A Special Publication of The Murray State News
Blake Sandlin, Colton Colglazier/The News
Basketball
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Men’s basketball looking to repeat Blake Sandlin Sports Editor bsandlin1@murraystate.edu Expectations for Murray State men’s basketball will be at an all-time high following an OVC Championship-winning season last year. With a promising crop of returners and newcomers to match, the idea of consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament isn’t hyperbole.
in Wright State University in their homeopener before competing against Missouri Valley foes Missouri State University – picked to finish first in the loaded MVC – and Southern Illinois University – picked to finish fifth in the MVC. Of course, no year is complete without renewing an entertaining series with Middle Tennessee State University.
foot injury before the season started. Brown should add a shooting presence for a Racer team that Morant asserted is much improved from behind the arc. “It’s early, but I still feel like we have more shooters than last years,” Morant said. “Basically I feel like we have more pieces; I think if we sub we won’t miss a beat at all, and that’ll be good for us.”
Breakout talents
Around the conference
Replacing the irreplaceable
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Murray State has another NBA-caliber point guard. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard of the South Carolina standout Ja Morant. After a season where he averaged unprecedented totals of 12.7 PPG, 6.3 APG and 6.5 RPG, it goes without saying Morant will be the unquestioned leader tasked with guiding the Racers back to the NCAA tournament. The sophomore hasn’t just garnered local acclaim. Morant shot up draft boards after his inaugural season while complementing Stark and Miller and is now slated by most NBA Draft analysts to be taken somewhere in the first round. The one knock on Morant, and naturally so, has been his sometimes streaky shooting, as he shot 30 percent from the 3-point line last season. Murray State Head Coach Matt McMahon said he expects a career year out of Morant, as well as Preseason All-OVC selection Shaq Buchanan. “With Ja and Shaq, 13 points per game and 9 points per game last year, it wasn’t because they couldn’t [score more], it’s that they’re unselfish, smart players,” McMahon said. “They had guys like Stark and Miller, and they created a lot of scoring opportunities for those guys so we’ll count on them to score more for us this season.” The Racers also boast a promising class of newcomers. One of those, freshman guard Tevin Brown, has had plenty of time to get adjusted to McMahon’s system after he redshirted last year following a
OVC pollsters tabbed Murray State to finish No. 2 in the conference after Belmont, a team that the Racers beat 68-51 in the OVC Championship last season. Of seven players who started for the Bruins last year, only three return – senior forward Dylan Windler (17.3 PPG), senior guard Kevin McClain (12.6 PPG) and junior center Seth Adelsperger (2.6 PPG). Besides Belmont, the OVC does possess several other teams that could pose an imminent threat to the Racers’ title hopes. Jacksonville State, a team Murray State split games with during the regular season and nearly upset the Racers in the OVC semi-finals, could be one of the biggest roadblocks. The Gamecocks return three starters from last season – senior forward Jason Burnell (11.2 PPG), senior guard Marlon Hunter (10.4 PPG) and senior guard Jamall Gregory (8.4 PPG). They’ll have to cope with the loss of Malcolm Drumright, though, who was the heartbeat for the Gamecocks last season, averaging 13.1 PPG and 3.6 assists per game. However, JSU does boast two power-five transfers in junior guard Ty Hudson (Clemson) and senior guard Detrick Mostella (Tennessee).
If you found yourself at the CFSB Center at least once this season, odds are you witnessed an electric shooting showcase from guard Jonathan Stark or the duality of forward Terrell Miller’s inside/outside repertoire. Well, the consistent, game-saving heroics of the two players have departed, leaving a massive scoring void which the Racers will need to fill if they hope to hoist the OVC Championship in Evansville next year. Stark (21.4 PPG) and Miller (15.1 PPG) are now pursuing professional basketball careers, leaving behind them notable returners in sophomore guard Ja Morant, senior guard Shaq Buchanan and senior forwards Anthony Smith and Brion Sanchious. Building a resume The last time men’s basketball featured two SEC teams on its regular season schedule was 1993. The Racers faced the University of Mississippi and the University of Arkansas, splitting the two games. Twenty-five years later, Murray State again has a loaded slate of games, complete with games against the University of Alabama and Auburn University. Even more, the Racers will be paired against formidable mid-majors in their non-conference schedule. They’ll host the reigning Horizon League champions
Murray State’s men’s basketball team gathers for a pre-practice prayer.
