Murray State Basketball

The ride is over.  No. 9 Murray State fell at home to Tennessee State on Thursday night, 72-68. Robert Covington's go-ahead three-pointer with about four minutes remaining was the difference, putting Tennessee State ahead, 65-62—a lead they would not relinquish.

Murray State (23-1, 11-1 Ohio Valley Conference) had an opportunity to take the lead with 11.2 seconds left, but turned the ball over and lost to a Tennessee State (16-10, 9-4) team they'd previously defeated eight straight times.

Tennessee State's Wil Peters reflected on the win.

It's an amazing feeling. Most people don't get this experience in their whole college career, to beat a team that was unbeaten for a long period of time and to share that with your teammates your senior year is very special, and I'll probably remember this for the rest of my life.

The Murray State end was disappointed but optimistic, according to head coach Steve Prohm.

I've got to do a better job in some areas to make sure we're doing a better job executing at times. But, I'm proud. I'm extremely proud of our guys. We had an amazing run, 23 wins in a row. I'm sure we set a lot of records along the way, but now we've got to be totally locked in on winning a conference championship.

So, the question remains; how far will Murray State tumble in the polls?  And how much will this affect their NCAA Tournament seed?

Tennessee State may have ended Murray State's dream of an undefeated season.

Still, the dream still lives because the real measure of success starts in March. As long as the Racers make it to the NCAA tournament, they can still have a dream season.

The Racers still have a lot to accomplish. No Murray State team has ever made it to the Sweet 16. This team still has all the tools to make the tournament. History is also on their side. The last five teams to go unbeaten in at least their first 16 games went onto the Sweet 16.

After all, how many teams finish the regular season unbeaten? Not many. University of Nevada, Las Vegas was the last one to do it in 1991.

The Ohio Valley Conference isn't as weak a conference people make it out to be. OVC teams have made it out of the first round in the NCAA tournament for two years in a row.

Morehead State beat U of L last year and Murray State defeated Vanderbilt on a buzzer-beater in 2010.

There's hope, Racer Nation. Murray State has the talent to make a long run.

Have you ever seen Isaiah Canaan play? He's as good as any other point guard in America. Canaan is their leading scorer, averaging 19.4 points per game.

A lot of teams have trouble stopping him and even tonight, Tennessee State couldn't contain him. Canaan had a game-high of 31 points. He's one of the best three-point shooters in the country, as he's hitting 48% of his threes.

Canaan isn't the only good three-point shooter. The Racers have three other guys shooting over 38% from beyond the arch. Whenever a team can shoot lights out, a long tournament run is well underway.

Of course, there's the saying, "Defense wins championships." The Racers have great perimeter defense. Opponents are only shooting 28% from three-point land against them.

Inside, they need a little help as opponents are shooting 42% from the field. A lot of that is because of a lack of height but they've tons of speeds to make up for that.

The speed helps Racers force turnovers, which opponents coughing up 16.5 times a game. The Racers love to get in transition and turnovers help teams get in transition.

Then there's the psychology issue. There's a lot of pressure that comes with being the last undefeated team. Now that they've lost, the attention may subdue a bit. The Racers may be able to relax and return to their old form.

If they do, it'll be surprising to not see Murray State in the Sweet 16.

For some the dream is over, but it shouldn't be. You're only remembered for what you did in March. If the Racers go to the Sweet 16, the college basketball world will see this as just a slight setback.

So what are we supposed to think of No. 7 Murray St. after their 72-68 home loss to Tennessee State?

The Racers came out on fire this season to the tune of a 23-0 start. A hot debate was if Murray State deserved a No. 1 seed if they could finish the season undefeated.

Instead, they turned the ball over three times in the final 11 seconds in their only loss. The team is now surrounded by major question marks as the NCAA tournament inches closer. 

The Racers wouldn’t have even been in the game if it wasn’t for Isaiah Canaan. In 36 minutes the junior scored 31 points and grabbed six rebounds. He was a blistering 10-of-13 from the floor including 7-of-10 from three-point range.

The rest of the team shot 13-of-37.

Robert Covington finished with 17 for the Tigers and Kenny Moore came off the bench to add 16 points and four steals.

With 11 seconds to go and down by one, the Racers threw the inbounds pass to the Tigers only to have Tennessee State brick two free throws.

With new life, Canaan quickly dribbled the length of the court only to lose the ball and quickly foul. After two makes, the Racers were down three with three seconds on the clock. A full court heave was intercepted and the game was all but over.

Despite the setback you’d assume the Racers would still be in a prime position to make the tournament right?

Wrong.

If they lose at home to St. Mary’s next weekend and then in the OVC conference tournament, they’ll be sweating out selection Sunday with the rest of the bubble teams.

The loss could be seen coming as they had narrowly escaped four of their last six opponents in conference play. The big issue has been the lack of consistent rebounding.

