In retrospect, it was the easiest decision VCU head coach Phil Martelli Jr. made in his first season at the helm of the Rams

Michael Belle was coming off a sophomore season where he battled for playing time and settled into a role as a glue guy—the player who does a little bit of everything on the floor. Belle took on a bit of a gladiator role, guarding all five positions on the floor, wearing down opposing big men with constant energy, and using his rebounding instincts to keep possessions alive on offense.

However, there's only so much glue that is needed in Martelli's high-octane system. Martelli could see Belle's athleticism and size made him an important cog in the machine, but in order to play more and contribute more Belle would have to become a more well-rounded offensive player. Specifically, becoming a weapon from the rim to the 3-point line.

Martelli Jr. could read the stat sheet. Belle shot 2-for-31 from three in his sophomore year, an almost-incomprehensible 6.5 percent. That would have to change. Importantly, Martelli Jr could see that while Belle's mechanics needed work, it was a crisis of confidence.

Enter assistant coach Brandon Rozzell, who Martelli asked to work with Belle. If you want someone to teach confidence and shooting technique, Richmond's de facto Mayor, who is as confident as the sun is hot, is the man. From day one on his return to campus, Rozzell went to work with Belle.

"It wasn't always easy, but I just wanted to get his confidence back," says Rozzell. "When I watched the film before we got here, I could tell he was hesitant. He didn't want to shoot. He was scared to shoot. But I'm a shooter, so I believe every person can shoot. So that was the energy I gave to him every day."

Rozzell worked with Belle's mechanics, more tweaking than re-tooling form. It was more letting Belle know he can do it, playing with a clear mind as Rozzell's coach Shaka Smart would say, that paid off.

"Mike is a good player. And Mike is an even better player when he knows that you got his back and you're in his corner," says Rozzell. "So that was something we built on from my first day on campus here."

The stat has been documented many times, but it's so incredible it bears repeating. After a summer and fall with Brandon Rozzell, Michael Belle shot 20-for-40 from three, increasing his percentage by 44 points.

His confidence oozed to everyone on the floor and shined bright in the postseason. He averaged 10.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in VCU's Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship run.

This was followed by a glue-guy-turned offensive-weapon performance in VCUs 82-78 win over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. Belle showed the complete player, as the Rams shaved a 19-point deficit. He hit a layup, grabbed two rebounds, hit a three, and then a dunk.
Belle's final tally in the North Carolina game: 8 points and 7 rebounds against the Tar Heels' frontline.
 
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When you talk with Michael Belle, you'd believe you are talking to someone much older. Belle carries an honest confidence, the kind of vibe that he knows who he is and he knows what needs to happen. He can draw from the past, make judgments, and frame it into what he needs to do next.
He never ducks that sophomore season.

"I think I just lost that side of me, confidence-wise and instinct-wise. Obviously, I was playing behind great players," he says. "But I still think I let my confidence slip a little bit, which was unfortunate because I'm such a talented player when I put my mind to it.

"I have such a versatile skill set that teams would love to have, and I just have to channel that and keep that in mind and keep believing and having confidence in myself."
It's a perspective that's only about a decade old. Belle did not start playing basketball until he was 13-years old. Belle was a soccer player at heart, but his friends were into basketball. It was almost by accident.

"It was one time after school, one of my friends had an after-school club type of thing and he asked me if I wanted to go with him one day," says Belle, laughing. "And I was like, sure, why not? I was way too tall growing up, and obviously I enjoyed myself."

It took some time for soccer and basketball to cross paths, but Belle was having fun and making a difference. He began building his basketball foundation locally, playing AAU basketball for four years under developmental coaches like Isaac Omirin.

Belle first drew significant international attention during his time with the Great Britain Under-16 National Team. His primary showcase came at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B, where his physical tools and high motor immediately translated to the international style of play.

Mind you, he had been playing basketball for only two years but he averaged 11 points and nine rebounds in that tournament. It drew the eyes of coaches across Europe and landed him a developmental opportunity in the French under-21 league. At just 16 years old, he moved across the English Channel to join the prestigious youth academy of SIG Strasbourg in France.

