Belmont University men’s basketball players Tyler Lundblade and Drew Scharnowski have been named to the 2025-26 Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) Scholar-Athlete Team, according to an April 29 announcement from the organization. Lundblade was also recognized as Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
This recognition marks the 20th and 21st time a Belmont men’s basketball player has received this honor in the program’s 24-year history. The awards highlight both academic achievement and athletic performance among NCAA Division I programs that do not sponsor football.
Lundblade, who was previously named Academic All-America earlier in April, is noted for being the only active college basketball player to walk on and earn a scholarship at three different schools: SMU, TCU, and Belmont. Over two seasons with Belmont, he contributed to 48 victories, led his team to a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship, and achieved a Top 50 national ranking in multiple metrics. He led the nation in free throw percentage (.934), ranked sixth nationally in three-point field goals per game (3.59), and set a single-season record at Belmont with 104 three-point field goals.
Scharnowski also had significant achievements during the season. He ranked among league leaders in eight statistical categories including scoring, rebounding, assists, blocked shots, field goal percentage, and usage rate. He recorded four double-doubles over seventeen double figure scoring games and was named First Team All-MVC as well as MVC Most-Improved Team.
Both student-athletes have demonstrated strong academic records; Lundblade holds a perfect grade point average while pursuing his MBA after earning his bachelor’s degree with honors in business administration. Scharnowski maintains a GPA of 3.82 while majoring in exercise science.
The DI-AAA ADA is now in its twenty-fifth year with its mission focused on supporting Division I institutions without football programs through initiatives centered around flagship basketball teams. The association is administered by NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics), which oversees nineteen professional associations.
