Can Murray State Run the Table?

(St. Louis, MO) – I know they’ve only played one conference game, and I know I could be drinking the cool-aid of a nine game winning streak, but I have one question when I look at the Ohio Valley Conference.

Can Murray State run the table? We watched it happen in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, why not in the OVC this year?

The Racers were the pre-season pick to win the conference title and after a sluggish start, they have launched into high gear. A disastrous loss to Valparaiso (93-58) seems to have catapulted Steve Prohm’s team on to a mission. Prohm (86-27 – .761) knows how to win.

Only once during the nine game streak, have they won by less than nine points. Only twice have they scored less than 70. MSU has swept four MVC teams and traditional power Western Kentucky.

Everybody talks about Cameron Payne and the pre-season player of the year has not disappointed. Payne is in the top three of OVC players in points, assists and steals. The 6’2” sophomore is the most important part of the arsenal, but make no mistake, there are other weapons in the armory.

Jarvis Williams (15.4), Jeffery Moss (11.1), T.J. Sapp (10.5) and Justin Seymour (9.0) are all effective. Williams hasn’t attempted a three-pointer yet, but each of the other four (including Payne) have made over 24 shots from long distance. The Racers lead the OVC in 3-Point percentage.

Murray is second in the OVC and 29^th in the nation in steals and they force over 15 turn-overs per game. So while they allow 67.5 points per game, they make life uncomfortable for the opposing offenses.

So who can stop Murray State?

The obvious contenders would be Belmont and Eastern Kentucky but through a quirk of the schedule, they get both of those clubs at Racer Arena. They have to play an improved Eastern Illinois team on the road and play a home and home with athletic Southeast Missouri.

I know, winning 12 more without a loss would be unlikely, but not that surprising. Belmont almost never loses conference games, and have averaged just under 25 wins over the past four seasons.

Eastern Kentucky with senior Corey Walden is always a threat and has joined Murray and Belmont as the league’s top tier teams. Those three are the top outside shooting teams and generate the most assists the OVC. Their star players (Craig Bradshaw – Belmont; Payne and Walden) are also the OVC’s top three scorers.

It is a three horse race in the OVC and my money is on Racers.

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