Tenner ready for new opportunity with Racers
MBB: The sophomore guard played at West Virginia last season
Between former Racer greats coming out of the Memphis area and Ja Morant currently playing for the Grizzlies, there has been a longstanding connection between Murray State and southwest Tennessee. Sophomore guard KJ Tenner is the latest Memphis product to play for the Racers, and he knows that comes with its own level of responsibility.
“You almost feel obligated to keep that going,” Tenner said. “Some of the guys reached out to me once I committed. Just to even feel that, it felt amazing, and to see the tradition here, and the Memphis guards that have gone on to the pros from Murray. It’s not far from home, so that's even a plus, but I definitely feel obligated to keep the tradition going.”
Coming out of Cordova High School in Memphis, Tenner averaged 28 points per game as a sophomore, and became the fastest player in school history to score 1,000 points in a career. As a senior, he earned Tennessee’s Class 4A Mr. Basketball award. Tenner decided to stay home during his AAU days, joining the Hoop City Basketball Club in Memphis, which was run by current Murray State General Manager Ernie Kuyper.
When it came time to pick a college, Tenner decided to go to West Virginia. After his freshman season, WVU Head Coach Darian DeVries left for Indiana, and Tenner entered the transfer portal. The Memphis connections with those on the Murray State staff were certainly appealing for Tenner as he looked for a new basketball home.
“To be honest, I was looking for somewhere where I could be better as a man, not only as a basketball player, and truly be myself on the court,” Tenner said. “Basically, (I wanted to play for) someone who trusted me as much as I trusted myself. I think the biggest thing is playing for somebody that really believes in you, because everything's not going to go good. Playing for someone that can live with your ups and downs, because basketball is a game of runs, and there’s a lot of mistakes that happen — and great things can happen. So you’ve got to have somebody that's really in your corner.”
During his freshman season at West Virginia, Tenner played in 30 games, while averaging 2.4 points per contest. Like most freshmen, Tenner says he learned a lot of valuable lessons in his first year of college.
“I'd say the biggest thing I learned was who I really am and being true to who I am regardless how things are going,” Tenner said. “Freshman year, it's pretty rocky, to walk into a big conference, a conference like the Big 12. You have a lot of ups and downs, and staying true to who I am is really what I learned. It was the biggest lesson to me, to see who tested my faith, and tested my character and who I was. It was a great experience for me. Playing on that level, playing against pros every night, it was definitely a great experience that I never take for granted.”
After not playing much as a freshman, Tenner is now taking advantage of his second chance in Murray, and he’s gotten the attention of his head coach.
“In 22 years of coaching college basketball, (Tenner) may be the best defensive point guard I’ve coached,” Murray State Head Coach Ryan Miller said. “He’s just nasty. He makes it really, really difficult (on offensive players).”
The banners hanging in the CFSB Center have always been thought to be a big part of the recruiting process when trying to bring players to Murray. Between the championships and the retired numbers, there is a lot of history in the rafters of The Bank. That history is important to Racer fans, but is it important to players? Tenner’s answer to that question is emphatic.
“That definitely appeals to us,” Tenner said. “I believe it matters a lot. Once you pick a school, you're looking for somebody who has done it at your size, position, or your background. So seeing Cameron Payne, come from (Memphis) Lausanne (High School), I feel like I can do the same thing choosing a school like that. It’s definitely important, because it's about fit everywhere you go. Just seeing the people that had the tradition here, you feel like you can do those things as well.”
I have enjoyed watching KJ at the practices I have attended. It is going to be a fun year! GO. RACERS!!!