Blake Sandlin
Interim Editor-In-Chief
You don’t have to be a basketball savant to notice Murray State men’s basketball’s uniquely upbeat, high-flying offense that has wreaked havoc across the OVC this season.
Half personnel, half philosophy, Murray State’s offense has flourished this season under Head Coach Matt McMahon’s stewardship. The Racers are ranked No. 2 in the OVC in scoring offense at 83 ppg and lead the conference in field goal percentage at over 49 percent per contest.
For as lauded as players like sophomore guard Ja Morant and company have been this year – and justifiably so – it’s the freedom and up-tempo style Murray State plays with that enables the cast of Racers to shine. And no one has their fingerprints on that play style more than McMahon.
The fourth-year Racer skipper spent four years under former Murray State Head Coach Steve Prohm as an assistant. Even before that, McMahon was blazing his own trail in the college ranks as a point guard for Appalachian State under famed Head Coach Buzz Peterson.
McMahon credits both of those coaches with influencing his current coaching philosophy, but it was his time working with Prohm that exposed him to innovative coaching strategies.
“I really learned a lot under coach Prohm; he’s really innovative on the offensive end of the floor,” McMahon said. “We ran some different actions back during his time that now have become really common in today’s game, and the NBA game even, that weren’t when he started using some of those.”
Years later, the student has become the teacher, although he’s quick to admit he has plenty more to learn.
“I think if you want to become the best you’re capable of being [you have to learn],” McMahon added. “I want all our players always in that mindset, I want to try to become the best coach I can be. I think you have to be committed to always learning and trying to get better, so there’s tons of coaches that I’ve stolen from or studied.”
The byproduct of this medley of philosophies is an up-tempo offense that thrives in transition, fueled by athletic play makers like Morant and senior guard Shaq Buchanan, and even prolific shooters like freshman guard Tevin Brown that can often make defenses pay in transition when Morant draws a crowd of defenders.
McMahon even encourages his players to play fast in practice, sometimes forcing them to play with a 15-second shot clock.
“When I was blessed to get the job when I first got back here to Murray, we didn’t have the personnel to play at that [fast] pace, so we had to play a slow, grind-it-out half-court offense, because that’s what gave us the best chance to win our first year,” McMahon said. “With players like a Ja Morant and Shaq Buchanan, we want to play extremely fast, but we also want to be smart about it. I think there’s a certain balance you want to have to where you’re very effective in transition, but you also want to be able to execute in the halfcourt.”
It’s no secret Murray State has been gifted a plethora of elite point guards over the years – most recently, players like Isaiah Canaan, Cameron Payne, Jonathan Stark and now Morant.
But does this proclivity for elite talent at the point guard position reflect a specific coaching philosophy that requires a certain skillset, or has McMahon and his predecessors just gotten lucky over the years?
While McMahon admits he does have a certain prototype in mind when recruiting, he knows he’s been fortunate to have found players that have led some to label Murray State “Point Guard University.”
“There are certain traits that we think are incredibly important as we’ve looked to identify who we’re going to bring in at that position,” McMahon said. “I think the reputation here for many, many years, going back before I was here, is the tradition of great guards who have come through the program.”
An imperative trait for any great coach is the ability to make adjustments. For Murray State, who lost 36.5 ppg with the departure of Stark and Terrell Miller, adaptability was paramount. Apart from losing a large portion of offensive firepower, the Racers had to switch from a two-guard system to a traditional one-guard system.
“I think we have a core foundation to our offensive and defensive philosophies, but I think that’s part of our job as coaches to tweak it each year based on the personnel that we have,” McMahon said.
Apart from the change at guard, the Racers also have to deal with various skill sets and body types from their forwards. McMahon noted that every year demands re-evaluation, citing bigs like former forward Jarvis Williams, who thrived above the rim, and now, junior forward Darnell Cowart, whose skill lies in his brilliant footwork and post moves. These tiny differences have a colossal affect on the team’s identity.
“Just looking at the last five years, when you have a monster athlete like a Jarvis Williams in the post, there’s certain things you can do offensively,” McMahon said. “Bring in Terrell Miller, who’s one of the best three-point shooters in school history, there’s certain things you want to do to spread the floor offensively. Now with Darnell, with his skill around the basket, we want to adjust and have more back-to-the-basket opportunities for him where he’s really skilled and capable with scoring with either hand.”
One of the most critical elements of McMahon’s offense is spacing. Whether it’s a top-of-the-key screen to start a possession, or Morant’s ability to create it manually by breaking down defenses, the Racers are able to exploit defenses and get high-quality shots inside.
That’s why players like freshman forward KJ Williams and junior forward Darnell Cowart have been so efficient with their touches. Williams leads the OVC in field goal percentage at 68 percent, and Cowart comes in shortly after at No. 6 in the conference with a 55 percent clip.
“[Morant’s] a magician with the ball,” McMahon said. “He’s got a great understanding of our offense, and we try to give him great freedom to play. If you ever have a player like Ja Morant, I don’t want him handcuffed by play calls and things of that nature. I hope we’re able to teach guys how to play so that he can go out there and make the plays.”
It seems like McMahon’s players are heeding his instructions. The Racers have solidified their spot in the OVC tournament, and will enter with the intention of ending the 2018-19 season exactly like the year prior: hoisting an OVC Championship trophy above their shoulders.
