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The News

November 6, 2015

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The News

Basketball

November 6, 2015

From the Sports Editor

I

I remember sitting on my grandfather’s knee as a young girl watching basketball and listening to him tell me, “You can do great things just like them one day.”

Here I am as a 21-year-old doing those great things my grandfather told me I could.

I’m watching a division I basketball team and doing what I love – writing.

As the Racers begin their season, working hard, pracKelsey ticing long hours and Randolph preparing for that end game in the spring at the OVC Tournament, I also am beginning my season.

I am practicing every day to become a better writer, I work hard to do well at my job; I work late hours every day and I am preparing

for my end game in May – graduation.

Basketball season comes with high spirits, hopes and big dreams for fans and players. It marks the beginning of my favorite time of year.

This season is beginning with a lot of hurdles for the teams.

The women are coming into a losing season and new chemistry to work out among teammates.

The men are beginning with a new coach to lead the team, Matt McMahon and a key player, Kedrick Flomo, out because of emergency heart surgery.

I have hopes for both teams, however, with big changes needing to happen for the women’s team and big changes already happening for the men’s team.

As a reporter, this is a gold mine of coverage and it is my hope for a good season full of camaraderie and high energy.

You will want to be there.

Dunker enters the CFSB Center at Racer Mania Oct. 22.

Mari-Alice Jasper News Editor • 809-4468 Allison Borthwick Opinion Editor • 809-5873 Connor Jaschen Features Editor • 809-5871 Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor • 809-4481 Adrienne Vititoe Chief Copy Editor • 809-6877

Inside our guide Men & women’s seniors

5&6

OVC Commissioner & fan feature

7

OVC season preview

9

NCAA rule changes

10 & 11

Men & women’s photos

13 & 14

Men’s season preview & schedule

16

Women’s season preview & schedule

18

&

Jenny Rohl/The News

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The Murray State News The News.org

2609 University Station Murray State University Murray, Ky. 42071-3301 Email: murraystatenews@icloud.com Fax: 809-3175

Mary Bradley

Editor-in-Chief • 809-6877

Elizabeth Legett Online Editor • 809-5877 Jenny Rohl Advertising Manager • 809-4478 Alex Hilkey Production Manager • 809-5878 Kalli Bubb Photography Editor • 809-5878 Joe Hedges & Ryan Alessi Advisers • 809-2998

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Basketball

November 6, 2015

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November 6, 2015

Basketball

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Teamwork will be key for Racers Seniors Jashae Lee and Bianca Babic work to develop, lead a stronger team.

Blake Bernier || Staff writer dbernier@murraystate.edu

Teamwork is a vital part to success for any team at any level, and the Racers learned the hard way last year as team chemistry faltered and players began to have an individualistic attitudes. Seniors Jashae Lee and Bianca Babic said this year the off court issues are resolved and the team is ready to focus on winning and, more importantly, competing.

“Whether we win games or lose games, if the team goes out and we compete and put it all on the line each game,” Lee said, “I feel like as a player and a leader, if I see that from my teammates I can’t ask for more.”

After a disappointing 8-21 season with a 3-13 conference record, the Racers decided to change some things in the locker room.

The Racers created a leadership council this season that consists of a player from each class and all of the seniors. This council is in place to help control some of the off court issues that may arise during the year, and they report directly to Head Coach Rob Cross.

“At one point in the season we had five people on the team that didn’t speak to each other off the court,” Cross said. “I was constantly saying after every game that the other team is playing for something bigger than

Kalli Bubb/The News

Senior Jashae Lee, along with senior Bianca Babic, will work to develop a stronger team on and off the court this year. themselves and we’re just playing for individuals.”

Lee said that last season there were instances where the team gave up and “laid down” and that was disappointing. This year, she said, the team has potential and hopes that they carry an attitude of competing regardless of the score.

“I think we’ve learned to keep

things off the court and to come on the court and be ready to go,” Babic said. “We’re doing a lot of team building and working together and being positive with each other.”

Last season the Racers struggled at times with sharing the ball. The Racers wasted several fast break opportunities by taking a contested layup instead of making the extra

pass.

“We have to get everyone involved,” Lee said. “We can’t win with one person. We can’t win with two people.

We need a team and I see a big difference in that in practice.”

Babic said the current team has the best chemistry she has seen in her four years with the Racers.

“We’ve really been working on making the extra pass and using everybody on the court,” Babic said.

