Murray State at Belmont preview
MBB: It's the final day of the regular season as the Racers face the Bruins
Murray State will play their final game of the regular season Sunday afternoon in Nashville when they take on Belmont. Here’s what you need to know:
Murray State (15-15 overall, 9-10 Missouri Valley Conference) at Belmont (20-10 overall, 12-7 MVC) — 2:00pm CST at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, TN
KenPom Rankings: Murray State #144; Belmont #137
NCAA NET Rankings: Murray State #147; Belmont #133
Series history: 29th meeting (Belmont leads 16-12)
You can watch the game on the CBS Sports Network
Kenny Roth and I will have the radio call, with the pregame show starting at 1:30pm CST. You can listen to the game here: https://player.amperwave.net/2845
Vegas line: Belmont -2.5
Murray State Scouting Report
There is plenty on the line for the Racers today in terms of seeding for next week’s Arch Madness in St. Louis. Murray State enters the day tied with Illinois State and UIC for 5th place in the Missouri Valley. Depending on how all three teams do today, the Racers could end up seeded anywhere from 5th to 7th in the tournament. There is a possibility we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out the seeding if the NCAA NET ranking is required to break any ties.
The Racers have won four of their last six as they’ve made a surge in the last few weeks up the Missouri Valley standings. In the last six games, Murray State is ranked 7th in the Missouri Valley Conference in offensive efficiency, but 2nd in defensive efficiency behind only Northern Iowa. The Racers are also 2nd in two-point defense, which was such a problem early in the year, as they’re giving up 46.3% around the rim in the last three weeks.
The one Racer who has found his offensive groove as of late is Terence Harcum. The senior guard, in his last five games, is averaging 18.6 points while shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc and 85.0% from the free throw line. In his last two games, he set Murray State highs with 22 points at Bradley, and then followed that up with 25 more against Indiana State.
Nearly every person around the Murray State program points to the first meeting with Belmont, a 95-77 loss in Murray back on January 25th, as the worst game the Racers have played all season long. Assistant Coach Brendan Mullins described showing the team film of Belmont scoring 75 of their points in the first matchup against little resistance. Expect a more ramped up defensive effort from the Racers today in Nashville.
Belmont Scouting Report
The Bruins come into March off a rollercoaster February. Belmont lost at home to Evansville, and then gave up 101 points in a road loss at Valpo. The Bruins also went to Bradley and picked up a big win at Carver Arena. As has been the case for most of this conference season, the Bruins, like so many other teams in the Valley, have shown they can beat anybody on any given night — and also lose to anybody as well.
Belmont is led in scoring and rebounding by Jonathan Pierre. The Memphis transfer is scoring 14.0 points and grabbing 6.0 rebounds a night. The Bruins present a balanced scoring attack as Carter Whitt (12.9 PPG), Tyler Lundblade (12.3 PPG) and Isaiah Walker (11.1) also average double-figures this year.
One name to watch this afternoon is Lundblade. The 6’5 junior, in his last seven games, is shooting 40-for-67 (59.7%) from three-point range. Over that seven-game stretch, he’s made six triples against Missouri State, six against SIU, seven against Valpo, nine against Missouri State (again), and eight against Bradley.
Over their last six games, Belmont’s analytic numbers are flipped from the Racers — good on offense, and not as good on defense. The Bruins are 4th in the conference in offensive efficiency and 9th in defensive efficiency in the last three weeks.
Belmont takes the least amount of time to get a shot up of any Valley team in conference play, so the Racers will need to be prepared for an up-tempo game. The Bruins are also #1 in the Valley in assists per made field goal, as they have an assist on more than 60% of their made baskets this year. Murray State is #1 on the defensive side of that stat, allowing Valley teams to assist on just 37.8% of their buckets.
The Bruins hammered the Racers on the offensive glass in the first meeting, turning 17 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points. Freshman Drew Scharnowski had a career-high 20 points against the Racers, thanks to grabbing six offensive boards. Murray State will need to be able to control the glass, especially the long rebounds off Belmont’s three-point misses, if they hope to get out of Nashville with the win.
I’ll have a ‘Ride Home’ podcast posted after the game.