Head coach Ryan Miller’s debut season at Murray State isn’t done quite yet.
For the ninth time in program history, and the first time since 2015, the Racers men’s basketball team will play in the National Invitational Tournament.
In a first-time-ever matchup, the Racers will face off against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Wednesday, March 18, in Reno, Nevada.
Murray State has a 4-8 record in eight prior NIT appearances and has reached the quarterfinals twice, in 1980 and again in 2015. The Racers’ 2015 NIT campaign included wins against UTEP and Tulsa, but their run ended in the quarterfinal against Old Dominion, when the Monarchs hit a 30-foot bank shot at the buzzer.
The Racers are one of four teams from the Missouri Valley Conference to accept an invitation to the NIT. The other teams are Bradley, Illinois State and UIC. Illinois State will play Kent State, Bradley will play Dayton and UIC will play Cal. All of those games will also take place on March 18.
Nevada, a member of the Mountain West Conference, finished the season with a 22-12 record. They lost in the semifinals of their conference tournament to the eventual champion, Utah State. This will be the Wolf Pack’s sixth appearance in the NIT, and its first since 2012. They hold a 5-5 record in NIT games.
The Wolf Pack is led by graduate guard Corey Camper Jr. He averages 17 points per game, which leads the team. He put up a career-high 35 points on 63.6% shooting against Boise State on Feb. 3. He also leads the team in three-point percentage (41.1%) and free throw percentage (79.7%). Redshirt sophomore forward Elijah Price is second on the team in points per game (12.7) and leads the team in rebounds (8.3) and blocks (1.7) per game.
Murray State fans will recognize senior guard Tayshawn Comer from his time in the MVC as a member of the Evansville Purple Aces. Comer averages 11.4 points per game and leads the Wolf Pack in assists with 3.5 per game.
The winner will face off against the winner of the George Mason-Liberty matchup.
The game will air at 9 p.m. on ESPNU. The game will also be on Froggy 103.7.