“Each person is as good as the next.”

A lot of the struggle comes from putting 15 players together that were leaders on their high school team, Lee said, and getting them to buy in to the idea of coexisting and sharing the spotlight.

“This is Division I and I think for a lot of players, we come here and forget that, and we still want to have the spotlight we had in high school,” Lee said.

With eight returners from last year’s team, the Racers have several players that went through the experience of a broken team. Cross said the players are working hard to prevent a repeat, but the test will come once games start and playing time starts to get distributed.

The Racers’ regular season opener is at 5 p.m. Nov. 13 in the CFSB Center against Oakland City. Last year Oakland City finished 8-17 and 1-11 on the road.

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The News

Basketball

November 6, 2015

‘He’s a lead by example guy’ Seniors Jeffery Moss, Wayne Langston stand out as leaders for the team.

Blake Bernier || Staff writer dbernier@murraystate.edu

A man of few words, senior Jeffery Moss, lets his play on the court do the talking for him. Moss, a returning starter for the Racers, is well aware of the expectations surrounding his performance this season.

“I am the guy, that’s what people say, but I know people will be looking to lock in on me and I don’t really have to put pressure on myself to go out there and score,” Moss said.

Last season, Moss finished fourth on the team in points per game, but the three that ranked above him are all gone. With the huge loss of offensive production, it will be up to Moss and the new players to pick up the slack.

But it’s not just the offensive production that needs to be replaced; the Racers need leaders to step up and Head Coach Matt McMahon said Moss is taking ownership of that role.

“He’s a lead by example guy,” McMahon said. “His teammates have the ultimate respect for him because they know how much time he puts in. They know how important it is to him and they know that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help impact winning.”

Another guy stepping into a leadership role is senior Wayne Langston.

He said being a leader this year is his main concern and that “all the other individual stuff will take care of itself.”

Langston played in 33 games last season and averaged more than 12

Jenny Rohl/The News

Senior Jeffery Moss (above) will take on a leadership role this season, along with senior Wayne Langston. minutes per game. He finished fourth on the team in blocked shots.

Last season ended on a sour note as the Racers lost for a second time from long three-point shot in the NIT. Since that day, plenty of changes have occurred within the team: Cameron Payne elected to enter the NBA draft and former Head Coach Steve Prohm headed to Iowa State.

In response to Prohm’s departure,

the Racers hired a familiar face to coach the team, former assistant coach Matt McMahon.

“From an energy standpoint, I feel like coach McMahon brings more energy in practice, weights and conditioning,” Moss said. “Everything is just high intensity and you really have to work.”

Langston said McMahon holds everyone accountable from seniors

to freshmen.

In addition to a new head coach, the Racers added several new faces to the team.

Junior transfers Damarcus Croaker, Gee McGhee, Bryce Jones and A.J. Patty will be asked to be impact players from day one.

Moss knows that his teammates, both new and old, are looking to him for leadership and he’s been working on becoming more vocal.

“We’re still pushing him to talk more and want him to continue to get better in that area, but as far as leading by example you’re not going to find a better guy in that area,” McMahon said.

Langston said during practice if the communication is lacking, Coach McMahon will call the guys out.

Moss said he wants to spend the season continuing to mature as a leader and working hard to improve his game and his communication skills.

Moss said he’s had fun this offseason helping push the younger guys and giving them advice on what it takes to be successful. As quiet as Moss is, it’s no wonder that when he decides to talk the team listens.

“They listen because of the credibility that he has with the team, because they know that he’s a guy that’s going to be in the gym three times a day working on his individual game,” McMahon said. “They know he’s a guy that’s never going to take a possession off.”

The regular season will tip off at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in the CFSB Center against Harris-Stowe State.

The News

Basketball

November 6, 2015

DeBauche, first woman commissioner Mallory Tucker || Staff writer mtucker11@murraystate.edu

Since taking on the role in 2009, the OVC’s seventh full-time commissioner in its 68-year history has brought the league to its largest membership ever.

The commissioner has focused on branding initiatives that developed the conference’s first tagline, “Inspiring Excellence Since 1948,” the league’s first 30-second PSA commercial in more than 10 years and a longer highlight video for the conference.

In October 2013, the commissioner signed a five-year agreement with ESPN that includes a seven-game men’s basketball package and an eightgame ESPN3 Game of the Week football package before also acquiring a deal with the CBS Sports Network to produce a four-game men’s basketball package for the first time in 2013-14.

