nominated to fulfill the prized positions that signify students’ contribution to
the university.
“Those organizations were passionate
about the nominations. You learn in a position like this that things take awhile to
change, and tradition builds through the
years,” Coles said.
SGA won’t have to eliminate any of the
original 14 nominees, although they
wouldn’t have had trouble sorting the weaker forms from the impressive. Of all the
organizations, applications from the Greek
houses Phi Delta Theta, Phi Mu, Alpha
Gamma Delta, Theta Epsilon Tau, and
Alpha Tau Omega, included the most thorough responses advertising their nominees’
“We want it to be about
people who are making
a difference on campus
and off.”
Amy Coles
director of student activities
merit. Other organizations’ nominees have
assuredly donated time and effort to
Belmont and the Nashville community.
Unfortunately, their one-line responses to
the nomination form’s questions will be
reflected on the BIC voting poll.
Coles said the Greek student organizations are familiar with nomination processes
and elections. She also said more nonGreek organizations will nominate their
members and provide in-depth information
like Chadasha and the Belmont
Ambassadors did this year. Several candidates’ forms included multiple typed pages
of accomplishments and leadership positions.
“Belmont has become part of me, and I
have become part of Belmont. Personally I
am wicked stoked to be nominated,” wrote
senior Dan Wood, ATO Homecoming nominee.
Wood said he would be a little disappointed if wasn’t elected king, but he didn’t
feel he deserved it more than the other nominees. His nomination form, like other nominees’, included four years of service to
Belmont. Wood has served on Belmont’s
social committee, Fall Follies, on campus
Towering Traditions staff adviser and different positions within ATO. He said ATO
provided interpersonal relationships that
were what he needed while working through
his music business major.
Homecoming nominees’ photographs
and platform will be posted on BIC from
Nov. 14-16. Voting is open to all Belmont
students. At half time of the Saturday, Nov.
19 basketball game, the king and queen will
be announced.
“This is the first time I’ve been involved
with the Homecoming king and queen selection,” SGA member Ben Palos said. “ It’s
been interesting to see how it all works, but
I believe giving the nomination power to
student organizations will give a way for
students who are actually involved with the
university a chance to get nominated for
each position.”
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In 1963, Homecoming court members, from left above, Glenda Davis, Kay
Thomas, Carolyn Songer, Linda Wiley, Maranita Thomas, pose on campus for a
photo. Queen Linda Miller is shown in a formal portrait in 1962.

Inside - Belmont Vision

Transcription

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