With the offseason underway, two Belmont men’s basketball players have decided to remain in Nashville.
But they won’t be suiting up for the Bruins.
Instead, they’ll be making the trip from the Curb Event Center to the Gentry Center.
Senior guard EJ Bellinger and junior forward Michael Shanks are taking their talents to Tennessee State University.
Belmont’s former Ohio Valley Conference rival will benefit from adding two Bruins to their rosters.
Bellinger averaged 3.8 points and 1.1 rebounds for the Bruins this season.
His best game came against Valparaiso on Dec. 1 when he erupted for 14 points off the bench, contributing to the Bruins’ first Missouri Valley Conference victory.
Bellinger’s announcement can be seen here:
Shanks averaged 2.1 points per game and had his best showing vs UIC on Feb. 11.
The 6.8 forward’s best game in a Belmont uniform came during his sophomore year when he scored 16 points when the Bruins traveled to Kennesaw State.
Shanks’ announcement can be seen here:
Both players will now head back to the OVC, and they’ll have the pleasure of playing under a familiar Bruin face.
Brian “Penny” Collins who is a 2006 Belmont alumnus, is the head coach of the Tigers.
With the addition of these two players who formerly sported Bruin colors, he'll look to improve a TSU team that finished 18-14 this season.
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This article was written by Landen Secrest