Postseason men’s basketball success has skyrocketed within the OVC during the commissioner’s term, with victories in the NCAA Tournament in four of the past seven years.

The commissioner sponsors leadership programs for student-athletes and coaches through on-campus summits and held the conference’s first Health and Safety Summit in October 2014 in addition to serving on the NCAA Committee on Institutional Performance, the Committee on Academics, the NCAA Division I Leadership Council, the Division

I Strategic Vision and Planning Committee and is the FCS representative to the “Coalition to Protect the Student-Athlete Experience” communications steering committee. Not to mention the Commissioner’s had a big role as the chair of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) Policy and Review Committee.

In 2012-13, the Commissioner helped spearhead a year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Title IX. The commissioner has brought attention to the league through national media coverage, improved both the OVC and the NCAA through passionate efforts and worked to advance student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom.

In addition to those accolades and countless more, OVC commissioner Beth DeBauche is also one of just eight female commissioners in Division I athletics.

While her gender makes her a minority in the world of collegiate sports, DeBauche has never felt that it held her, or any female athletes in the OVC, back.

“There has not been much of a change regarding women’s sports in the OVC over the past few years,” DeBauche told JamieDunham.com last year. “The reason being, women’s athletics has long been part of the fabric of the OVC. It is critical to our OVC membership that our student-athletes, regardless of gender, use their athletics

opportunities to enhance their overall educational experience.”

The focus on the conference as a whole, rather than women in the conference, might surprise some, but DeBauche constantly speaks of the OVC’s alignment of beliefs.

“As a conference, we have a similarity of mission and vision for the role of intercollegiate athletics, and those are values that truly matter,” DeBauche said at the DeBauche OVC’s football media day earlier this season.

“While I feel responsible to be a good role model for both our male and female student-athletes, as a female commissioner, I am charged by the OVC Board of Presidents with helping to lead the OVC and my gender just cannot, and should not, be an issue,” DeBauche continued in her JamieDunham.com interview.

DeBauche is more than a figurehead for the OVC. She’s an innovator, a leader and a game-changer, no pun intended. More important than her gender or accolades, there is one overriding purpose that DeBauche has set for herself and the league as she continues her tenure: “Most importantly, we want you to know the stories of this league.”

Fan Hal Kemp tells why he loves the Racers Mark McFarland

Assistant Sports Editor mmcfarland1@murraystate.edu

Kentucky, a predominately basketball driven state, has fans of all kinds, but for Murray locals, Racer basketball means everything.

For some Racer fans, basketball is just a sport, but for many others it is a lifestyle that is a pastime tradition.

This is true for longtime fan Hal Kemp. He is the owner of the local Dairy Queen and is well known in Murray. Kemp was born and raised in Kentucky.

“I guess I have always liked basketball,” Kemp wrote in an email. “Being born and raised in Kentucky I think it is in your genes.”

Though that might be true, Kemp loves basketball for others reasons, too.

“I like basketball because it is a fast moving sport, other than timeouts and

halftime there is always play going on.”

Racer basketball makes it easy for the fans to get close to and get to know the

I like basketball because it is a fast moving sport, other than timeouts and half time there is always play going on.

“

- Hal Kemp, Racer Fan

”

players and coaches, Kemp wrote.

“As a Racer fan, you get to know the coaches and players,” he wrote. “You get to watch the kids grow and develop as players and individuals.”

But for Kemp and many other Racer fans, it dates back to the 1960s when the team still played in Racer Arena. Racer Arena was loud, making it tough for other teams to play there, Kemp wrote.

“I started following Murray State

Basketball back in the ‘60s,” Kemp wrote. “I had a cousin that worked the MSU games at Racer Arena and would let us in through the side door.

We would climb on top of the press box and watch the games. The noise in Racer Arena was deafening.”

The Racers have an exhibition game on Nov. 5 at the CFSB Center against Freed-Hardman and begin the regular season against Harris Stowe State on Nov. 13 at the CFSB Center.

“There are a lot of things to look forward too,” Kemp wrote. “A new group of recruits, a new coach and how the team will respond after not making the tournament last year.”

Kemp is excited to watch the Racers and said the coach is going to have a big impact.

“It is always fun to watch as a new coach molds the team to match his personality and style of play,” Kemp wrote.

