MMURRAYURRAY STATESTATE BBASKETBALLASKETBALL 22019019 NNCAACAA GGUIDEUIDE NOTES Update Needed Update Needed 2018-19 MURRAY STATE BASKETBALL Dave Winder, Assistant AD - Media Relations • Office: (270) 809-4271 • Cell: (270) 293-0566 • [email protected] GGAME-32AME-32 NNCAACAA TTOURNAMENTOURNAMENT - XXLL CCENTERENTER - HHARTFORD,ARTFORD, CCONN.ONN. EEVENTVENT IINFORMATIONNFORMATION (12) MURRAY STATE RACERS (27-4, 16-2 Ohio Valley Co-Champions) Date-Time: March 21, 320p CT Site: Hartford, Conn. Head Coach: Matt McMahon (Appalachian State, 2000) Arena: XL Center TV: TBS Radio: Racer Radio - WFGS 103.7 FM - Neal Bradley & Kenny Roth Web Career Record: 86-41 (4th season) • At MUR: Same • OVC: 50-18 Streaming: Audio: Westwood One Video: CBS- (5) MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (24-9, 12-6 Big East - 2nd Place) Carter Blackburn(PXP), Deb Antonelli (Analyst), John Head Coach: Steve Wojciechowski (Duke, 1998) Schriffen (Reporter) Live Stats: NCAA.com Twitter: @MSURacers @RacersHoops @RacerDave23 Career Record: 97-68 (5th season) • At MU: Same • Big East: 43-47 First MSU Appearance: 1964, Lost Loyola (IL) 101- The Murray State Racers (27-4) make their 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament 91 in Evanston, Ill. Thursday (March 21) when they take on the Marquette Golden Eagles (25-8) in a Last MSU Appearance: 2018, MSU No. 12 seed, first round game at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The Racers won the Ohio Valley lost to No. 5 West Virginia in San Diego 85-68. Conference regular season at 16-2 and the OVC Tournament, becoming the first team Last MSU Win: 2012, No. 6 MSU defeated No. 11 in the OVC in 20 seasons to make consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Colorado State 58-41 in Louisville. Total Appearances: 2019 is MSU’s 17th NCAA The Racers enter the NCAAs having won their last 11 games since a loss to Jacksonville trip and they’ll be playing in their 20th game. State (Jan. 31). In Coach McMahon’s fourth season, the Racers have a combination of Record: MSU is 3-16 all-time in the NCAAs. capable scorers and defenders. MSU is 45th in the nation in defensive field goal percentage at .410 and third Total Wins: MSU has won three NCAA games. 1988 in the nation in limiting opponents to only .282 from the 3-point line. On offense, MSU is 12th in the nation against NC State, 2010 against Vanderbilt & 2012 at 83.3 points per game which is fueled by a field goal percentage that is seventh at .496. against Colorado State Overtime: MSU has played one. 1990 when they After a fabulous regular season of 763 points and 311 assists, Ja Morant is still on track to become the first were & still are the only No. 16 seed to take a No. 1 player in NCAA D-I to average 20 points and 10 assists per game since the assist became an official stat in to extra time. the 1985-86 season. How Did We Get Here? The Racers won the Ohio Valley Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAAs Morant’s stock went on the rise last summer when he was invited to the Chris Paul Camp and performed after they won the OVC Tournament with victories well. It continued through the regular season non-conference schedule when he scored triple-double against over Jacksonville State and Belmont at the Ford Missouri State. He had his second triple-double this season at Morehead State. He had a run of 12-straight Center in Evansville, Ind. games of 20-points scoring or more and has 14 games of 25-points or more and six of 30-points or 2019 NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE 22018-19018-19 SCHEDULESCHEDULE more. With 17 games of 10 or more assists Morant XL Arena - Hartford, Conn. NOVEMBER currently owns eight of the top 11 assist games in 10 Wright State H Won 73-54 1st Round Thursday, March 21 16 Spalding H Won 106-36 MSU history. G1 2:00 p.m. (4) Florida State vs. (13) Vermont G2 4:30 p.m. (5) Marquette vs. (12) Murray State 24 Missouri State H Won 77-66 Morant, already a multiple All-America pick, is also 26 Alabama A Lost 72-78 up for all of the major awards of college basketball, 1st Round Thursday, March 21 DECEMBER including the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, G3 7:20 p.m. (6) Villanova vs. (11) St. Mary’s 01 Prairie View A&M H Won 83-67 G4 9:50 p.m. (3) Purdue vs. (14) Old Dominion Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Lute Olson Award, 08 Middle Tennessee A Won 64-42 each given to the National Player of the Year, and 2nd Round