Five Things to Know Before WVU vs. Bellarmine

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – As the second-year Division-I Bellarmine Knights come to Morgantown, on Tuesday night, let’s take a look at five things to know before the game.

Don’t Let Bellarmine’s Record Trick You

Bellarmine enters the game against West Virginia with a 2-5 record. But they could make a serious argument for having the best schedule in college basketball thus far.

The Knights have played Gonzaga, UCLA, Purdue, Saint Mary’s and Murray State. They became the first team in NCAA history to play the No. 1, 2, and 3 schools in the country in the first month of the season.

History makers.

(Stat via @collegebb_ref) pic.twitter.com/UCRz3npYLF

— Bellarmine Men’s Basketball (@BUKnightsMBB) November 23, 2021

Even though they did lose to all of those teams, it is still impressive that head coach Scott Davenport and his staff are scheduling some of the best teams in the country.

What is Bellarmine Offense Looking Like?

The Knights are a guard-heavy roster, as they have 11 players listed between 6-foot and 6-foot-5. The offense that the Knights run is a lot similar to what Bob Huggins ran in previous years.

“It’s a lot like what we used to run a while ago with all of the back screens, back cuts and curls,” Huggins said on Tuesday.

Luckily, for West Virginia, Bellarmine is shooting 28 percent from three so far this season. The Knights are making on average 5.9 three’s per game, which is 295th in the country.

If the shots are falling for Bellarmine, which would be good for WVU’s struggling perimeter, then expect the Knights to try and get behind the Mountaineers on defense for easy layups and paint shots.

Sean McNeil to Play Against Former School

On Tuesday night, WVU guard Sean McNeil will suit up to play against his former school.

McNeil attended Bellarmine in the Fall of 2017, and only was on campus for two days.

Now, McNeil will get a chance to go up against his former school, on Tuesday night.

Betting Lines

West Virginia is favored by -17.0 points against Bellarmine.

The WVU money line is set at -1600.

This is another potential trap game for the Mountaineers, as the team escaped Eastern Kentucky, on Friday night. Bellarmine has played close with UCLA (lost by 13) and Saint Mary’s (lost by nine). The Knights have defeated Central Michigan, as their only D-I win this season.

Bellarmine’s head coach Scott Davenport has his players competing against some of the best schools in the country, unless WVU has a great 40 minutes of play, it’ll be tough for them to cover the spread.

It’s probably safe to stay away from betting on this game.

How to Watch and Listen

You can watch West Virginia take on Bellarmine on Tuesday, at 7 p.m., on ESPN+. The non-conference matchup between the Mountaineers and the Knights will take place inside the WVU Coliseum.

Mountaineer Sports Network will broadcast the game on the radio, with Tony Caridi and Jay Jacobs once again calling WVU games for the entirety of this season.

(Top Photo: Kelsie LeRose / WVSN)