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November 6, 2015

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November 6, 2015

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OVC teams prepare for season Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor

krandolph3@murraystate.edu

To win the OVC, the Murray State men will have to get through a familiar foe: Belmont. Belmont again is the opponent to beat in 2015-16. The Bruins crushed the Racers’ NCAA Tournament hopes last year on a buzzer beater to win the OVC Tournament.

For the women, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the popular preseason pick for the OVC this year, looks to replace Tennessee State at the top of the OVC and will have to prove their place as their No. 2 spot last year brought them to the semi-finals but with no tournament win.

Photo courtesy of GoRacers.com

Jenny Rohl /TheNews

The Belmont Bruins, chosen by a team of SIDs and coaches, are this year’s season favorite picking up 22 of the 24 votes first-place votes.

Along with being the preseason No. 1 pick, the Bruins’ senior, Craig Bradshaw, is the OVC Preseason Player of the Year.

Bradshaw has been ranked among top guard by multiple national publications and was picked on the All OVC first team, OVC all Tournament Team and NACDA Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Bradshaw scored 42 points in a game against Ohio State in last year’s season and 25 points against Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March.

The Bruins had a winning season and proved that being at home meant better records than away games. Belmont went 12-2 at home losing both those home games by fewer than 10 points.

Belmont and Gonzaga are the only two NCAA Division

Men

I programs to earn seven automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament in the last 10 years, according to Belmont athletics. Belmont Head Coach, Rick Byrd feels the preseason polls are meaningless.

“Nobody has scored a basket yet, nobody has done anything,” Byrd said. “We just kind of hit it with a perfect storm this year that Murray and Eastern and us are kind of battling for the last three years, and they both lost several players and their coaches. We returned four guys and fortunately or unfortunately returned their coach so we get a lot of votes but it won’t be worth a point until we toss it up the first game.”

Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky split the other two first place votes in the OVC East.

While the Bruins were the overall top pick in the OVC, the Murray State Racers are the favorites in the West receiving 15 of the 24 first place votes.

“We don’t talk about win-

ning the west or winning the OVC or the NCAA,” said Murray State Head Coach Matt McMahon. “We have some hungry guys who are really excited about the opportunity to elevate their roles within our program and then I just want our guys sold out on the idea of the process of building a team and becoming the best team we are capable of.”

UT Martin received the other first place votes and finished 21-3 overall and 10-6 in their season.

Both the Racers and the Bruins begin their season Friday, Nov. 13. The Racers take on Harris-Stowe at 7 p.m. in the CFSB Center and the Bruins face Marquette at 8 p.m. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“It’s going to be ugly early, I think every coach will tell you that,” McMahon said.

“There will be a lot of free throw shooting contests but I think as the season goes on hopefully we’ll see an open more finesse and skilled product out on the floor.”

Women

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars have been picked for the OVC preseason between their SIDs and coaches to take home the regular season title.

The Cougars record was 13-3 for regular season play and 19-12 overall. The Cougars also bring senior guard Shondra Butts to the OVC Preseason Player of the Year for her All OVC first team and All Newcomer honors last year.

Butts is the second player in SIUE’s history to be a first team All OVC honoree after averaging just 15.6 points per game in her last season and 3.5 rebounds per game.

“I believe every team in the conference has improved from last year to this year,” said Cougars Head Coach Paula Buschner in an interview with OVCSports.com. “I think every team is going to be better to in turn make a great game day environment.

I think you’re going to see a lot of great players, you’re going to see a lot of fantastic plays and I think the excite-

ment in the Ohio Valley is as high as its ever been.”

Taking on the second spot in the conference, the UT Martin Skyhawks had 213 points, only 13 points behind SIUE’s 226 points.

The Skyhawks come to new season with a reigning OVC Coach of the Year, Kevin McMillan and their fourth 20-season win.

The Murray State Racers start the season predicted to place 10th for the women’s OVC. But they are led by OVC Freshman of the Year, Ke’Shunan James, who is the third player in program history to hold the title. The 2015-16 season for the Racer women’s team marks their 50th season of basketball in program history.

Both SIUE and Murray State start their season Friday Nov. 13 at their home arenas. The Cougars take on Northern Illinois at 5:30 and the Racers face Oakland City at 5:00. UT Martin begins their season at 3:30 on Saturday, Nov. 14, against North Dakota in Iowa City, Iowa.

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The News

November 6, 2015

Women’s rule changes for 2015-16 • Timeouts are not granted during instant replay in the last two minutes of the game until both coaches are notified about the results of the replay review.

