Story by Blake Sandlin
Sports Editor
Expectations for Murray State men’s basketball will be at an all-time high following an OVC Championship-winning season last year. With a promising crop of returners and newcomers to match, the idea of consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament isn’t hyperbole.
Replacing the irreplaceable
If you found yourself at the CFSB Center at least once this season, odds are you witnessed an electric shooting showcase from guard Jonathan Stark or the duality of forward Terrell Miller’s inside/outside repertoire.
Well, the consistent, game-saving heroics of the two players have departed, leaving a massive scoring void which the Racers will need to fill if they hope to hoist the OVC Championship in Evansville next year.
Stark (21.4 PPG) and Miller (15.1 PPG) are now pursuing professional basketball careers, leaving behind them notable returners in sophomore guard Ja Morant, senior guard Shaq Buchanan and senior forwards Anthony Smith and Brion Sanchious.
Building a resume
The last time men’s basketball featured two SEC teams on its regular season schedule was 1993. The Racers faced the University of Mississippi and the University of Arkansas, splitting the two games. Twenty-five years later, Murray State again has a loaded slate of games, complete with games against the University of Alabama and Auburn University.
Even more, the Racers will be paired against formidable mid-majors in their non-conference schedule. They’ll host the reigning Horizon League champions in Wright State University in their home-opener before competing against Missouri Valley foes Missouri State University – picked to finish first in the loaded MVC – and Southern Illinois University – picked to finish fifth in the MVC. Of course, no year is complete without renewing an entertaining series with Middle Tennessee State University.
Breakout talents
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Murray State has another NBA-caliber point guard. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard of the South Carolina standout Ja Morant. After a season where he averaged unprecedented totals of 12.7 PPG, 6.3 APG and 6.5 RPG, it goes without saying Morant will be the unquestioned leader tasked with guiding the Racers back to the NCAA tournament.
The sophomore hasn’t just garnered local acclaim. Morant shot up draft boards after his inaugural season while complementing Stark and Miller and is now slated by most NBA Draft analysts to be taken somewhere in the first round. The one knock on Morant, and naturally so, has been his sometimes streaky shooting, as he shot 30 percent from the 3-point line last season.
Murray State Head Coach Matt McMahon said he expects a career year out of Morant, as well as Preseason All-OVC selection Shaq Buchanan.
“With Ja and Shaq, 13 points per game and 9 points per game last year, it wasn’t because they couldn’t [score more], it’s that they’re unselfish, smart players,” McMahon said. “They had guys like Stark and Miller, and they created a lot of scoring opportunities for those guys so we’ll count on them to score more for us this season.”
The Racers also boast a promising class of newcomers. One of those, freshman guard Tevin Brown, has had plenty of time to get adjusted to McMahon’s system after he redshirted last year following a foot injury before the season started. Brown should add a shooting presence for a Racer team that Morant asserted is much improved from behind the arc.
“It’s early, but I still feel like we have more shooters than last years,” Morant said. “Basically I feel like we have more pieces; I think if we sub we won’t miss a beat at all, and that’ll be good for us.”
Around the conference
OVC pollsters tabbed Murray State to finish No. 2 in the conference after Belmont, a team that the Racers beat 68-51 in the OVC Championship last season. Of seven players who started for the Bruins last year, only three return – senior forward Dylan Windler (17.3 PPG), senior guard Kevin McClain (12.6 PPG) and junior center Seth Adelsperger (2.6 PPG).
Besides Belmont, the OVC does possess several other teams that could pose an imminent threat to the Racers’ title hopes. Jacksonville State, a team Murray State split games with during the regular season and nearly upset the Racers in the OVC semi-finals, could be one of the biggest roadblocks.
The Gamecocks return three starters from last season – senior forward Jason Burnell (11.2 PPG), senior guard Marlon Hunter (10.4 PPG) and senior guard Jamall Gregory (8.4 PPG).
They’ll have to cope with the loss of Malcolm Drumright, though, who was the heartbeat for the Gamecocks last season, averaging 13.1 PPG and 3.6 assists per game. However, JSU does boast two power-five transfers in junior guard Ty Hudson (Clemson) and senior guard Detrick Mostella (Tennessee).
Game info
The first leg of the Racers’ journey to the tourney will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the CFSB Center against Wright State.
