Belmont basketball coach Casey Alexander named to Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List
Nashville Tennessean
Casey Alexander, in his second season as Belmont's basketball coach, was named Friday to the 2021 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List, the Atlanta Tip-Off Club announced.
Alexander has directed Belmont to a 23-1 record, including 20 consecutive victories, 29 consecutive conference games (including an Ohio Valley Conference-record 27 consecutive regular season conference games) and at least a share of the regular season conference title.
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Belmont is ranked in the top 25 nationally in 17 statistical categories, including 11th in scoring (82.5 points), first in assists (440) and sixth in field goal percentage (.508).
The Bruins have received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 and Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll for six consecutive weeks.
Last season Alexander led Belmont to a tie for the regular season OVC title with Murray State and the OVC Tournament championship, which earned the Bruins an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament that was canceled due to COVID-19.
Alexander, who previously coached at Lipscomb, received the 2018 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award and was a 2020 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award finalist.
Others on the Naismith Award list include: Scott Drew, Baylor; Andy Enfield, USC; Mark Few, Gonzaga; Leonard Hamilton, Florida State; Chris Holtmann, Ohio State; Juwan Howard, Michigan; Bob Huggins, West Virginia; Lon Kruger, Oklahoma; Porter Moser, Loyola-Chicago; Nate Oats, Alabama; Kelvin Sampson, Houston; Shaka Smart, Texas and Mike Young, Virginia Tech
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