• After the fifth team foul is called in each period, the offensive team will shoot two free throws for each foul that quarter.

• Ten second back-court count will restart after stoppages on the game clock, except when: the defense cause the ball to go out of bounds, the

Jenny Rohl/The News

Women’s Head Coach Rob Cross speaks at Racer Media Day Oct. 27.

offense keeps possession after a jump ball or a technical foul assessed to the offensive team.

• While a post player for • During a timeout called the offense has her back by the offensive team in to the basket in the the last 59.9 seconds of lane, the defender may the fourth quarter and only put one forearm overtimes, the offensive or hand, while having opportunity to move a bend in the elbow on the ball to the 128-foot the offensive player. mark on the court.

• Substitutions are no longer allowed during replay reviews inside the last two minutes of the game until both coaches are notified.

There are now • four 10 minute quarters. There will be a 75 second intermission between the first and second quarter and third and fourth quarters.

• In games that are not using electronic-media timeouts, each team will receive three 30-second timeouts and two 60 -second timeouts.

• During games with electronic-media timeouts each team will have three 30-second timeouts and one 60-second timeout. There will also be one media timeout per quarter.

The News

Basketball

November 6, 2015

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Men’s rule changes 2015-16 • The shot clock will go from 35 seconds to 30 seconds.

•

Restricted zone arc is moved from three feet to four feet.

Thirty-second • timeouts are reduced from four to three and only two of them can be carried over to the second half. Coaches are also only allowed to call timeouts when there is a dead ball on the play.

The 10-second back• court count will reset except for when, the defender forces the ball to go out of bounds, the offense regains the ball after a jump ball or a technical foul is assessed to the offensive team.

• The five second closely guarded rule has been removed.

• Arm bar is allowed in the post when the offensive player has his back to the basket.

• Teams will now be allowed to dunk the ball during pregame and halftime.

• Jump shooters cannot make contact with a defender preforming a “fly by” to try and draw a foul.

• Officials may now penalize a player who fakes being fouled, only while reviewing a flagrant foul. It will be a Class A technical foul, which will result in two shots and the ball at the point of interception.

• Class B technical fouls and administrative technical fouls

Jenny Rohl/The News

Men’s Head Coach Matt McMahon speaks about the season at Racer Media Day Oct. 27.

are reduced to one shot with the ball being put at the point of interception.

• Causing delay following team huddles result in a Class B technical foul.

• Timeouts and substitutions will not be permitted during replay reviews inside the last two minuets of the second half or overtime. Until officials give the coach-

es the results of the review.

The News

Basketball

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November 6, 2015

Office of Greek Life The Office of Greek Life recognizes the members of Fraternities and Sororities who achieved a 4.0 during the Spring 2015 semester. Congratulations!

Alpha Gamma Delta Alexis Bozell Rachael Dana Madison Evans Meagan Gilliland Lyndy Hill Chelsea Jenkins Larisa Maue Jasmine Middlebrook Kasie Overby Bayley Ranes Sarah Reynolds Clarissa Roberts Casey Schulte Laken Tabor Leann Thweatt Becca Vance Amanda Whitlow Alpha Delta Pi Joanna Croft Alexandra Durbin Kayla Edgar Katie Gipson Brie Haner Rachel Krumrey Frida Petersen Albert

Ashley Robinson Abigail Stringer Sara Vlasak Alyssa Wells Alpha Kappa Alpha Kimberley Jones Alpha Omicron Pi Morgan Bethel Chelsea Brantley Alexis Crayne Marci Crouch Summer Davis Paige Dintelmann Kristen Garcia Carlie Gish Ashlee Hall Caitlin Hughes Taylor Johnson Ali Lampert Natalie Lawrence Lauren Nunez Megan Riley Kelsey Robbins Jenna Ross Dare Sutton

Amanda Winchester Kimberly Yarymowicz Alpha Sigma Alpha Jaime Adams Collette Anderson Emily Baker Miranda Bivins Cassidy Carroll Ashley Ciallella Emma Creel Julia Curtis Emily Duff Miriam Eaton Bethany Eschman Kelci Fulkerson Brennan Handley Laura Hunter Morgan Lewis Rachel Littlefield Miranda McKinney Emily Mundt Kaylee Murphy Ashley Nelson Hannah Owens Cloie Rager Meredeth Riley

