Basketball players shoot 3-pointers in practice at Knights Hall.
Photo courtesy of Bash Wieland.
By: Bienja Eastham
With November approaching, it means one thing in Louisville: the start of basketball season.
Bellarmine men's basketball ended its 2022 season as the Atlantic Sun conference tournament champions, and players are hungry for another title. The team's first game is Nov. 9 against the Louisville Cardinals at 9 p.m. in the KFC Yum! Center.
Third-year basketball player Bash Wieland said he is confident in his team's skills for the season's first game. "I would say we're very prepared for our first game against UofL just because we come in every day of practice and we have a plan," Wieland said. "We execute that together as a team to the best of our abilities."
Bellarmine has not played against the University of Louisville since it moved to Division I. sport.
"It means more now, especially because we're the same division," Wieland said. "It brings the city of Louisville together over a common game, and that's basketball.
"Since Louisville is in the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), it is a big game, but we're not going to approach it any differently, we prepare the same way for each and every game with our scout."
First-year basketball player Zachary Reed said he has high hopes for his first collegiate season and the team. "We've been practicing hard since this summer to work on our skills and play as a team," Reed said. "Our team is prepared very well for upcoming games, especially the season opener."
Head basketball coach Scott Davenport said winning the ASUN conference tournament championship is a lifetime memory, but his team is ready for more success this season.
"Winning the championship last year will not score one point, get one rebound, or get a defensive stop for this year," Davenport said. "What we stress is stay in the moment, let's enjoy where we are, and let's win every day."
Davenport said that the team is consistently prepping and becoming more determined as the season inches closer. "You gain confidence from being prepared, so it's not just the Louisville game, it's the season as a whole, and we're trying to prepare every single day," he said.
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