Belle was a dominant frontline presence for the Espoirs Strasbourg squad. The eyes on Belle began to come from college basketball coaches, notably former VCU Head Coach Ryan Odom, who first recruited Belle to Utah State and then VCU.

Belle averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in his last season in France, before moving to Richmond. It's worth noting: he converted 46 percent of his 3-point shots.

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And this summer? More of the same.

"Once they go home, they kind of lose everything that you worked on," says Rozzell. "It just went out the window once he went back to England. So, we just picked up back where we left off."

Michael Jackson gets some of the credit. Yes, that Michael Jackson. Rozzell is quick to point out that Jackson and his high energy music is a big part of Rozzell and Belle's workouts and shooting routines.

"Big shout-out to Michael Jackson," says Rozzell. "But, I mean, me and Mike have a very, very, very good relationship. It grew over time because of the consistent work ethic. I'm always there for him through good and bad.

"And it just kind of grew that way. He didn't always trust me. He didn't always believe in my voice and the message. But once he saw I wasn't ever going to give up on him because the shooting wasn't always positive, he trusted the process of it. It helped our relationship grow and his confidence grew."

Seemingly thanks to one part Belle, one part Rozzell, and one part Jackson, teammates guard Michael Belle differently in practice now. Whether in drills or scrimmages VCU players know to get into Belle's face all over the court.

To his credit Belle continues to improve and teammates see that. The impact runs into a very important word in the new college basketball dynamic, where player retention is difficult.
Leadership.

"He always gives energy, rebounding especially but all the hustle plays," says sophomore Nyk Lewis. "But his voice is starting to be more apparent in practice. Like, come on, Nyk, we've got to get this win. Come on, we need an extra play from you."

It's more than winning drills.

"He's good about staying on some of the younger guys, about getting to class, stuff like that, making sure the school work is on time," says Lewis. "He's very consistent in the weight room. Mike B. is a very consistent guy and a leader everywhere."
Rozzell calls Belle a big teddy bear.

"He's so muscular and heavy and strong. He plays physical, but he's really just a big kid," he says. "The players love playing with Mike because they know what they're going to get from Mike each and every time he steps on the court. He's the same person.

"He's going to guard the best player. He's going to rebound. If he's open, he's going to shoot. If he's not open, he's going to pass the ball. So, Mike is a guy people love to play with, and we're grateful to have him."

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Michael Belle's senior season is chock full of promise, both personally and for the team. Belle is one of seven core returnees and Martelli Jr. has surrounded them with a talented crew recruiting both the transfer portal and freshman. Belle, who earned a start in the preseason exhibition win over Old Dominion, is in the mix.

"He's that X factor for us, bringing energy, coming off the bench and hitting the big shot or getting a rebound," says Lewis. "He might not have flashed out like some of the guys on the team but he's very notable to us and probably a lot of people. He can really push us over the edge."

There is a statistic floating around that only 22 of 1,125 power five conference players have been with the same program for all four years. That's 1.9 percent. Whether true or not, the number for non-P5 players is surely less.

It's an honorable group that includes Belle.

Down the back halls of the Siegel Center and in the locker rooms, there are varying murals of VCU players of the past. Most depict players who, at their core, are VCU Rams. Rozzell is there.

When you ask him about that legacy, what it means to have played all four years at VCU and when somebody else is walking down that hall and they see a picture of Michael Belle, what do you want them to remember most about you and the way you played, Belle is direct.

 "A winning player. He thought about the team more than himself every game," Belle says. "He bled VCU and bled winning. And you know, that he represented London back home, coming from a country that isn't really known for basketball and elite basketball players coming out of there."

Belle embodies all of the adjectives used to describe legendary VCU Basketball players. He stayed four years in a time when leaving was never easier.
Michael Belle has earned a spot on those Siegel Center walls, to become a permanent fixture inspiring those that come after him.