Alexandria Sharpe Erin Shaughnessy Maggie Stenger Tori Wood Alpha Sigma Phi Blake Barton Cameron Bishop Nigel Dick Kendrick Dunnaway Michael Heck Alex Jolly James Murphy Brian Puckett Cody Sieben James Slack Kristopher Thomas Jeffrey Warner Alpha Tau Omega Tyler Wortham Kappa Delta Rebecca Bettinger Katy Bretschneider Macye Davis Taylor Davis

Sarah Dotson Taylor Fritts Anna Gorsick Madeleine Loftis Maryssa Lynn Kaitlin Maynard Brittany Mehner Kathryn Offutt Laura Owens Madeline Slimack Anna-Marie Ulrich Amber Upton Megan Wagner Kyley Witherspoon Rachel Wood Pi Kappa Alpha Hunter Buckley Ryan Joiner Jarrett Seay Sigma Pi Dakota Fields James Griffith Sigma Sigma Sigma Courtney Bell

Chelsey Bennett Caitlin Beyea Alli Bozarth Taylor Chadduck Leslye Choate Jessica Crosno Taylor Fisk Taylor Futrell Margaret Hagan Sarah Hamby Kayla Harbin Megan Homme Megan Hudson Devan McCoy Morgan Miller Christy Stevenson Catherine Swift Sierra Underhill Sigma Phi Epsilon Jacob Arehart Nathan Arnold Mark Baker Mitchell Berry Austin Blakely Ronald Booth Christian Bowles

Kevin Brost Stephen Brown Jason Esau Joshua Gaunce Brice Griesemer Jonathan Little Matthew Rea Joshua Reed Branson Schroeder Gary Scourick Benjamin Walker Phi Kappa Tau Zachary Garrison

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Basketball

November 6, 2015

Men’s Basketball

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Check out some of our favorite photos from Racer Mania.

Jenny Rohl/The News

Jenny Rohl/The News

Justin Seymour, junior guard, signs an autograph for a young Racer fan.

Jenny Rohl/The News

Bryce Jones, junior guard, dances for the Racer Mania crowd.

Jenny Rohl/The News

A.J. Patty, junior forward, makes his grand entrance into the CFSB Center.

Jenny Rohl/The News

Gee McGhee, junior forward, makes a jump shot.

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Women’s Basketball Check out some of our favorite photos of our Women’s Basketball team.

Kalli Bubb/The News

The Racer women’s basketball team practice in Racer Arena.

Jenny Rohl/The News

Ajee Smith, senior guard, dances for the Racer Mania crowd.

Jenny Rohl/The News

Kalli Bubb/The News

Kalli Bubb/The News

Women’s basketball head coach Rob Cross at Media Day.

The News

November 6, 2015 Basketball New season, new team: 2015-16 Men’s Basketball

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Mallory Tucker || Staff writer mtucker11@murraystate.edu

The 2015-16 Racers are lots of things. Hard working, athletic and skilled are just a few words first-year Head Coach Matt McMahon has used to describe his team during the preseason. He said they’ve bought into the culture of Murray State, they’re dedicated, competitive and excited.

“I hope you’ll see a team that just plays with relentless effort every single possession,” McMahon said. “I think it’s going to be a team that has really sold out to that. They’re really committed to how hard you have to play and how each possession carries such great value.”

But more than all those things, the one word that best describes the Racers is this: new.

Only five of the 12 eligible men have hit the court donning Murray State’s iconic blue and gold, and only three have played significant minutes for the Racers.

On a roster comprised mostly of newcomers, many look to senior Jeffery Moss to lead the team this year.

Averaging .487 from the 3-point line and .853 from the free throw line last season, Moss is the only fouryear Racer left, and is leading the team quietly by example, according to McMahon and the team’s only other senior, Wayne Langston.

While Moss has taken on a new role as the face of Racer basketball, the depth of skill he’s seen from his teammates provides a sense of relief from the weight on his shoulders.

“I am the guy – or that’s what people say,” Moss said. “I know people will be looking to lock in on me. I don’t really have to put pressure on myself to go out there and score this amount of points. I can just go out there and make plays, whether it’s scoring, passing or setting a screen to get one of my teammates open. It just takes a lot of pressure off me.”

Racer newcomers include juniors Bryce Jones and A.J. Patty, both transfers from junior colleges, freshmen Brion Sanchious and Chad Culbreath and junior Division I transfers Gee McGhee and Damarcus Croaker, who will make their highly-anticipated debuts after sitting out a year according to NCAA regulations.