Saturday, March 23 12 Southern Illinois A Won 80-52 the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top G5 TBA Winner G1 vs. Winner G2 15 Jackson State H Won 74-57 point guard. G6 TBA Winner G3 vs. Winner G4 18 Evansville H Won 66-64 All times Eastern Time 22 Auburn A Lost 88-93 However, the Racers are far from a one-man band 29 Bethel (TN) H Won 110-82 with several capable athletes including OVC Defensive Player of the Year Shaq Buchanan, who was also an All- JANUARY OVC pick. Big man Darnell Cowart came on late in the season to get a spot on the All-OVC Newcomer Team 03 *Morehead State H Won 90-69 by nearly averaging a double-double. Freshman guard Tevin Brown gives the Racers a top 3-point threat. 05 *Eastern Kentucky H Won 97-85 10 *UT Martin A Won 98-77 The Racers will be facing Marquette for the third time in the NCAA Tournament after their most recent 12 *SE Missouri A Won 85-67 meeting in the second round in 2012. Marquette won that 2012 game 62-53 in Louisville. Their first meeting 17 *Eastern Illinois A Won 83-61 was in Carbondale, Ill., in 1969, which Marquette won 82-62. The winner of Thursday’s game gets the winner 19 *SIUE A Won 82-72 of the (4) Florida State vs. (13) Vermont game. MSU is 3-16 in the NCAA Tournament with wins NC State 24 *Belmont H Lost 69-77 (1988) Vanderbilt (2010) and Colorado State (2012). 26 *Tennessee State H Won 100-62 31 *Jacksonville State A Lost 68-88 MMURRAYURRAY SSTATETATE PPROBABLEROBABLE SSTARTERSTARTERS ((2018-192018-19 SSTATS)TATS) FEBRUARY 02 *Tennessee Tech A Won 67-63 07 *Eastern Illinois H Won 86-75 09 *SIUE H Won 86-55 14 *Austin Peay A Won 73-71 16 *Eastern Kentucky A Won 102-70 21 *UT Martin H Won 85-75 23 *SE Missouri H Won 103-67 1111 1100 1122 2233 3322 28 *Morehead State A Won 71-52 MARCH G • 6-3 • SR. G • 6-5 • FR. G • 6-2 • SO. F • 6-9 • FR. F • 6-8 •JR. 02 *Austin Peay H Won 94-83 SHAQQ BUCHANAN TEVIN BROWN JA MORANT KJ WILLIAMS DARNELL COWART 08 #Jacksonville State N Won 76-74 PTS 13.0 PTS 11.7 PTS 24.6 PTS 7.6 PTS 10.4 09 #Belmont N Won 77-65 REB 4.2 REB 4.7 REB 5.5 REB 4.7 REB 6.5 21 ^Marquette N TBS 3:20 p CT * OVC Games BOLD - Home Game Doubleheader AST 55 AST 73 AST 311 AST 14 AST 32 # - OVC Tournament, Evansville - Ford Center STL 57 STL 34 STL 56 BLK 18 STL 21 ^ - NCAA Tournament, Hartford - XL Center 2018-19 MURRAY STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL GoRacers.com / @MSURacers / @RacersHoops 22018-19018-19 MURRAYMURRAY SSTATETATE MMEN’SEN’S BBASKETBALLASKETBALL RROSTEROSTER No Player P H W C Hometown (Previous School) 0 Mike Davis F 6-7 210 Jr. East Brewton, Ala. (Coastal Alabama North CC/W.S. Neal HS) Alphabetical Roster 1 DaQuan Smith G 6-1 175 Fr. Holly Springs, Miss. (Holly Springs HS) 10 Tevin Brown G 6-5 180 Fr. 4 Brion Sanchious F 6-8 245 Sr. Pompano Beach, Fla. (Northeast HS) 11 Shaq Buchanan G 6-3 190 Sr 10 Tevin Brown G 6-5 180 Fr. Fairhope, Ala. (Fairhope HS) 32 Darnell Cowart F 6-8 295 Jr. 11 Leroy “Shaq” Buchanan G 6-3 190 Sr. Madison, Miss. (NE Mississippi CC/Madison HS) 0 Mike Davis F 6-7 210 Jr. 12 Temetrius “Ja” Morant G 6-3 175 So. Dalzell, S.C. (Crestwood HS) 14 Jaiveon Eaves G 6-2 195 Jr. 13 Devin Gilmore F 6-6 200 So. Picayune, Miss. (Madison Ridgeland Academy) 13 Devin Gilmore F 6-6 200 So. 14 Jaiveon Eaves G 6-2 195 Jr. Madisonville, Ky. (John A. Logan JC/Madisonville-N. Hopkins HS) 25 Jalen Johnson G 6-1 175 Fr. 22 Brion Whitley G 6-4 200 So. Sarasota, Fla. (Riverview HS) 12 Ja Morant G 6-3 175 So. 23 KJ Williams F 6-9 240 Fr. Cleveland, Miss. (Cleveland Central HS) 4 Brion Sanchious F 6-8 245 Sr. 24 Anthony Smith F 6-7 225 Sr. Suitland, Md. (Barton County CC/Potomac HS) 24 Anthony Smith F 6-7 225 Sr. 25 Jalen Johnson G 6-1 175 Fr. Hopkinsville, Ky. (Hopkinsville HS) 1 DaQuan Smith G 6-1 175 Fr. 32 Darnell Cowart F 6-8 295 Jr. Chicago, Ill. (Cowley County CC/Agua Fria HS/) 22 Brion Whitley G 6-4 200 So. 23 KJ Williams F 6-9 240 Fr. Head Coach: Matt McMahon (Appalachian State 2000) 4th Season (Assistant 4 seasons, 2011-15) Assistant Coaches: Shane Nichols - 4th Season (Wofford 2008) Pronunciations Tim Kaine - 4th Season (Winthrop 2002) Darnell Cowart Co-WART Casey Long - 2nd Season (Chattanooga 2007) Jaiveon Eaves Jay-VEE-ON Video Coordinator: Mike Chapman (Florida 2017) Tim Kaine Cane Senior Associate AD-Basketball Administrator: Matt Kelly (Alma College 1994) 17th season Matt McMahon Mick-Man Athletic Trainer: Eric Frederick (TCU 1992) 26th season Ja Morant J-ah More-RANT Team Doctors: Dr.