Belmont Basketball Skips NIT, Alexander Joins Kansas State

0:00On March 15, Belmont University's men's basketball team has ended its season without playing in the national invitation tournament. The school announced on March 14 that the Bruins will sit out the postseason NIT. This comes right after head coach Casey Alexander left for Kansas State on March 13. The Bruins finished with a strong 26 wins and six losses in the Missouri Valley Conference, but fell 100 to 79 to Drake in. The conference quarterfinals. Alexander spent seven seasons at Belmont, compiling a 166 wins and 60 losses record. He brought home three regular season conference titles, one tournament championship, and a spot in the 2022 NIT. The team also claimed the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in 2020, though the NCAA event got canceled due to COVID. The university issued a statement thanking tournament committees for their interest, but confirming the decision to skip the NIT amid recent changes. Fans and observers see this as a natural pause while the program transitions without its

1:03long-time leader who took over from Rick Byrd in 2019. Meanwhile, Kansas State welcomed Alexander with a five-year deal. He'll start at $3.3 million in his first year, rising to $3.5 million by the 2030 to 31 season. He steps in after interim coach Matt Driscoll, following the mid-season firing of Jerome Tang. With Alexander now in Manhattan, Belmont faces the task of finding a new coach and rebuilding momentum for next year, leaving the NIT decision as a quiet close to a solid campaign.