They are ranked 219^th in the nation (33.9) and their leading rebounder is a 6’7" forward named Ivan Aska who averages 5.9 per game. Their tallest player, Brandon Garrett, barely plays 13 minutes a night.

It’s a huge issue (bad pun) and one that is going to show up in full force during the tournament. You think Jared Sullinger or John Henson is afraid of the Racers?

It’s been a great season for Murray State and the potential for them to do some damage in the tournament is still there. But let’s pump the brakes on assuming this is the Cinderella team to shock everybody. 

If nothing else, they can always say they were the last team in D-1 college basketball to lose during the 2011-2012 season. 

How about those Murray State Racers?

Projected by many to not even win the Ohio Valley Conference, the Racers are sitting pretty at 20-0, remaining as the only undefeated team in Division 1 College Basketball.

With the success Murray State has been having this season, many are wondering if they are a legitimate contender to go deep in the NCAA Tournament.

Whether you want to admit it or not, they are.

Here are three big reasons why the Racers have been getting it done and why their 20-0 record as of today is only the beginning.

The Talent

Murray State simply has an under appreciated amount of talent on their squad.

Isaiah Canaan, who turned down offers from SEC schools to play for the Racers, has emerged as the leader on the court for Murray State.  The junior guard from Biloxi, Mississippi leads the team with 18.7 points per game.

Senior guard Donte Poole has also put up big numbers with 14.6 points per game.  At a height of 6'7'', senior forward Ivan Aska leads the team in rebounds with 6.0 per game.

With numerous players putting up solid statistics, Murray State has proved with the talent they have, they are a contender, regardless of the competition played.

The Coaching

What first-year blues?

Steve Prohm served as an assistant coach at Murray State for five seasons from 2006-2011.  And now, in only his first season as head coach for the Racers, Prohm has the Racers looking at a potential undefeated record.

For any coach to be 20-0 during the season is impressive.  For a first year head coach, it is downright crazy.

Prohm's upbeat play, leadership and intensity, most notably shown here, means that the Racers are in good hands for as long as he stays.

With the success Prohm has had this season, however, bigger programs could be keeping their eye on the very near future.

The Competition

Okay let's be real.  Murray State plays in the Ohio Valley Conference, not the Big Ten or the SEC.  Additionally of the eight Ohio Valley Conference games Murray State has played so far this season, only two have been against teams with winning records.

However, Murray State has definitely proved they can beat respectable opponents, most notably Murray State's victory at then No. 20 Memphis 76-72 in December.  The Racers also have a solid 75-58 victory over Dayton, and a 90-81 2OT victory over Southern Mississippi.

Of Murray State's eight remaining non-conference games, none should pose a real treat, which in reverse means that none of these games are solid resume boosters.  The Racers do however have an ESPN BracketBuster game in mid-January.  A win there will help improve Murray State's seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Simply put, despite a weak conference slate, the Racers have already proved just enough to be a solid contender to make some noise in March.

Running the table should put the Racers in contention for a six seed or better.  Even if Murray State drops a regular season game or does not win the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, the Racers should still have a strong enough resume to make the NCAA Tournament.

Although the Murray State Racers have gotten everyone's attention with their 18-0 start to the college basketball season, believe it or not, their success has been deeply rooted throughout the years. The Racers have finished the season with a winning record for an outstanding 25 straight seasons. 

If teams such as Duke, Kansas or Kentucky accomplished such a feat, you can bet that it would be an overused statistic used several times each season. Since Murray State plays in the Ohio Valley Conference, their impressive accomplishment has been lost to the majority of college basketball fans.  

Behind their record-setting start to the 2011-12 season is junior point guard Isaiah Canaan. The 6-foot Biloxi, Miss. product has the moxie and seasoning to lead the Racers to unprecedented heights by season's end. He is averaging 18.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game for the No. 15 ranked squad in the country.

In the midst of the Kentucky school's fast start this season, Canaan is building quite the national résumé. His best games at this point of the year would make even college hoops' biggest stars blush.

He scored 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Southern Miss, dropped 35 points and dished out five assists against Austin Peay, and willed himself to 15 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in an upset win over the Memphis Tigers.  

He was a standout freshman on the Ohio Valley Conference Championship team that took down Vanderbilt before bowing out of the 2010 tournament to national runner-up Butler. Now, this 2012 team is his to lead, a team setting records at a torrent pace.

They have won 17 straight home games, dating back to January 20th of last year. Their 18-game win streak broke the 2009-10 team's record of 17 in that season. Their 18-0 start to the season continues to set a school record, and will undoubtedly set the bar extremely high for any future team's attempt to tie or break it.

The nation is already buzzing about the Racers' chances of running the table and finishing the OVC season 16-0. If Isaiah Canaan can continue to be a steady, veteran leader of this team, it's very possible that they can accomplish such a rare feat. 

