Murray State Racers
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| School Name: | Murray State University |
| Location: | Murray, Kentucky |
| Arena: | CFSB Center |
| Capacity: | 8,600 |
| Conference: | Ohio Valley |
| Head coach: | Billy Kennedy |
Murray State University is the home of the Murray State Racers. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Ohio Valley Conference. Murray State Racers men's basketball' program represents intercollegiate men's basketball at Murray State University. The school competes in the Ohio Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and play home games at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky. The current coach is Billy Kennedy, who is serving in his 4th year. Murray State has made 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2010. Twice the Racers have knocked off a higher seed and advanced to the second round of the tournament. In 1988, Murray State defeated North Carolina State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to Butler in the second round.
Venues
Edit
Murray State's first basketball venues were Lovett Auditorium from 1926–1950, which had a capacity of 1,500, and Carr Health Building from 1950–1954, which had a capacity of 3,000.[1] Racer Arena opened in 1954 and entertained Racer fans for 43 years. While its capacity was 5,500, over 6,000 people crowded the arena on numerous occasions.[2] Racer Arena is now a volleyball-only facility, the largest in NCAA Division I.[3]
Replacing Racer Arena is the CFSB Center, the current home of Murray State men's basketball. Constructed in June 1998 at a cost of $20 million, the facility is a state-of-the-art arena which can host other events besides basketball. The CFSB Center sits 8,602 and includes a $250,000 scoreboard and a 2,000 sq. ft. weight room. The first basketball game at the CFSB Center was against Southern Illinois on November 14, 1998, a 65-62 victory for the Racers in front of 7,633 spectators.[2] It was formerly known as the Regional Special Events Center, or "RSEC", until the name was changed on September 17, 2010 after Community Financial Services Bank donated $3.3 million to Murray State, the largest donation in athletic history.[4]
HistoryEdit
Murray State basketball has consistently been recognized as one of the best college basketball programs in the history of the sport. In 2005, Street & Smith's named the Racers the 52nd best program of all time.[5] In their prestige system, ESPN ranked Murray State the 30th best programs from 1984–2008, breaking a tie with Villanova due to a higher winning percentage. The Racers are the highest "true" mid-major team in their rankings.[6]
Cutchin era (1925-1941)Edit
Carlisle Cutchin launched the Murray State basketball program in 1925.[1] At the time, Murray State was a teacher's college and the nickname was the Thoroughbreds.[7] In the 1935-36 season, Cutchin coached Murray State to its highest win percentage for a season at .920, when his Thoroughbreds finished with a record of 23-2.[8] That season also included Murray State's best start, at 19-1.[9] In his final season, he led the Thoroughbreds to the title game of the 1941 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, at which time they lost to the San Diego State Aztecs 36-34.[1] Since he retired in 1941, he has maintained his position as the all-time winningest coach in Murray State basketball history, with a career record of 267-101.[9]
Mountjoy era (1941-1942)Edit
Rice Mountjoy was hired as the next men's basketball coach from Danville High School, where he was athletic director.[7] In his only season with the Thoroughbreds, he coached the team to an 18-4 record.[10] That season was marked by strong play from early jump shot proponent Joe Fulks, who transferred from Millsaps College.[11] Mountjoy left after the 1941-42 season to coach Augusta Tilghman High School in nearby Paducah.[12]
Miller era (1942-1948)Edit
Former Murray State basketball player and then-freshman team coach John Miller replaced Mountjoy as head basketball coach.[12] His best season was his first, when he led the team to a 21-5 record and finished fourth in the 1941 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[10]
Hodges era (1948-1954)Edit
Alexander era (1955-1958)Edit
Luther era (1959-1974)Edit
Overton era (1975-1978)Edit
Greene era (1978-1985)Edit
Newton era (1985-1991)Edit
In Steve Newton's second season, in 1987-88, the team finished with a 13-15 record.[13] This marked the last time the Racers had a losing season; only Arizona, Kansas, and Syracuse hold longer streaks.[1][14]
In addition to Murray's win in 1988, two years later the No. 16 seed Racers took No. 1 seed Michigan State into overtime before falling 75-71. The loss in 1990 was the closest a 16 seeded team had ever come to knocking off a No. 1 seeded team in the tournament. In 1997, the No. 15 seed Racers nearly shocked the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils in a 71-68 loss.