Game info The first leg of the Racers’ journey to the tourney will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the CFSB Center against Wright State.
November 8, 2018
Men’s Basketball Schedule NOV 5 (MON) 7 P.M. VS
BRESCIA
NOV 10 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS
WRIGHT STATE SPALDING
NOV 16 (FRI) 7 P.M. VS NOV 24 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS NOV 26 (MON) 7 P.M. VS DEC 1 (SAT) 7 P.M.
VS
DEC 8 (SAT) 7 P.M.
VS
DEC 12 (WED) 7 P.M. VS DEC 15 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS DEC 18 (TUE) 7 P.M. VS DEC 22 (SAT) 3:30 P.M. VS
DEC 29 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS JAN 3 (THU) 7 P.M. VS
PRAIRIE VIEW MIDDLE TENNESSEE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS JACKSON STATE EVANSVILLE AUBURN BETHEL (TN) MOREHEAD STATE
JAN 10 (THU) 7:30 P.M. VS
EASTERN KENTUCKY UT MARTIN
JAN 12 (SAT) 4:15 P.M. VS
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
JAN 17 (THU) 7:15 P.M. VS
EASTERN ILLINOIS
JAN 19 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS
SIUE BELMONT
JAN 5 (SAT) 7 P.M.
VS
JAN 24 (THU) 8 P.M. VS JAN 26 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS JAN 31 (THU) 7:15 P.M. VS FEB 2 (SAT) 7:30 P.M. VS FEB 7 (THU) 7 P.M.
VS
FEB 9 (SAT) 7 P.M.
VS
FEB 14 (THU) 6 P.M.
VS
TENNESSEE STATE JACKSONVILLE STATE TENNESSEE TECH EASTERN ILLINOIS SIUE AUSTIN PEAY
VS
EASTERN KENTUCKY UT MARTIN
FEB 23 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
FEB 28 (THU) 6:35 P.M. VS
MOREHEAD STATE
MAR 2 (SAT) 7 P.M. VS
AUSTIN PEAY
FEB 16 (SAT) 6 P.M. VS FEB 21 (THU) 7 P.M.
Blake Sandlin/The News
MISSOURI STATE ALABAMA
Colton Colglazier/The News
Basketball
November 8, 2018
Young Racers heading culture rebuild Gage Johnson
Senior writer
gjohnson17@murraystate.edu
Racer Mania and OVC Media Day have passed, meaning Racer basketball is right around the corner. With Murray State women’s basketball’s season now in full swing, here’s what to expect out of the Racers. Turner’s first recruiting class The Racers will host a nearly brandnew team on the hardwood this season. Murray State Head Coach Rechelle Turner’s first recruiting class consists of nine new players – six freshmen and three junior college transfers. The freshman class consists of guards Macey Turley, Lex Mayes, Alexis Burpo, Sadie Hill, walk-on Raegan Blackburn and forward Macie Gibson. The group has many prestigious accolades between them. Turley, Mayes and Burpo are familiar faces in Murray, as they all eclipsed the 1,000-point mark while playing at Murray High. A few of those seasons were under Turner in her previous coaching job at Murray High. Gibson was a regional and district MVP as well as a Miss Kentucky Basketball finalist. Hill was a two-sport athlete who earned three all-conference selections and won the discus event in the 2017-18 state track meet in Indiana. Blackburn was also a member of her high school’s 1,000-point club and earned several all-region and all-district selections. The other three newcomers consist of JUCO transfers in junior forwards Cekeya Mack and Evelyn Adebayo and junior guard DeAsia Outlaw. Mack finished sixth in the nation in rebounds (12 RPG) and 24th in the country in scoring (18.7 PPG) last season at Albany Technical College. Outlaw was ranked in the Top 20 in the country with her 57 percent shooting percentage and was selected for the NJCAA Top-40 All Star game last
