Murray State Racers men's basketball

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. Steve Prohm is the current head coach. 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

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]

CFSB Center

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]

History

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)

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)

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)

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)

Alexander era (1955-1958)

Luther era (1959-1974)

Overton era (1975-1978)

Greene era (1978-1985)

Newton era (1985-1991)

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)

Gottfried era (1995-1998)

Mark Gottfried coached Murray State from 1995 to 1998.

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)

Cronin era (2003-2006)

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 (2006-2011)

A Murray State basketball game in 2011.

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. The Racers followed up a regular season conference championship for the second year in a row in 2011. The Racers were eliminated from the OVC tournament in 2011; however, they earned a number six seed in the National Invitational Tournament where the Racers suffered a first round loss to Missouri State University. In May 2011, Billy Kennedy announced that he was leaving Murray State to accept the position head coach position at Texas A&M University.

Prohm era (2011-present)

Steve Prohm was introduced as the 15th head coach on May 23, 2011. Prohm was promoted to the head coach position after serving as an assistant coach under Billy Kennedy for the previous five seasons.^[16]

Rivalries

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.^[17][18][19]

Coaches

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[20]
Rex Alexander	1955–1958	45-54	21-19
Cal Luther	1959–1974	241-154	125-88	1964 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[20]
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[20]
Scott Edgar	1992–1995	78-40	48-14	1992 & 1995 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[20]
Mark Gottfried	1995–1998	64-24	40-12	1997 & 1998 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[20]
Tevester Anderson	1998–2003	103-52	50-24	1999 & 2002 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[20]
Mick Cronin	2003–2006	69-24	42-10	2004 & 2006 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions[20]
Billy Kennedy	2006–2011	84-44	56-20	2010 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champions 2010 & 2011 OVC Regular Season Champions[20]
Steve Prohm	2011–

Players

NBA Draftees

Marcus Brown was an important player for the Racers.

Year	Round	Pick	Overall Pick	Player	NBA Club
1966	3	1	21	Stew Johnson	New York Knicks[21]
1968	2	7	21	Dick Cunningham	Phoenix Suns[22]
1970	9	6	142	Claude Virden	Seattle SuperSonics[23]
1989	2	4	31	Jeff Martin	Los Angeles Clippers[24]
1992	2	14	41	Popeye Jones	Houston Rockets[25]
1996	2	17	46	Marcus Brown	Portland Trail Blazers[26]

Retired numbers

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 roster

#	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Position	Class	Hometown	Previous Team(s)[27]
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

Postseason

NCAA Tournament

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.^[28]

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 Tournament

In seven National Invitation Tournament appearances, Murray State is 2–7 overall in tournament games.^[29]

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

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Bradley 2009, p. 99
2. ^ ^{a b} "CFSB Center". Murray State Racers. Murray State University. 28 June 2010. http://www.goracers.com/news/2010/6/28/GEN_0628103515.aspx. Retrieved 4 November 2010. 
3. ^ "Racer Arena". Murray State Racers. Murray State University. 28 June 2010. http://www.goracers.com/news/2010/6/28/GEN_0628100904.aspx. Retrieved 4 November 2010. 
4. ^ Teague, Hawkins (28 September 2010). "RSEC to be renamed CFSB Center". Murray Ledger & Times. http://murrayledger.com/news/article_74b45d4f-5dae-5f66-b517-66a37c082d2b.html. Retrieved 6 November 2010. 
5. ^ "Weber State's Men's Basketball Program Named in the Top-100 Greatest of All-Time". Weber State Wildcats. Weber State University. 3 February 2005. http://www.weberstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8600&ATCLID=1256671. Retrieved 25 October 2010. 
6. ^ Shelton, Harold; Nick Loucks; Chris Fallica (July 23, 2008). "Counting down the most prestigious programs since 1984-85 (Nos. 21–30)". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3493497. Retrieved November 5, 2010. 
7. ^ ^{a b} "Head Coaches Out At Murray". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press (Google News Archive): p. 1. 29 January 1941. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z1szAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6EMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3474,913702&dq=rice+mountjoy+danville&hl=en. Retrieved 24 October 2010. 
8. ^ 2009-10 Murray State Racers Men's Basketball Media Guide. Murray State University. 2009. p. 72. http://issuu.com/murraystate/docs/msu_basketball_09-10_guide/72?mode=a_p. 
9. ^ ^{a b c} 2009-10 Murray State Racers Men's Basketball Media Guide. Murray State University. 2009. p. 80. http://issuu.com/murraystate/docs/msu_basketball_09-10_guide/80?mode=a_p. 
10. ^ ^{a b} 2009-10 Murray State Racers Men's Basketball Media Guide. Murray State University. 2009. p. 110. http://issuu.com/murraystate/docs/msu_basketball_09-10_guide/110?mode=a_p. 
11. ^ "Joe Fulks Bio". NBA. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. http://www.nba.com/history/players/fulks_bio.html. Retrieved 6 November 2010. 
12. ^ ^{a b} "Trailing World Sport Events". The Southeast Missourian (Google News Archive): p. 5. 16 December 1942. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8Z8tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I9IEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5625,410423&dq=rice+mountjoy+murray+state&hl=en. Retrieved 25 October 2010. 
13. ^ 2009-10 Murray State Racers Men's Basketball Media Guide. Murray State University. 2009. p. 115. http://issuu.com/murraystate/docs/msu_basketball_09-10_guide/115?mode=a_p. 
14. ^ "Capel sees brighter days ahead for OU". ESPN. Associated Press (ESPN Internet Ventures). 25 May 2010. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5220312. Retrieved 25 October 2010. 
15. ^ "Mark Gottfried". Rolltide.com. 2002-05-02. http://www.rolltide.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8000&ATCLID=239593. Retrieved 2007-03-05. 
16. ^ http://www.goracers.com/news/2011/5/23/MBB_0523114006.aspx
17. ^ http://southerntimesgirlsandsports.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/the-25th-greatest-college-basketball-program-in-the-south-murray-state-racers/
18. ^ http://www.wkusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5400&ATCLID=204861551
19. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3865828
20. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} 2009-10 Murray State Racers Men's Basketball Media Guide. Murray State University. 2009. p. 70. http://issuu.com/murraystate/docs/msu_basketball_09-10_guide/70?mode=a_p. 
21. ^ "1966 NBA Draft". BasketballReference.com. http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1966&lg=N. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
22. ^ "1968 NBA Draft". BasketballReference.com. http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1968&lg=N. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
23. ^ "1970 NBA Draft". BasketballReference.com. http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1970&lg=N. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
24. ^ "1989 NBA Draft". BasketballReference.com. http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1989&lg=N. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
25. ^ "1992 NBA Draft". BasketballReference.com. http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1992&lg=N. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
26. ^ "1996 NBA Draft". BasketballReference.com. http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1996&lg=N. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
27. ^ "Murray State Racers Roster - 2009-10". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. http://espn.go.com/ncb/roster?teamId=93. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
28. ^ "Murray State Racers Tournament History". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. 2010. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/history/_/team1/6800. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
29. ^ "National Invitation Tournament History: Postseason All-Time Participants". National Invitation Tournament. CBS Interactive. 2010. http://www.nit.org/history/nit-postseason-all-time-participants.html. Retrieved 27 March 2010. 

Bibliography

• Bradley, Bill (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House.