The best-known player in Racer history is Popeye Jones. While at Murray State, Jones scored 2,057 points which still ranks fourth all time for the Racers. He is also Murray State's all-time leader in rebounds with 1,374, and led the nation in that category in the 1990-91 season. Jones is the only player in MSU history to record more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Jones helped lead the Racers to OVC championships in 1991 and 1992. He went on to have a successful career in the NBA after being drafted in the second round by the Houston Rockets in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Edgar era (1992-1995)Edit
Gottfried era (1995-1998)Edit
Former Alabama head basketball coach Mark Gottfried coached the Racers to three Ohio Valley Conference Championships, all three years he coached there, the only OVC coach to accomplish such a mark.[15]
Anderson era (1998-2003)Edit
Cronin era (2003-2006)Edit
In the 2006 tournament, junior guard Trey Pearson missed a critical 3-point shot in the final seconds of the first round game against No. 3 seeded defending champion North Carolina. UNC was fouled on the rebound and went to the line to sink the game clinching shots to defeat the No. 14 seeded Racers 69-65.
Kennedy era (2006-present)Edit
The Racers won their first-round game in the 2010 NCAA tournament in dramatic fashion, defeating fourth-seeded Vanderbilt 66-65 on a buzzer-beating jump shot by senior Danero Thomas. This was the first time that any Ohio Valley Conference team had advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament since Middle Tennessee advanced in 1989.
RivalriesEdit
Murray State's historic basketball rivalry is with nearby Western Kentucky. The two teams became archrivals during their time together in the Ohio Valley Conference. Although the schools no longer share their conference affiliation, the two schools keep the series alive every few years. The two teams have met in basketball 147 times. The Racer's primary in-conference OVC rivalry is now with Austin Peay State University.[16][17][18]
CoachesEdit
| Coach[9] | Years | Overall | Ohio Valley | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle Cutchin | 1925–1941, 1948 | 267-101 | - | ||
| Rice Mountjoy | 1942 | 18-4 | - | ||
| John Miller | 1942–1948 | 63-50 | - | ||
| Harlan Hodges | 1948–1954 | 109-66 | 39-29 | 1951 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[19] | |
| Rex Alexander | 1955–1958 | 45-54 | 21-19 | ||
| Cal Luther | 1959–1974 | 241-154 | 125-88 | 1964 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[19] | |
| Fred Overton | 1975–1978 | 44-59 | 21-25 | ||
| Ron Greene | 1978–1985 | 119-76 | 63-35 | ||
| Steve Newton | 1985–1991 | 116-65 | 57-21 | 1988, 1990, 1991 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[19] | |
| Scott Edgar | 1992–1995 | 78-40 | 48-14 | 1992 & 1995 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[19] | |
| Mark Gottfried | 1995–1998 | 64-24 | 40-12 | 1997 & 1998 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[19] | |
| Tevester Anderson | 1998–2003 | 103-52 | 50-24 | 1999 & 2002 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[19] | |
| Mick Cronin | 2003–2006 | 69-24 | 42-10 | 2004 & 2006 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[19] | |
| Billy Kennedy | 2006–present | 84-44 | 56-20 | 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions
2011 Regular Season Champs[19] | |
PlayersEdit
NBA DrafteesEdit
| Year | Round | Pick | Overall Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 1966 | 3 | 1 | 21 | Stew Johnson | New York Knicks[20] |
| 1968 | 2 | 7 | 21 | Dick Cunningham | Phoenix Suns[21] |
| 1970 | 9 | 6 | 142 | Claude Virden | Seattle SuperSonics[22] |
| 1989 | 2 | 4 | 31 | Jeff Martin | Los Angeles Clippers[23] |
| 1992 | 2 | 14 | 41 | Popeye Jones | Houston Rockets[24] |
| 1996 | 2 | 17 | 46 | Marcus Brown | Portland Trail Blazers[25] |
Retired numbersEdit
| Number | Player | Years | |