season at Wabash Valley College. Adebayo is a relative newcomer, as she sat out last season and watched the Racers from the sidelines. Turner noted that Adebayo has since progressed immensely and she expects a lot from the Gardner-Webb University transfer. “About a month ago or so I don’t know what happened, but something just clicked,” Turner said. “I truly believe she is an All-Conference type of player. I’m really excited to watch her growth and see what she can do this year.” C.H.A.M.P.S and “We over me” Most teams abide by a team motto to motivate team chemistry. The Racers have done so by adopting the C.H.A.M.P.S. acronym and the mantra “We Over Me.” “Our overall culture is ‘We Over Me,’” Turner said. “We identify that through C.H.A.M.P.S. That’s character, hard work, accountability, mental toughness, positive attitude and selflessness. Those are the core values of our culture that we teach everyday. Every decision we do is based on that. I’m excited about how our kids have bought into it.” Leadership and experience With only four players that logged minutes returning from last season and only one senior among the four, the Racers don’t have many upperclassmen to provide experience and leadership. Despite a mostly new team, Turner was shocked at how quickly the players bonded over the summer and is thrilled with the five returning players for making it happen. “We have five players returning and they need to understand they are the reason this happened,” Turner said. “These new eight players came in and were like ‘what do we need to do?’ and ‘what are we about?’ and our returning players did a great job of setting an example. Overall, the chemistry of this basketball team is
what excites me more than anything.” In late December the Racers have scheduled games against the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee. Turner knows they’re not expected to come out on the winning side but thinks the games will serve as great learning experiences. “Our kids are excited about those challenges,” Turner said. “It gives us an opportunity to make memories. These are schools these kids grew up admiring. It also gives us an opportunity to challenge ourselves against the best schools in the country.” Game plan and expectations Murray State is coming off a 2017-18 campaign in which they had an 11-19 overall record and a 7-11 record in OVC play. This will be Turner’s second season at the helm and she expects a much different outcome this season. Turner prides herself on her teams being some of the best defensive teams in their conference. Last season, the Racers ranked last in that category, but she believes this won’t be the case this season. “That hurt my heart more than anything last year,” Turner said. “That’s unacceptable. That’s the difference in this year’s team. We have kids that are committed to playing both sides of the ball, and they know if they don’t play defense, someone else will.” On the offensive side, the game plan has changed from last season. The Racers lost Ke’Shunan James, last season’s OVC Player of the Year. With newfound depth and a team effort expected in terms of scoring, Murray State will be playing offense through many different facets. “This gives us the ability to play different styles at different times depending on what we need to do,” Turner said. “When we get to the point where we can play fast and execute, we’re going to put people on their heels in the way they have to defend us.” While the team is very young and and the Racers are predicted to finish last in the OVC, according to the OVC preseason poll, Turner believes her team will shock many people. “Our players are just going to get baptized by fire,” Turner said. “We can’t give them experience that they don’t have. But we won’t make excuses. I believe by conference time we will surprise a lot of people. Not a lot of people know anything about our players, but I know about our players and I know the expectations that I have for them.” Game Info
Blake Sandlin/The News
Murray State Head Coach Rechelle Turner instructs her team during their exhibition against Lindsey Wilson.
The Racers will play the second game of their season against Oakland City at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the CFSB Center.
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Women’s Basketball Schedule NOV 1 (THU) 6 P.M.
VS
NOV 7 (WED) 6 P.M. VS NOV 10 (SAT) 5 P.M. VS NOV 13 (TUE) 6 P.M. VS NOV 20 (TUE) 6 P.M. VS NOV 27 (TUE) 7 P.M. VS DEC 1 (SAT) 5 P.M.
