Bracket Buster: Murray State

The Racers were the first team to punch a ticket to the dance with a win over Belmont last night (put Belmont in you cowards) in the OVC final. The Racers finished the season at 27-4. Despite the haughty record, I doubt they get more than a 12 or 13 seed as the non-conference portion of their season was putrid. In their defense, Middle Tennessee went from tournament team to wretched and they didn’t get help from the 2 Valley teams they played. That said, losses to Alabama and Auburn probably made them autobid or bust. That’s the life of mid-majors today, sadly.

The Racers are 51st in KenPom. That’s ahead of a good chunk of the Big East bubble teams. They stand 41st in AdjustedO and 77th in AdjustedD. The numbers you need to know are, theyre 24th I’m effective fg% on offense and 21st on defense. That’ll give them a fighting chance. They’re 5th overall in 2-pt shooting and if you watched the OVC final, that wouldn’t surprise you. Opponents only shoot 29% from deep, 4th best in the nation.

They don’t rebound very well defensively. They’re 256th in the nation in defensive rebounding %. That’s really the only bugaboo you can point to. 

The player to know obviously is sophomore Ja Morant, a likely top-3 NBA draft pick. A high usage, passing machine, there isn’t much not to like than other being a so-so shooter from 3 and occasional sloppiness. Still, he makes up for the sloppiness with his ability to turnover opponents and get to the FT line. He’s a reason to watch.

Freshman Tevin Brown is another very good player who can handle the rock. The same can be said about senior Shaq Buchanan. Junior big man Darnell Cowart is their best rebounder.

The Racers will be a popular bracket buster. They always are and they deserve the consideration this year. If you’re a Marquette fan, this is a matchup to avoid.