Murray State vs. Mississippi Valley State preview
MBB: It's the home opener for the Racers as they look to stay perfect on the young season
Murray State will play the first of 15 home games this season as they welcome in the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State. Here’s what you need to know:
Murray State (1-0 overall) vs. Mississippi Valley State (1-1 overall) — 7:00pm CST at the CFSB Center
KenPom rankings: Murray State #126; Mississippi Valley State #365
BartTorvik rankings: Murray State #125; Mississippi Valley State #365
Series history: First meeting
You can watch the game on ESPN+
Kenny Roth and I will have the radio call, with the pregame show starting at 12:00pm CST. You can listen to the game here: https://player.amperwave.net/2845
Vegas line: Murray State -38.5
Murray State Scouting Report
The Racers return home after their win in The Field of 68’s Opening Day Marathon against Omaha on Monday. After spending an extra day on the road trying to get back to Murray, the Racers will get their chance to play in front of the home crowd tonight.
While Fred King didn’t play Monday as he recovered from a minor knee injury, there is optimism he will at least see some time tonight. King was in uniform Monday, went through pregame warmups, and even threw down some reverse dunks. That was enough to show his return to the court will be sooner than later.
KJ Tenner played just six minutes against Omaha, after Tenner had been knocked to the floor and an Omaha player landed on Tenner’s head. In the aftermath of the game, it did not appear to be a serious injury, and there is optimism he will be back on the floor tonight.
Senior guard Javon Jackson has been the offensive star in Murray State’s last two outings. After scoring 22 points in the exhibition win over Northern State, Jackson followed that up with 24 more against Omaha.
Jackson and Roman Domon each went 10-for-10 from the free throw line against Omaha. They’re the first Racers since Ja Morant went 21-for-21 in his 40-point performance at SIUE on January 19, 2019 to be perfect from the line with at least ten attempts. In records dating back to 1966, Jackson and Domon are the first Racers to each go at least 10-for-10 from the free throw line in the same game.
This is the ultimate ‘Take care of business’ game for the Racers. By every metric, Murray State is a better team than Mississippi Valley State. With a road matchup against SMU on Tuesday looming, this is the final opportunity for the Racers to showcase some perfect execution before their trip to Dallas.
At halftime of tonight’s game, former Racer great Lamont Sleets will have his jersey retired. Sleets was the first Murray State player to ever earn All-Conference honors four times.
Mississippi Valley State Scouting Report
The Delta Devils are playing their third game this week tonight in Murray. After losing at UAB, 106-55, on Monday, MVSU bounced back with a 97-61 win on Wednesday over Mississippi University for Women — yes, they have a men’s basketball team.
Mississippi Valley State is led by 6’1 junior guard Michael James, who is averaging 30.0 points per game, after scoring 25 against UAB and 35 vs. MUW.
Former Murray State forward Sam Murray is a part of the Delta Devil Roster. After two years at Murray State from 2022-24, Murray transferred to Missouri State last season, where his year was cut short by injuries after just seven games. This season, he’s playing ten minutes per contest, averaging 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds.
Mississippi Valley State is one of, if not THE toughest job in the country. The Delta Devils have won a total of 17 games in the last six years, and haven’t won more than nine games in a single year since their NCAA Tournament season of 2012.
I’ll have a ‘Ride Home’ podcast posted after the game.