VS
DEC 11 (TUE) 7 P.M. VS DEC 13 (THU) 6 P.M. VS DEC 18 (TUE) 5 P.M. VS DEC 21 (FRI) 11 A.M. VS DEC 28 (FRI) 6 P.M. VS JAN 3 (THU) 5 P.M. VS JAN 5 (SAT) 5 P.M.
VS
JAN 10 (THU) 5:30 P.M. VS JAN 12 (SAT) 2 P.M. VS JAN 17 (THU) 5:15 P.M. VS JAN 19 (SAT) 2 P.M. VS JAN 24 (THU) 5 P.M. VS JAN 26 (SAT) 5 P.M. VS JAN 31 (THU) 11:30 A.M. VS FEB 2 (SAT) 5:30 P.M. VS FEB 7 (THU) 5 P.M.
VS
FEB 9 (SAT) 5 P.M.
VS
FEB 14 (THU) 4 P.M.
VS
FEB 16 (SAT) 2 P.M. VS FEB 21 (THU) 5 P.M.
VS
LINDSEY WILSON EVANSVILLE OAKLAND CITY BUTLER LIPSCOMB ARKANSAS STATE ALABAMA A&M ILLINOIS BETHEL (TN) SOUTHERN ILLINOIS KENTUCKY TENNESSEE MOREHEAD STATE EASTERN KENTUCKY UT MARTIN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI EASTERN ILLINOIS SIUE BELMONT TENNESSEE STATE JACKSONVILLE STATE TENNESSEE TECH EASTERN ILLINOIS SIUE EASTERN KENTUCKY AUSTIN PEAY UT MARTIN
FEB 28 (THU) 4:05 P.M. VS
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI MOREHEAD STATE
MAR 2 (SAT) 5 P.M. VS
AUSTIN PEAY
FEB 23 (SAT) 5 P.M. VS
Colton Colglazier/The News
Basketball
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Familiar faces arrive in familiar places Adam Redfern Staff writer aredfern@murraystate.edu
To play a college sport on a DI level is something that not many athletes are able to achieve in their life. To play a D1 sport in your hometown is something special, and for freshmen guards Lex Mayes and Macey Turley, and forward Alexis Burpo, that luxury is something they have worked their entire lives to attain. Murray State women’s basketball Head Coach Rechelle Turner’s first recruiting class has stepped on campus, which includes Mayes and Turley and Burpo, all from Murray. The three are more
than comfortable with the Racers’ head coach, as they all played under Turner at Murray High School, where she led them to three All-A Classic State appearances. The trio of Murray Tigers are very excited to help contribute to their old high school coach, and Turner is elated to see how they shine under the lights of the CFSB Center. “It is great to have them in our program,” Turner said. “Not only because I am familiar with them, but because it is the type of kids that they are. They are great character kids, and they are also very talented. Their ability to play, along with how great of kids they are, is definitely what we are
trying to build this program around.” Mayes led a very impressive athletic career at Murray High, where she garnered a plethora of awards and accomplishments. Mayes was a three-time All-A Classic State and All-Tournament Team selection. She also broke single-season steals records in backto-back seasons and was named the All-A Classic Tournament MVP her senior season. Turley had an impressive career alongside Mayes and Burpo, achieving multiple accolades. She led the Tigers to three Region 1 titles and two All-A Classic championships, and was both a two-time First Team All-State honoree out of
Murray High School and 2016 All-A Classic MVP. Turley said she’s excited to take the court with her fellow Murray alumnae, and hopes the chemistry translates. “They are like my sisters and we have a lot of good chemistry,” Turley said. “We have been playing together since freshman year, and we can use this chemistry at a collegiate level.” Burpo was just as impressive as her two teammates. During her career as a Tiger, she cemented her place in the 1,000-point club at MHS, received the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award and helped Murray High win three Region 1 titles and two All-A Classic
Photo courtesy of Lex Mayes’ Twitter
Lex Mayes, Alexis Burpo and Macey Turley pose together on their high school court. championships. The three are excited to get to play with individuals they have spent time with over the past four years, and hope they can transfer the chemistry they’ve built in high
school to college. “It is a very big blessing,” said Mayes. “I’m with them [Burpo and Turley] everyday, and I’m excited to get to play with them for four more years.”
