Head Coach Scott Davenport and his Bellarmine Knights have taken the College Basketball world by storm in their first season at the Division One level. Unfortunately for the Knights, the NCAA is out to ruin their fun by not allowing them the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament due to an outdated and ridiculous rule that states new Division One member must go through a transition phase to have the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Not having the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament has not stopped the Knights from performing at a high level this season. In the meantime, they have managed to take the entire College Basketball world by storm. Bellarmine plays an up-tempo brand of basketball, similar to what Rick Pitino was able to do in his days at Louisville. The Knights are averaging well 74.3 points per game while holding their opponents to 63.3 points a game.

For Bellarmine, it’s not all about the on-court success, although that’s important. It’s about the Bellarmine way, and in a conversation with Head Coach Scott Davenport, he eluded to that. It’s about the extremally high graduation rate. It’s about crafting the young men into something great in all aspects of life. Coach Davenport and his staff have done an excellent job at building the Bellarmine program into something spectacular both on and off the court.

As the Bellarmine Knights turn their sites to the A-SUN Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, the College Basketball world needs to take note of a special program that is being built in Louisville, Kentucky. In a few short years, when the Knights are allowed to play in the NCAA Tournament, this will be a program that you won’t want to be matched up with on Selection Sunday. For as long as Coach Davenport is at the helm, this will be a program to fear and respect long into the future as they look to take the College Basketball world by storm.

Let’s just be honest for a second, what makes College Basketball so great, is that programs like Bellarmine or a Belmont can succeed and play with the big boys. Anything can happen in March, and when the time comes, the Knights will be ready.