It was an uncharacteristically down year for Head Coach Matt McMahon’s Racers in 2020-21, as they finished with a mediocre 13-13 overall record, going 10-10 in the OVC. A season ago, the commonwealth’s westernmost team had trouble competing with the upper tier of the conference, with teams like Belmont, Morehead State, and Austin Peay routinely dispatching the Racers. That said, I am definitely not ready to give up on seventh-year coach Matt McMahon, who was key in recruiting the likes of current NBA players Ja Morant and Shaq Buchanan to Murray just a few short years ago. Indeed, McMahon’s history in identifying under-appreciated talent speaks for itself. It is perhaps his best quality as a coach, and I’m willing to bet the Racers will bounce back this season, as the Racers boast one of the best rosters from top to bottom in the OVC.
Despite losing one of their best players from last season in guard Chico Carter Jr., who up-transferred to South Carolina, the alarm bells are not ringing in Murray. If anything, Carter’s inconsistency set the tone for a Racers team who could not manage to hit a groove offensively all season. Carter transferring could even ultimately prove to be an “addition by subtraction” situation, as Murray’s stalwart duo of seniors Tevin Brown and K.J. Williams expect to take on an even larger role in 2021-22.
K.J. Williams is a 6-10 big man who can score from anywhere on the court. A season ago Williams led the Racers in both scoring (15.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.5 boards per game), earning his second consecutive First Team All-OVC honors. At 245 lbs., he’s strong as an ox, which allows him to pull in a solid number of offensive boards. Of equal significance to his rebounding prowess is his recent growth as a perimeter shooter. On a somewhat limited number (26-for-63), he shot an incredible 41% from long range last year. As he can now comfortably roll or pop upon setting devastating screens near the top of the key, expect Williams to take many more shots from range this season. Williams and Brown have all the tools to compete for OVC Player of the year in 2022.
Both familiar faces to Murray State loyalists, 6-5 guard Tevin Brown was the third option on that legendary team headlined by Ja Morant who upset Marquette in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament. More recently Brown has emerged as the Racers’ most reliable player on the perimeter en route to earning First Team All-OVC the past two seasons. In 2021-22, the lengthy guard could very well take his game to a new level; he will need to be great for the Racers to punch a ticket to the NCAAT. Luckily for his team, Brown has shown he has what it takes to improve certain aspects of his game according to team need. He’s always been an excellent three-point shooter (37% on 196 attempts last season), but where he has really blossomed as of late is as a playmaker. As a point forward of sorts, Brown led the Racers in assists per game in 2020-21 with over four dishes a night. It’s likely McMahon will instruct Brown to lean into this role even more heavily in 2021-22, as a new starting backcourt made up of transfers is introduced to the game-plan.
In an interview during OVC Media Day last week, Brown acknowledged last season as a disappointment, and raved about the energy the whole team is coming to practice with of late:
The experienced group of transfers is highlighted by South Carolina down-transfer Trae Hannibal, a talented 6-2 junior point guard. The difference between departing Carter and Hannibal seems to be fairly negligible, in what basically amounted to a fair trade between Murray State and South Carolina. Hannibal held down the backup point guard role for the Gamecocks last season, and his tenure there was defined by inconsistently great performances, similar to Carter at Murray State. Hannibal should feel more confident playing for the Racers, tucked away from the limelight of the SEC, and sharing the floor general role with Brown and fellow transfer Carter Collins, a 6-3 senior point guard from Davidson. Collins adds even more veteran presence to a Racers squad who was not short of it to begin with. Together, Brown, Hannibal, and Collins form what is one of the best backcourts in the OVC from a pure talent perspective.
Yet another transfer in 6-6 redshirt senior forward Jordan Skipper-Brown from conference foe Eastern Illinois will likely round out the starting five. Skipper-Brown is an athletic, team-oriented four man who won’t need time to adjust to opponents in a new conference. On top of that, Skipper-Brown is a huge loss for that Eastern Illinois squad, which equates to a win-win situation for the tournament-hopeful Racers.
Other transfers include junior forwards DJ Burns, an energetic fan-favorite at Southern, and Elijah Farr, a reigning JUCO All-American at nearby Olney College in Illinois. These two newcomers will look to set the tone for Murray off the pine. Returning junior guards Justice Hill and DaQuan Smith will also play every game in a relief role, and lanky 6-6 sophomore guard Jackson Sivills (formerly of McCracken County HS in nearby Paducah) will look to increase his role on the wing. From one through ten on the depth chart, the Racers boast highly competent individual players. It’s up to Coach McMahon to identify the reasons for the Racers’ shortcomings last season (namely inconsistency) and adjust the team’s plan of attack accordingly in those areas.
The Racers open their season at home against Bellarmine, which should serve as a bellwether as to how Murray State’s season will ultimately go. They’ll also face some quality opponents in the Naples Invitational in Florida in late November. The month of December raises even more opportunities for the Racers to establish themselves as a top mid-major team in the country, with games at top-25 opponents Memphis and Auburn, along with hosting what looks to be a very good Chattanooga team at home.
It’s undeniable that the Racers were disappointing last season, but I have strong faith in McMahon to right the ship this year. Tevin Brown and KJ Williams are perhaps the most dynamic duo in the OVC, and their talent alone should be enough to propel the program back to the conference’s upper tier to which Murray fans have become so accustomed in recent years. Expect to see a three-horse race for the conference crown this season, featuring the Racers, along with the Bruins of Belmont and the Eagles of Morehead State.