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Morant chasing a ring and an NBA dream Maggiann Ackerman Staff writer mackerman@murraystate.edu
Murray State sophomore point guard Ja Morant made his objective for the season very clear following Murray State’s media day: bring home another championship. Morant was projected to be drafted No. 19 by ESPN Draft analyst Jonathan Givony in his most recent mock draft. Despite being a highly-touted prospect, the sophomore has adopted a humble approach and has his eyes set on only what he can control. “My focus is on Murray State and building another championship team,” Morant said. During the offsea-
son, Morant worked to improve his shooting game to make this goal a reality. Morant was invited to attend NBA guard Chris Paul’s Elite Guard Camp, where he said Paul gave him insightful pointers relating to the screen-based offense the Racers employ. “He just talked to me about what to read off the screens with the offense we run and where to look to be open off them,” Morant said. Morant’s father, Tee, who was an NBA prospect himself before he gave up his career to raise his son, gave Ja advice about declaring for the NBA draft. Morant said his dad told him to focus on his game and let the rest fall into place, and that’s just
Blake Sandlin/The News
Sophomore guard Ja Morant skies for a layup in the Racers’ exhibition against Brescia. what the sophomore has Morant noted the team year and more pieces to done. this year is loaded. put the puzzle togeth The season ahead “I feel like we have er,” Morant said. “We’re looks promising, as more shooters than last really not selfish. We are
a very unselfish team and don’t focus on who is scoring.” Morant has a positive attitude about the team chemistry that has already been building on and off-the-court. “We all are comfortable with each other, and we do almost everything together,” Morant said. “All of us, every day after practice we get together until it’s time for bed. We bonded really fast, and I know that will help in the end.” Being looked up to as a leader on the team, despite only being a sophomore, is a comfortable spot for Morant to be in. “It’s not weird being a leader; it’s a position I’ve always been in,” Morant said.
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Basketball
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Blake Sandlin Sports Editor bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
When members of Murray State’s men’s basketball team aren’t turning heads on the basketball court, they’re turning heads with their off-court style. Whether they’re on campus, at practice or checking out a football game, it’s easy to recognize a Murray State basketball player through one defining trait: their taste in sneakers. It could be junior forward Mike Davis donning a pair of colorful Air Jordan 1’s or maybe sophomore guard Ja Morant showcasing a coveted pair of Air Jordan 4’s – whatever the case, one thing is certain: the Racers are packing heat. However, Murray State’s basketball team wouldn’t be parading this level of offcourt swagger without the services of one 18-year-old Mississippian. Cordarious Dorsey has changed the way the Racers purchase their sneakers, and it all started with a bond with one Murray State guard. Dorsey is a freshman at Mississippi State University, and the childhood friend of a current Racer, senior
November 8, 2018
The Racers’ Horseshoes Inside men’s basketball’s affinity for sneakers guard Shaq Buchanan. Buchanan attended Madison Central High School in Madison, Mississippi, about 50 miles away from Dorsey in Lexington. Moreover, Dorsey even saw freshman guard DaQuan Smith, from Holly Springs, Mississippi, play in high school. What started as a friendship between Buchanan and Dorsey would signal the genesis of a unique business opportunity between Dorsey and the Murray State basketball team. Dorsey has family who work at North America Logistics Campus-Memphis, Nike’s largest distribution center worldwide. He said employees at the facility receive massive discounts on Nike and Jordan footwear, sometimes more than half off retail price. From that luxury Dorsey hatched an idea: to resell Nike’s exclusive shoes to avid “sneakerheads” for a fraction of the cost. According to SportsOneSource, the international sneaker market is a more than $55 billion industry. Thanks to the success of the shoe industry, its secondary marketplace, or resale market, has ballooned in recent years. Shoe compa-
