The Victoria Times Wayback Machine: Murray State

Hey, you remember how I take some random road trips? Do you also remember how one of those trips was to  Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to watch Murray State take on Southeast Missouri State? Did you also realize that Murray State is the only unbeaten team in NCAA basketball right now? Well, let's take a look back at some of the things I said about them leading up to, and after the game:

 In fact, Murray State is 8-0 in their conference schedule thus far. The Racers feature a young team, and may well be a force to be reckoned with on a national level in years to come.

From here

Murray State reminded me of a Big Ten team. They relied on their inside game and strong defense.

From here

Murray State is a young enough team that they will be back in the tourney in coming years. They will develop a more refined game, and will then start to win in the tournament.

From here

I know my stuff!

Beware the media hype

A lot of analysts like to say things and make proclamations based on quick glimmers of a team or things they have heard. Of course, if someone has spent time watching a team over the course of a season, I would think that person would have the capability to make a more accurate assessment of the team.
I can't imagine that anyone has watched the Murray State Racers all that much, however I did take the time to go to a game and see them in person, as well as watch them on TV a couple of times. The common perception is, given their record, that the the Racers will be a prime candidate to upset a higher seeded team. No doubt, they are no fluke and are a quality small conference team, however I am not convinced they are the right team to consider when looking for upset specials.
The Racers didn't win most of their games because they were a better basketball team, but rather because they had the better athletes. Most of their games this season, including games against less than elite teams, were very close for much of the first half. In the end, though, their opponents wore down and they were able to pull away late. The problem with whatever team they will be playing in the NCAA Tournament is that they will not only be good basketball teams, but will also have excellent athletes that won't wear down down the stretch. Murray State is a young enough team that they will be back in the tourney in coming years. They will develop a more refined game, and will then start to win in the tournament. For the time being, however, don't expect the Racers to make a splash this year.
Conversely, my Boilermakers are an elite version of the Racers. Undersized, but a team full of athletes. They have been running down their opponents all season, generally as a second half team. On this team full of athletes, I'm not entirely sure why anyone would think missing one player who isn't the point or the center should keep them from making a deep run in the tournament, especially since they will have the benefit of being a 2 seed. But that's a post for another time.

I'll get this out of the way quick.

Game over in Cape Girardeau. I thought I would give you the lowdown on the game really quick. Tomorrow and Monday will be for the football, whatever happens. Tuesday I'll give a more thorough summary of the trip.
The game itself was closer than the 80-61 would indicate. There was really only one big stretch that the Racers really took the RedHawks behind the woodshed. After 8 minutes of Southeast hitting almost everything they threw at the basket, and Racers star forward Ivan Aska on the bench with early foil trouble, they took the lead. Then the Racers went on a bit of a run.
A 30-4 run.
The Redhawls and Sam Pearson especially took a lot of mid-range jumpers, and when they stopped going down, the bigger, more athletic Murray State team started grabbing rebounds and working the ball inside on their own offensive end. The less athletic Redhawks started moving with their hands and not their feet, fouling Racers often and sending them to the line.
After the run, however, the game was almost even. The difference for the rest of the game was a 1 point advantage for the Racers. The damage was already done, however and the Racers continue unbeaten in the OVC.
More notes and a deeper trip summary later this week. With pictures!

Thank goodness I'm heading south

I was a little disgusted yesterday as the Vikings ran up the score on the Cowboys. It would have been one thing if they had scored while trying to run out the clock, or scored with the backups in, but it wasn't cool that they did it while their starters were still in, passing three times, including going for it twice on 4th down. I have enough of a problem with bad sportsmanship, but I had a greater problem with the people who DON'T have a problem with the way the Vikings carried themselves at the end of the game.
The two responses I heard were that A) The Cowboys are professional athletes and B) they are the Cowboys, so somehow they deserve it. Well, the Vikings are professionals too, so they should be better at showing respect to their fellow professionals, especially when this group of Vikings should have no ill will towards this current group of Cowboys. And that's the other thing. This group of Cowboys has been a listless band of players who haven't accomplished anything, nor have the been bombastic in their self congratulation, or outwardly arrogant, not any more than any other NFL team. Other than the owner, this group of player has been downright likeable. Why should they be punished for the sins of Michael Irvin and Charles Haley?
And if you weren't instilled with the same values of sportsmanship, I was, there isn't much I can do, except get upset, at which point you would call me old fashioned or a whiner, and I'll continue to think you are classless where it comes to sports
The worst I heard involved a Vikings fan taunting a Bears fan because his team was still in the playoffs, and the Bears fan was dying. I don't care who you are, that's disgusting. OF course, the taunter didn't think so, and of course, I had nothing to do but get mad at how despicable some people can be. I don't understand how these games can turn people so ugly.
And that, in a nutshell, is why I take my road trips. It's nice to get away for a while, but also it's nice to go to a game simply to enjoy a game. Next weekend, I'll be on my way to Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to watch them take on Murray State. Having no affiliation with either school, I can simply enjoy the game.
This might be the first game I go to that the road team wins. Murray State is a very good team, having only 3 losses on the season, at California, Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky, programs that are clearly more elite than their typical OVC opponents. In fact, Murray State is 8-0 in their conference schedule thus far. The Racers feature a young team, and may well be a force to be reckoned with on a national level in years to come.
Contrast that with SE Missouri State. The Redhawks draw much of their roster from local community colleges and are generally juniors or seniors. Three of their 7 total wins on the season have come against non Division 1 opponents. If they have one shining star, it's that their coach's name is Dickey Nutt. That's pretty awesome.
I just got a GPS to take with me for the trip. I've been playing with it and it's been way too much fun so far. That's what I need this weekend. I need to have some fun with my sports.