“The one thing that’s different than in years past, everyone has known who the Murray State Racers starting lineup was going to be,” McMahon said. “From Aug. 1 on, everybody

knew – those are the top five guys, that’s who’s starting. Well this year’s a little different. We don’t. It’s really open season at every position, so we’ve had great competition in individual workouts, great competition in practice. I hope you’ll see that carry over now as we come together as a team, as roles start to get defined. That we don’t lose that competitive nature that we’ve had this preseason.”

Jones’ skills offer consistency to the Racers from the point guard position, which he proved during their international tour to Canada in August by scoring eight, 12 and 14 points, respectively, during the trip’s three games. Patty, on the other hand, offers a unique advantage to the Racers: He’s a 6’9” forward that can shoot from the perimeter.

“As long as they go in, we’ll let him take them,” McMahon said. “We want him shooting it. That’s one of the better things in his game. He’s proven it all summer that he can step out and knock that shot down. Now, I don’t want him taking crazy ones where he’s flying off triple screens and fading away like Kobe, but as long as his feet are set and he’s down on the catch, shot, ready, we want him taking those open looks.”

After what McMahon described as a “solid, but not great” sit-out year, McGhee has made strides in the last month in both his game and his leadership skills. As a double-figure scorer at the University of Chattanooga, McMahon is pleased with the direction he’s heading.

McMahon calls Croaker an NBAlevel athlete and expects him to fill a defensive void left by the loss of rebounders Jonathan Fairell and Jarvis Williams at the conclusion of last season. Langston is excited to see up-tempo transitions – and dunks – out of Croaker as well.

Freshman Brion Sanchious is also expected to make an immediate impact for the Racers. As a raw talent on offense, Sanchious has stood out on defense during the preseason as a large, versatile athlete.

“He can do just about everything on the court: pass, dribble, make the right reads off of pick and rolls,” Langston said. “He can shoot. He’s just somebody good to have on the team. I’d rather play with him than against him.”

Sophomore Kedrick Flomo has also shown great improvement during the offseason, gaining 18 pounds during weightlifting and putting up 23 points

2015-2016 Men’s Basketball Schedule: Home Games Date Game Time 11/5/15 Freed-Hardeman 7 p.m.

11/13/15 Harris-Stowe State 7 p.m.

11/28/15 Alabama A&M 7 p.m.

12/5/15 Evansville 7:30 p.m.

12/18/15 Southern Illinois 7 p.m.

12/30/15 Brescia 7 p.m.

1/2/16 Morehead State 2 p.m.

1/7/16 Tennessee Tech 7 p.m.

1/9/16 Jacksonville State 5:30 p.m.

1/23/16 SIUE 7 p.m.

2/6/16 Austin Peay 7 p.m.

2/13/16 Southeast Missouri 7 p.m.

2/27/16

UT Martin

during the team’s summer trip to Canada. The Racers will depend on him to take on various roles, namely his 3-point shooting, which percentage-wise is along the same lines as Moss, according to McMahon.

While McMahon said there’s no benefit to having a whole new team, depth coming off the bench will make all the difference for the new team and new Head Coach as they take on a new season – and new NCAA regulations.

“It’s definitely exciting, I think, for any good team to have eight or nine players that they play,” Langston said. “I feel like that’s an advantage for us.”

With less than a week until the

7 p.m.

team’s home opener and a starting five that is still not clearly defined, the Racers are focused on building, bonding and becoming the best version of themselves.

“Our whole focus every single day is just on building a team,” McMahon said. “We’re trying to fast-track that team chemistry, really teach all of our newcomers what the Murray State culture’s all about.

That’s just the way we’ve always operated. We’re not worried about the players who have moved on.

We were blessed to have some great ones last year, but our whole focus is on becoming the best team that we’re capable of becoming with this year’s group.”

The News

Basketball

November 6, 2015

Meet the coaches: Matt McMahon

McMahon

17

Matt McMahon & Rob Cross Rob Cross

Who: Named the 16th head coach in history on June 9, 2015.

Who: Named the 12th head coach in Racer history on March 31, 2008.

From: Native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, graduated from Appalachian State in 2002 with a degree in marketing.

From: Cross has a bachelor’s degree in Music from Murray State in 1991.

Seasons: His first season with the Racers was 2011-12.