nies like Nike intentionally limit the volume of sneakers in releases in order to fuel the craze surrounding the industry. That gives resellers the opportunity to capitalize, buying the exclusive shoes and inflating the prices. It’s worked, too, as the Financial Times estimated the sneaker resale market has reached over $1 billion in sales. “Other resellers, they charge so much,” Dorsey said. “I don’t believe in overcharging anybody, so I keep it reasonable.” For most shoes, Dorsey charges around $60 more than the shoe retails for, but he allowed Buchanan to purchase limited-release sneakers at retail price. Dorsey’s generosity soon led to the acquisition of new high-profile clients as Buchanan introduced the men’s basketball team to him. “He can get, like, any shoe,” Buchanan said. “[His uncle] gets the shoes, then we just pay him for it and he sends them to us.” Wanting to show his support for Division I athletes, Dorsey extended the same gesture of retail pricing to the entire team. “I show love to them, so I just charge them regular
Photo Courtesy of Cordarious Dorsey
Cordarious Dorsey, a freshman at Mississippi State, has helped the Racers acquire rare shoes for a low price.
Blake Sandlin/The News
The Racers’ men’s basketball team showcases their sneaker style at a Murray State football game. retail,” Dorsey said. “I just do that out of the goodness [of my heart] because I know how it is for a student-athlete.” Among his clientele is sophomore guard Ja Morant who describes himself as a lifelong sneakerhead. Although he currently only owns about 13 pairs of shoes, Morant has had around 25 pairs of shoes in his collection. “I’ve always been a sneakerhead,” Morant said. “There was times when I felt like I had too much and I wasn’t wearing them, so I would just give them to my friends or somebody else.” Morant said Buchanan told the team Dorsey had access to any exclusive release for a fraction of the cost that other resellers would charge. “Shaq basically told us that he could get us any shoe,” Morant said. “It’s basically like buying shoes online, but just going through one person. I’m a different type of person; I don’t want shoes everybody got, so I try to get some classics that don’t come out no more.”
Some of Morant’s collection includes shoes like the Jordan 12 “Michigan,” Jordan 11 “Cool Grey,” Jordan 6 “Gatorade” and even a pair of Jordan 5’s customized with a Murray State design. His most coveted shoe, though, is his pair of Jordan 4 “Cactus Jack,” which have sold for as much as $2,200 on the secondary market, according to Stock X. Buchanan’s collection is made up of about 20 pairs. His most recent pickup from Dorsey was the Jordan 1 High “Off-White University Blue,” a shoe that retails for $190 but sold for a whopping $3,680 in one sale, according to Stock X. So far, Dorsey’s services have been utilized by freshman forward KJ Williams, Morant, Buchanan, Smith and Davis. Since he’s been helping the basketball team, Dorsey has even noticed a spike in customers. “A lot of people have been following me; a lot of people have been buying,” Dorsey said. “It’s just been crazy.” It’s been so crazy that Dorsey has been able to use
the venture as his primary income as a student at Mississippi State, as he pockets anywhere from $500 to $1,000 a month in profits. However, Dorsey does have bigger goals. Pursuing a degree in business, Dorsey hopes he can parlay his sneaker expertise into a professional career. “It’s a side hustle right now, but I think once I really get into it I can open a store up and do stuff like that,” Dorsey said. “I’m majoring in business, so like, I’d like to have my own store and then have, like, celebrities and basketball players come through and shop.” No matter where Dorsey’s life takes him, the 18-year-old sneaker savant will always count himself lucky for the opportunity to play just a small role in the lives of the reigning OVC champions. “When I first started I didn’t think it was going to be very big, but man, it’s crazy,” Dorsey said. “To watch them play, and they went to ‘The Big Dance,’ and for them to be buying shoes from me, that’s crazy.”
