Every year, Belmont men’s head basketball coach Casey Alexander recruits freshmen to replenish the roster and continue Belmont’s success on the court.
This season, Alexander added four new freshmen to his team.
Three are big men meant to create a foundation after Belmont lost all its big men last season while there’s one guard to add to a young backcourt.
Drew Scharnowski
Scharnowski joins the Bruins from Burlington, Illinois, a suburb outside of Chicago.
At Burlington Central High School, the 6-foot, 9-inch forward played all five positions, handling the ball or dominating in the post.
Scharnowski also averaged 23.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game his senior season.
For him, the coaching staff played a major role in his commitment to Belmont.
“I feel like when everyone goes to school, they say, ‘oh, like the staff’s different,’” Scharnowski said. “But I feel that it’s different here. The coaches care about you more as a human than a basketball player.”
Scharnowski said adjusting to college basketball takes some time.
But he’s eager to learn and improve his game for the team.
“I definitely like a grind. I put my head down and work. That's what I do. I love basketball,” Scharnowski said. “I’ll do what coach is telling me to do and work hard in the weight room. I’ll absorb as much information from the older guys as possible. I think that'll pay off for me.”
Sam Orme
A native of Carmel, Indiana, the 6-foot, 8-inch Orme averaged 18 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3 assists per game at Carmel High School.
Orme was also a nominee for the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game.
With a playstyle that was similar to his high school, Orme said that the decision to come to Belmont was easy.
“I'd say the style of play kind of fits what I did in high school,” Orme said. “And we like to get a lot of shots, which I also liked to do in high school.”
But like most freshmen, Orme said he has to adjust the aggressive nature of college basketball.
“Everyone's just a lot bigger and a lot stronger,” Orme said. “But I feel like I've adapted to pretty much getting in the weight room getting stronger.”
And no matter what happens this season, Orme said that he can use his versatility to help the Bruins reach the NCAA Tournament, a lifelong goal of his.
“I can stretch the floor with my shooting, and I think I see the floor pretty well,” Orme said. “I want to help the team as much as possible in whatever role I’m given and get to March Madness.”
Brigham Rogers
Rogers is a 6-foot, 9-inch center from Woodstock, Georgia, who isn’t afraid to be physical in the paint.
At Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, Rogers’ senior season saw him average 16.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.5 blocked shots, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Rogers said Belmont showed interest in him early in the recruiting process.
“They were really the first people to talk to me. They kind of they did a really good job of building that relationship early on when I was going into my junior year,” Rogers said. “Then as I continued to improve, they were one of the first ones to offer me. They just made me feel really important in our relationship and throughout the whole process.”
Rogers is listed as a center, meaning he’ll have to face some more experienced and grown big men.
But he will still give it his all to contribute to the Bruins this season, whether it’s on or off the court.
“I’ll definitely be down there doing whatever I can to help the team in practice and in games,” Rogers said. “I'm looking to play as much as I can, but I also know that's not my whole role. There's other things that I can do to help the team like encouraging teammates.”
Win Miller
The only guard in the recruiting class, Miller is 6-feet, 3 inches tall from Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
During his senior season, Miller led Vestavia Hills High School to a No. 1 ranking in the state while averaging 21.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
Miller said Belmont was showing interest in him from his freshman year, leading to him committing to the Bruins.
“They were on me from when I was a freshman in high school, so I knew all the coaches a lot and it was a family feel,” Miller said. “This just felt like home when I came here every time.”
Miller has faced the typical adjustments for freshmen players.
But his teammates are helping him get through the struggles.
“I mean, it's tough like everyone says,” Miller said. “But going through it with other freshmen on the team and living with them is the biggest part."
In a young backcourt, Miller said he hopes he can make an immediate impact in a potential tournament run.
“That was kind of what I was recruited to come in and do, and however the team needs me, I'll do that,” Miller said. “I want to get to March Madness. That's been my dream since I was a little kid.”
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This article was written by Ty Wellemeyer