With team success, even more individual success and acclaim will come to the 2011 All-OVC First Team selection. It's almost a certainty that he will be chosen as Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year at season's end, but depending on just how successful his Murray State squad is, could he be considered for All-American honors? It's beginning to look that way.

First and foremost, I am a college football writer. To me, there’s nothing better than game day on Saturdays during the fall. 

But for three weeks in March, my favorite sport takes a backseat to perhaps the greatest postseason in all of sports: the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Call it what you want—March Madness or the Big Dance—the magic of these three weeks captivates the nation more than any other sporting event. 

On any given day, anyone can be a hero. On any given day, Northern Iowa’s Ali Farokhmanesh and Murray State’s Danero Thomas can become household names.

For three weeks in March, even the most casual fans fall in love with the underdog who steals the heart of the nation. During those three weeks, an unknown from Cedar Falls, Iowa; Ithaca, N.Y.; Athens, Ohio; or Murray, Ky.; can become America’s team in a heartbeat.

I’ll save you from the playoff debate. But seriously, how can college football not want this? Because for three weeks in March, it takes a backseat to the greatest spectacle in all of sports.

The Big Dance. March Madness. Or simply, the NCAA tournament.

With such an even field, most people expected an upset or two in the first round. But the underdogs exceeded expectations. 

No. 11 Old Dominion started the tournament off with a bang, beating No. 6 Notre Dame in a 51-50 nail-biter. And No. 15 Robert Morris followed up with a valiant effort in an overtime loss to No. 2 Villanova.

But America seems to have adopted four other teams.

No offense to Old Dominion or any other underdogs, but America has found its teams. And this year, each team—Murray State, Northern Iowa, Ohio, and Cornell—has a chance to play deep into March. 

Murray State started the string of miraculous upsets. After leading Vanderbilt for much of the game, the Racers allowed the Commodores back into the game and trailed 65-64.

With four seconds left, Murray State inbounded the ball, stayed calm, and found Danero Thomas—the third choice for the winning shot. Thomas went through his motion and let the game-winning shot go with .7 seconds left, as the 13th-seeded Racers stunned Vanderbilt, 66-65.

Looking forward, Murray State has a legitimate chance to go to the Sweet Sixteen. The Racers get Butler in the round of 32, and the Bulldogs struggled to get moving against UTEP in Round One. That may work against UTEP, but not against Murray State—and another upset may be on the horizon come Saturday.

Northern Iowa was the second team to win in the final seconds on Thursday in a 69-66 “upset” of UNLV.

UNI was never able to control the tempo in the fast-paced contest, but it stayed in the game with a win—thanks to outstanding defense and free-throw shooting. 

And in the final seconds, the Panthers found Farokhmanesh, who hit a perfect three-pointer to give Northern Iowa the win—its first in the NCAA tournament since 1990.

While a three-point win against UNLV may not be overly impressive, UNI showcased its strength Thursday night. If Northern Iowa had been able to control the tempo, it would have won the game with relative ease. 

Next up is Kansas, who didn’t look like the No. 1 overall seed in a 16-point win against Lehigh. If Kansas plays the same way against the Panthers, it may find itself home early, as Northern Iowa’s veteran team won’t be scared for the biggest game of their lives. 

If the Panthers are able to control the game, play their usual fundamental basketball, and have their big-time players step up, they could wind up beating the best team in the country and rival George Mason’s win over UConn as the upset of the decade. 

Murray State and Northern Iowa certainly made their upsets exciting from start to finish—but Ohio and Cornell blew out their first-round opponents. 

The Big East tournament runner-up, Georgetown, was handed a No. 3 seed by the selection committee—but it drew a dangerous Ohio team that had just won the MAC tournament.

As the nation expected, this game was a blowout—but it was the Bobcats topping the mighty Hoyas in a 97-83 rout.

Heck, this game was over by halftime—and Ohio was showing off with alley-oop dunks halfway through the second half.

In Round Two, the Bobcats draw Tennessee, which barely escaped No. 11 San Diego State, 62-59. And from a momentum standpoint, Ohio also has a legitimate shot to upset the Volunteers and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. 

The last of the four new “America’s Teams” is now a sleeper to reach the Final Four. The Cornell Big Red­­—a 12th seed—handily beat No. 5 Temple 78-65.

The best three-point shooting team in the country, Cornell struggled from beyond the arc on Friday. But the senior-dominated team found a way to penetrate inside and still won with ease. If the Big Red’s outside shooting were on, this game would have been even more lopsided.

Next, Cornell draws Wisconsin, which had to hold on Friday to beat Wofford, 53-49. If the Badgers have another off game, they won’t even come close to beating the Big Red. But if Cornell shoots well from three and inside, Wisconsin will have a tough time advancing to the Sweet Sixteen—even if it’s at its best.

So there’s the rundown—now pick your new favorite team. Because that team from Cedar Falls, Murray, Athens, or Ithaca might have what it takes to make a Cinderella run and capture the nation’s heart deep into March.