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Big turnaround: Racers forging a post presence Keith Jaco Staff writer rjaco@murraystate.edu
The Murray State men’s basketball team has gone through its share of turnover since last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance. Stellar guard play from players like Jonathan Stark and Ja Morant as well as consistent games from Terrell Miller Jr. helped propel the Racers to a 26-6 record. Once tournament time rolled around, the underlying problem of the Racer basketball team was exposed. Murray State’s big men failed to answer the call and contributed very little in the Racers’ NCAA Tournament loss to West Virginia University. Murray State’s bigs took zero shots from the field
and combined for a drastically low 2 points in the entire contest. Head Coach Matt McMahon will need consistency and production inside the paint if his team hopes to be playing at the Ford Center come March. With the likes of Stark and Miller missing from this year’s roster, McMahon and staff will look to develop and work with returning players, as well as the new Racer talent. Along with newcomers, a pair of senior forwards will be in the limelight for Murray State this season following former starter Jalen Dupree’s decision to transfer after the 2017-18 season. Senior forwards Brion Sanchious and Anthony Smith are expected to share playing time for
the Racers at the forward and center positions. Freshman forward K.J. Williams, a high school stand-out from Mississippi, and junior forward Darnell Cowart, a transfer student from Cowley County Community College, will each scrap for playing time for the Racers. Now that his senior year is here, Sanchious is ready to showcase his offseason work and give back to the best fans in the OVC. “I’m excited for my senior year,” Sanchious said. “I want to show the fans and all the families who supported me how much I appreciate them for all four years that I’ve been here. We’re going to go out with a bang.” If there was one concern regarding how Murray State would match up with Belmont,
Austin Peay and even bigger schools last season, it was its bigs. Dupree flashed signs of encouraging play, but struggled with disciplinary issues and never fully committed to being a team player for the Racers. DuPree averaged 5.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks a game on the season. Sanchious will look to up his production this season, following a 201718 campaign in which he evenly split playing time with DuPree and averaged 2.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.3 blocks per game. Smith will likely see an increase in playing time, looking to capitalize on this playing time by bolstering his resume of 3.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks from a season ago. While Sanchious and Smith are looking to better their game with
increased playing time, Smith said he’s focused on mentoring and working with the newcomers. “We’re going to try and be leaders for these new guys,” Smith said. “We’ve been in this game for a good while now so we’re just going to teach and lead by example.” Competition heats up for Murray State early in the season as the Racers take to the road for a pair of SEC games with Auburn University and the University of Alabama. Sanchious, Smith and Williams will have their hands full with SEC big men who range in size from 6’9” to 6’11”. Senior forward Donta Hall of Alabama will be a nice test for the Racers’ bigs early in the season. Hall averaged 10.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last season.
Sanchious is excited for the experience that comes with playing high-caliber power-five teams. “Games like those show us what type of teams we could play in the NCAA Tournament,” Sanchious said. “We’ll see what it takes to win, learn that all the little things matter and you have to pay attention in the huddle because the smallest things can make you lose.” As a rematch with Auburn looms in the near future, Smith said the Racers are ready this time around. “This year we have a great chance,” Smith said. “We’re deep at the big positions and have a lot of good players with good basketball IQ’s. With that, I think we’ll have a good chance when we go up against them.”