Notable accomplishments: McMahon was an assistant coach alongside Steve Prohm and helped lead the Racers to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed in the 2011-12 season. In the next season, McMahon was involved with the Racers when they won the CollegeInsider Tournament championship and finished 23-11. In the 2014-15 season, McMahon had another historic season as the Racers went undefeated int he OVC and set a school record 25-game win streak.

Cross

Seasons: His first season with the Racers as an assistant coach was 1995-96.

Notable accomplishments: Cross finished his first season as head coach with a perfect home record, 14-0 and ended that season with 21 wins which is a school record. Cross was a part of the team for all three trips to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Cross has coached 14 all-conference players and recently led Ke’Shunan James to reign as the OVC Freshman of the Year.

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The News

Basketball

18

November 6, 2015

2015-16 Women’s Basketball team out to find success Mark McFarland

Assistant Sports Editor mmcfarland1@murraystate.edu

Kalli Bubb/The News

Jasmine Borders, sophomore guard, practices with the team before the season begins.

Last year was a tough year for the Racers as they won just eight games overall with only three of them coming in conference.

Senior Bianca Babic, from Melbourne, Australia said the team is looking forward for the upcoming season.

“We are so ready to play this year,” Babic said.

“Last year we actually just wished we could cancel that whole year out.”

This year might be a different story. The Racers are looking to prove everyone wrong after being voted to finish 10th in the OVC this season.

Murray State will turn to last year’s OVC freshman of the year, Ke’Shunan James, sophomore from Jackson, Tennessee, to set the tone on the court.

James was second on the team last year in points per game with 15.4 and second on the team in rebounds per game with

6.5 and led the team with 46 steals on the year.

“I’ve coached three OVC freshmen of the year,” said Head Coach Rob Cross. “If you look at the numbers and compare everything, she is right there along with or a little bit better numbers than Ashley Hayes, who got her shot to play professionally.”

Cross said the numbers this year may not be better than last year for her, but the efficiency level from James should increase drastically and her ceiling is unlimited.

One of the struggles for James last year was turnovers. She committed a team high 133 turnovers to 67 assists but Cross said he expects a more controlled approach from her this year.

“She’s worked on being more patient instead of being 100 mph all the time,” Cross said.

Led by James, the Racers boasted the highest PPG average in the OVC last year with 73.6 PPG and reached triple digits three

times including a high of 118 on Dec. 30 against Brescia, but Cross thinks the offense could be even better this year.

“I believe our offense will be more efficient,” Cross said. “This year we’re going to have four or five people on the court at any one time that can score the basketball.”

The Racers struggled defensively last year, allowing 80 or more points in 11 games. Cross said a more efficient offense will help them out defensively this year by allowing them time to get back and get the defense set, and that defense has been a focus this offseason.

“We have really been working on our defense,” Babic said. “I feel like we are just trying to get that balance, we can’t be completely awesome on offense and lack defensively.”

Murray State added four freshman and a couple junior college transfers that Cross believes could help the Racers compete in OVC play this year.

“We have added people

who can make plays with the ball in their hands and score baskets,” Cross said.

“We also added a lot of length and athleticism on the defensive end.”

Senior forward Jashae Lee said this season with the added athleticism the team has the chance to play fast on offense and defense.

“Defense is one of those things that you have to work hard on,” Lee said.

“Defense wins championships, that’s what I was taught as a child … and with our athleticism we should be able to get up and pressure.”

The team will play a tough non-conference schedule, including a marquee matchup Dec. 19 against Florida State who is currently No. 7 in the country.

“I am excited to play Florida State,” Babic said.

“It is going to be nice to go to Florida and get a trip.”

The Racers will take the court on Nov. 13 at the CSFB Center against Oakland City to start the season.

2015-2016 Women’s Basketball Schedule: Home Games Date 11/13/15 11/21/15

12/2/15 12/14/15 12/30/15 1/2/16

Game Oakland City Central Arkansas Southern Illinois Blue Mountain Lindenwood (Ill.) Morehead State

Time 5 p.m.

1 p.m.

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

5 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

1/7/16 1/9/16

Tennessee Tech Jacksonville State 1/23/16 SIU Edwardsville 1/27/16 Eastern Illinois 2/6/16 Austin Peay 2/10/16 SIU Edwardsville 2/27/16 UT Martin

5 p.m.

3 p.m.

5 p.m.

6 p.m.

5 p.m.

7 p.m.

5 p.m.

The News

November 6, 2015

Basketball

19

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