The Belmont Bruins are jumping into the Ohio Valley Conference with all the finesse of a cannonball off the diving board.

The OVC always has been tough as 1 of only nine leagues to win at least one game in each of the past four NCAA tournaments, and Murray State pushed the league to a new level last season by being ranked most of last season. The Racers are the preseason favorite to win the OVC this season.

But Belmont is the preseason pick to win the OVC's new Eastern Division after moving from the Atlantic Sun where the Bruins joined only Memphis and Kansas in making the NCAA tournament 5 of the last seven years.

The Bruins also have been trumpeting this move with billboards and commercials.