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November 8, 2018
You’re Never Too Far From God’s Love! In our culture, when things go bad, we tend to give up and throw it away. But that’s not the character of Jesus. In Hebrews 13:5, God says “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God’s desire when things go bad is not to throw us out, but to redeem the bad and turn it into something good. Romans 8:28 says “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.” No one probably understands redemption better than Bart Millard, an American singer and songwriter, whose life was recently portrayed in the movie “I Can Only Imagine.” He saw his terribly abusive father gloriously transformed by the power Jesus, providing a gripping reminder of the power of forgiveness and that no one is ever too far from God’s love—or from an eternal home in Heaven. As a service to the campus community, the Murray State Christian Faculty Network will be showing this movie, “I Can Only Imagine” for FREE on November 12 (Monday) at 7 PM in the Curris Center Theater. We encourage anyone and everyone to attend to watch this powerful story on the big screen with us. To find out more about the relevance of Jesus Christ in your life we encourage you to check out our website: murraystate.edu/CFN and/or email us at MSUCFN@gmail.com
CHRISTIAN FACULTY RACERS
We are a group of professors, lecturers, and administrators united by our common experience that Jesus Christ provides intellectually and spiritually satisfying answers to life’s most important questions. We are available to students, faculty, and staff who might like to discuss such questions with us. For more information about the Christian Faculty Network, please visit our website: Murraystate.edu/CFN Nancy Armstrong Nursing Narine Badasyan Economics & Finance Becky Ballard Hutson School of Agriculture Debbie Bell English & Philosophy Teresa Betts Management, Marketing & Business Admin. James Duane Bolin History - Retired Julie Boyd Occupational Safety & Health Tony Brannon Hutson School of Agriculture Todd Broker Economics & Finance James Clinger Political Science & Sociology
Tom Denton Finance & Admin. Services - Emeritus
Janeen L. Feagin William Cherry Ag Expo Center
Terry Holmes Management, Marketing & Business Admin.
Scott Douglas Human Development & Leadership
David Ferguson Agricultural Sciences
Brian Hoover Agriculture Science
Kenny Fister Mathematics & Statistics
Jim Humphreys History
Paul Foote Political Science & Sociology
Joy Roach Humphreys Management, Marketing & Business Admin.
Katy Garth Nursing
Dayna Hutchinson Management, Marketing & Bus. Admin.
Dwayne Driskill Hutson School of Agriculture Steve Dublin Management, Marketing & Business Admin. Jessica Dunn Economics & Finance David Durr Economics & Finance David Eaton Economics & Finance Warren Edminster Honors Program Robin Esau Community Leadership & Human Services Bella Ezumah Journalism & Mass Comm.
Joyce Gordon Management, Marketing & Business Admin. Marilyn Harris English & Philosophy Dannie Harrison College of Business Emeritus Jake Hildebrant Institute of Engineering James Hereford Science, Engineering & Technology
Timothy Johnston Management, Marketing & Business Admin.
Gilbert Mathis Econ & Finance - Emeritus
Kim Paschall Health Services
Jeremy McKeel Digital Media Services
Kevin Revell Chemistry
Martin Milkman Economics & Finance
Joshua Ridley Engineering & Physics
Tim Miller Accounting - Emeritus
Jeanetta Riley Early Childhood & Elementary Ed.
Andrew Morelock Political Science & Sociology Jessica Naber Nursing Bryce Norris Mathematics & Statistics
Joetta Kelly Community Leadership and Human Services
Jeremy North Management, Marketing & Business Admin.
Becky Lile Organizational Com.
Brian Parr Agricultural Science
Stefan Linnhoff Management, Marketing & Business Admin.
Kemaly Parr COEHS
Ben Littlepage Postsecondary Education Admin.
Patty Parish Organizational Com.
Winfield Rose Political Science & Sociology - Retired Holly Rudolph Accounting Rachael Schmitz Nursing Melony Shemberger Journalism & Mass Communications Brenda Sheets Management, Marketing & Business Admin. Frances Smith Organizational Com.
Kathy Smith Management, Marketing & Business Admin. Retired Murphy Smith Accounting - Retired Kristen Spicer Occupational Safety & Health Ted Thiede Engineering & Physics Lou Davidson Tillson Organizational Communication Shawn Touney Branding, Marketing & Communication Roger Weis Community Leadership & Human Services – Emeritus Stephen White Biological Sciences – Emeritus Chris Wooldridge MSU SBDC
Note: This ad presents the personal convictions of the individuals listed; the ad does not represent or support any view or position of Murray State University or any academic department. The ad does represent and acknowledge the diversity of academic contributions to Murray State University by men and women of various races, ethnic groups, and cultural backgrounds who share the Christian faith.