| 5 | Marcus Brown | 1992–96 | |
| 15 | Jeff Martin | 1985–89 | |
| 16 | Garrett Beshear | 1950–53 | |
| 19 | Howie Crittendon | 1952–56 | |
| 20 | Johnny Reagan | 1945–48 | |
| 21 | Bennie Purcell | 1949–52 | |
| 26 | Joe Fulks | 1941–43 | |
| 30 | Paul King | 1987–91 | |
| 54 | Popeye Jones | 1988–92 |
Current rosterEdit
| # | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Position | Class | Hometown | Previous Team(s)[26] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Isaac Miles | 6'2" | 205 | G | Sr. | Kansas City, MO, U.S. | Bishop Miege HS |
| 1 | B.J. Jenkins | 6'0" | 180 | G | Sr. | Virginia Beach, VA, U.S. | Green Run HS |
| 2 | Edward Daniel | 6'7" | 220 | F | So. | Birmingham, AL, U.S. | Woodlawn HS |
| 3 | Isaiah Canaan | 6'0" | 175 | G | So. | Biloxi, MS, U.S. | Biloxi HS |
| 4 | LaTreze Mushatt | 6'5" | 210 | G | Jr. | Saginaw, MI, U.S. | Saginaw Arthur Hill High School |
| 10 | Jordan Burge | 5'11" | 170 | G | So. | Mayfield, KY, U.S. | Northside Baptist HS |
| 11 | Donte Poole | 6'3" | 185 | G | Jr. | Las Vegas, NV, U.S. | Mojave High School |
| 12 | Shawn Jackson | 6'9" | 230 | C | Fr. | Live Oak, FL, U.S. | Melody Christian Academy |
| 13 | Brandon Garrett | 6'9" | 200 | F | Jr. | Phoenix, AZ, U.S. | Paradise Valley |
| 14 | Picasso Simmons | 6'0" | 170 | G | Sr. | Gallatin, TN, U.S. | Lee Academy |
| 22 | Jeffery McClain | 6'6" | 230 | F | Sr. | Hickman, KY, U.S. | Fulton County HS Three Rivers CC |
| 24 | Jeff Reese | 6'4" | 180 | F | JR. | Laurel Hill, FL, U.S. | Laurel Hill High School |
| 32 | Chris Griffin | 6'7" | 205 | F | FR. | Tallahassee, FL, U.S. | Leon High School |
| 33 | Jewuan Long | 6'1" | 180 | G | So. | Jackson, TN, U.S. | Liberty Tech HS |
| 42 | Ivan Aska | 6'7" | 230 | F | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, FL, U.S. | Boyd H. Anderson HS |
PostseasonEdit
NCAA TournamentEdit
Murray State Racers have appeared in 14 NCAA tournaments. They have an overall 2-14 record in tournament games. Popeye Jones holds the Murray State single-tournament scoring record with 37 points in 1990.[27]
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | First Round | Loyola (IL) | L, 91–101 | |
| 1969 | First Round | Marquette | L, 62–82 | |
| 1988 | #14 | First Round | #3 North Carolina State | W, 78–75 |
| Second Round | #6 Kansas | L, 58–61 | ||
| 1990 | #16 | First Round | #1 Michigan State | L, 71–75 (OT) |
| 1991 | #13 | First Round | #4 Alabama | L, 79–89 |
| 1992 | #14 | First Round | #3 Arkansas | L, 69–80 |
| 1995 | #15 | First Round | #2 North Carolina | L, 70–80 |
| 1997 | #15 | First Round | #2 Duke | L, 68–71 |
| 1998 | #9 | First Round | #8 Rhode Island | L, 74–97 |
| 1999 | #13 | First Round | #4 Ohio State | L, 58–72 |
| 2002 | #14 | First Round | #3 Georgia | L, 68–85 |
| 2004 | #12 | First Round | #5 Illinois | L, 53–72 |
| 2006 | #14 | First Round | #3 North Carolina | L, 65–69 |
| 2010 | #13 | First Round | #4 Vanderbilt | W, 66–65 |
| Second Round | #5 Butler | L, 52–54 |
National Invitation TournamentEdit
In seven National Invitation Tournament appearances, Murray State is 2–7 overall in tournament games.[28]
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | First Round | Jacksonville | W, 53–49 | |
| Second Round | Alabama | W, 70–62 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Illinois | L, 63–65 | ||
| 1982 | First Round | UNLV | L, 61–87 | |
| 1983 | First Round | Wake Forest | L, 80–87 | |
| 1989 | First Round | Penn State | L, 73–89 | |
| 1994 | First Round | Bradley | L, 58–66 | |
| 1996 | First Round | Missouri | L, 85–89 | |
| 2011 | #6 | First Round | Missouri State | L, 76–89 |
See AlsoEdit
- Air Dunker - Team official mascot.
- Murray State Racers (Women) - Women's program.
- The Old Grey Mare - Team's Fight song.
External LinksEdit
- Official athletics website
- Murray State Racers on Wikipedia
Team Logo. 
Added by Wagnike2
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