A rivalry begins: Eastern Kentucky, Bellarmine voted to challenge for ASUN title
Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team faces an entire conference filled with new rivals this season, and chief among them will be another team from the commonwealth.
When the ASUN Conference announced its preseason and coaches’ media polls Wednesday, the Colonels were voted in both to finish second in 2021-22.
Right on EKU’s heels is Bellarmine, which was picked to finish third by the media and fourth by the coaches.
Bellarmine, a private school in Louisville that recently moved up from NCAA Division II to Division I, played its first season in the ASUN last year and finished second in the then-nine-team league with a record of 14-8 overall and 10-3 in the conference.
Eastern Kentucky enters ASUN play for the first time this season in what is now a 12-team men’s basketball league. The Colonels, who left the Ohio Valley Conference after 73 years, finished in third place in their final OVC campaign, going 22-7 overall and 15-5 in the league.
Defending champion Liberty was the overwhelming choice in both preseason polls released Wednesday to repeat in 2020-21, receiving nine of the 12 first-place votes from the coaches and 30 of 32 from the media. Among the Flames’ returning starters is junior forward Kyle Rode from Lexington Christian Academy.
Liberty senior guard Darius McGhee was unanimously named ASUN Preseason Player of the Year. Florida Gulf Coast senior center Kevin Samuel was chosen Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Eastern Kentucky was the only team to place two players on the ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team. Braxton Beverly, a graduate transfer from North Carolina State who starred in high school for Perry County Central, is joined on the squad by fellow guard Jomaru Brown, who missed most of last season with an injury after being named to the All-OVC First Team the previous year.
The Colonels also picked up a couple of honors in the league’s annual fan voting on social media. Former Scott County High School standouts Michael Moreno and Cooper Robb were voted by the fans as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.
Bellarmine and EKU have played each other only three times previously, in 1958, 1989 and 1990 — all victories by the Colonels.
Bellarmine and EKU will square off twice this season: Jan. 8 in Louisville and Feb. 26 in Richmond.
ASUN preseason voting
Coaches’ poll: 1. Liberty, 141 points (9 first-place votes); 2. Eastern Kentucky, 126 (1); 3. Jacksonville State, 103; 4. Bellarmine, 97 (1); 5. Lipscomb, 89; 6. Florida Gulf Coast, 88; 7. North Florida, 82 (1); 8. Stetson, 67; 9. North Alabama, 49; 10. Jacksonville, 40; 11. Kennesaw State, 37; 12. Central Arkansas, 17.
Media poll: 1. Liberty, 376 points (30 first-place votes); 2. Eastern Kentucky, 288 (2); 3. Bellarmine, 284; 3. Lipscomb, 284; 5. Jacksonville State, 240; 6. North Florida, 230; 7. Florida Gulf Coast, 200; 8. Stetson, 176; 9. North Alabama, 174; 10. Jacksonville, 94; 11. Central Arkansas, 80; 12. Kennesaw State, 70.
All-Conference team: Darius McGhee, Sr. G (Liberty); Ahsan Asadullah, Jr. C (Lipscomb); Dylan Penn, Sr. G (Bellarmine); Braxton Beverly, Sr. G (Eastern Kentucky); Jomaru Brown, Jr. G (Eastern Kentucky); Kevin Samuel, Sr. C (Florida Gulf Coast); Kevion Nolan, Jr. G (Jacksonville); Darian Adams, Sr. G (Jacksonville State); Carter Hendrickson, Jr. F (North Florida); Rob Perry, Jr. G (Stetson).