moneybox wrote:

Great win but what a bush league tournament. The lights at the field house kept going out and I only saw about half the game on Flo College Hoops. Scores on the screen were behind scores on my phone. Nobody in the stands. Shot clock often screwed up. I know it's a nice getaway for the team, but this was awful today.

I am not sure if I would call the tournament bush league.   It is a solid if not spectacular field in which McNeese looks like a legitimately good team, both very quick and physically strong. I would thing they would be one of the better teams if they played in the A-10.  As for the event itself, it is being played in a high school gym that looks and feels like a high school gym.  The staff was well meaning but event planning did not seem to be their forte. Food and beverage was not allowed in the gym but was sold outdoors.   Wisconsin Colonial and I had no idea that Autry and Marshall both fouled out of the first game until we saw the box score.  No mention on the PA.  Not much information of any kind on the PA, although it was a bit better for the second day.  I would guess that the gym sat no more than 1500 or so and the sound system was not the greatest.  And we had to sit through 2 national anthems.   Notwithstanding, it is an absolutely great experience and I am have a ball.  I spend the days on the beach and the nights watching basketball.  The weather is gorgeous.   Low to mid 80s with a gentle breeze.  This is a very quiet and very safe island .  As holders of VIP tickets (at least VIP in price), we got to sit court level  pretty much wherever we wanted.  The players, coaches and even the referees are all accessible.   A shame the event is not better supported, but I understand that it is a pricey four days right on the heels of Thanksgiving.  

Murray State Racers

Date: Tuesday November 25th, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: John Gray Gymnasium (George Town, Cayman Islands)
TV: FloHoops
Ranks: 120th (KenPom), 121st (Bart Torvik), 104th (Haslametrics), 103rd (EvanMiya), 97th (Sports Illustrated)
2024-25 Record: 16-17, 9-11 (7th in MVC)
2025-26 Projected Record: 17-14, 11-9 (T-4th in MVC)

Head-to-Head: First time facing the Racers!

Offensive Efficiency: 108th (KenPom), 101st (Bart Torvik), 86th (Haslametrics), 69th (EvanMiya)
Defensive Efficiency: 156th (KenPom), 161st (Bart Torvik), 162nd (Haslametrics), 187th (EvanMiya)
Pace: 28th (KenPom), 8th (Bart Torvik), 126th (Haslametrics), 53rd (EvanMiya)
Offensive Shot Quality Rank: 163rd
Defensive Shot Quality Rank: 122nd
Rim & 3 Rate: 89% (41st)

Strengths (2024-25 Season):
Free Throw Attempts Per Game: 22.8 FTA (26th; 1st in MVC)
Free Throws Made Per Game: 16.4 FTM (32nd; 1st in MVC)
Three Point Percentage Defense: 31.6% (70th; 2nd in MVC)
Scoring Defense: 69.2 PPG (85th; 4th in MVC)

Weaknesses (2024-25 Season):
Assists Per Game: 11.9 APG (292nd; 12th in MVC)
Bench Points Per Game: 14.58 PPG (319th; 10th in MVC)

Projected Starting Lineup:
#9 G Layne Taylor (Sophomore; Farmington, AR) - 17.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.9 spg; 39% FG, 34% 3-PT, 89% FT per 35.5 mpg/20 GP at Central Arkansas last season
#22 G Javon Jackson (Senior; Houston, TX) - 11.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.5 spg; 38% FG, 31% 3-PT, 82% FT per 25.5 mpg/31 GP at UIC last season
#13 F Mason Miller (Senior; Germantown, TN) - 1.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg; 22% FG, 17% 3-PT, 67% FT per 11.7 mpg/32 GP at Creighton last season
#8 F JJ Traynor (Senior; Bardstown, KY) - 5.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg; 56% FG, 31% 3-PT, 69% FT per 17.5 mpg/32 GP at DePaul last season
#33 C Fred King (Senior; Mangrove Cay, Bahamas) - 2.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg; 67% FG, 58% FT per 5.9 mpg/36 GP at Creighton last season

Key Bench Players:
#77 G/F Roman Domon (Freshman; Dreuil Les Amiens, France)
#2 G/F Mathis Courbon (Freshman; Lyon, France)
#34 G Brayden Shorter (Junior; Springfield, MO) - 15.5 ppg, 4 rpg, 1 apg; 42% FG, 37% 3-PT, 75% FT per 31.3 mpg/34 GP at D2 Washburn last season
#10 G KJ Tenner (Sophomore; Memphis, TN) - 2.4 ppg, 1.1 apg; 35% FG, 15% 3-PT, 61% FT per 13.1 mpg/30 GP at West Virginia last season
#11 C Dylan Anderson (Junior; Chandler, AZ) - 3.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg; 54% FG, 39% 3-PT, 67% FT per 10.1 mpg/24 GP at Boise State last season

Key Losses:
JaCobi Wood (Graduated; Cleveland, TN) - 12.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5 apg, 1 spg; 39% FG, 37% 3-PT, 78% FT per 36.8 mpg/32 GP
Terence Harcum (Graduated; Butner, NC) - 12.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2 apg; 37% FG, 33% 3-PT, 80% FT per 34.6 mpg/33 GP
AJ Ferguson (Graduated; Houston, TX) - 11.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1 spg; 46% FG, 35% 3-PT, 70% FT per 35.4 mpg/33 GP
Kylen Milton (Graduated; Monticello, AR) - 11.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 spg; 44% FG, 32% 3-PT, 75% FT per 28.5 mpg/33 GP
Nick Ellington (Transferred to George Mason; St. Louis, MO) - 9.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg; 56% FG, 61% FT per 23.4 mpg/33 GP
KyeRon Lindsay-Martin (Transferred to UAB; Denton, TX) - 6.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg; 52% FG, 71% FT per 15.2 mpg/32 GP
Alden Applewhite (Transferred to Georgia Southern; Memphis, TN) - 5.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg; 39% FG, 38% 3-PT, 72% FT per 18.5 mpg/33 GP

Preview:
One of the funnier things to come out of college basketball fandom in recent years is the coining of a "Marfo". To those that don't know, fans of the sport use this name for players that spend time at a school, transfer somewhere else, and then return to their original school. Of course, it's that much more hilarious as a GW fan given that Kevin started his career at GW, yet the only part of his career people remember is that he played at Quinnipiac, transferred to Texas A&M, and then returned to Quinnipiac for his final year. There's almost definitely cases like this before him, but I guess he's the one people remember most for some reason. I'm a bit surprised I haven't seen people use the term "Meechie" yet, but it's a much rarer case. Meechie Johnson began his career at Ohio State, portaled to South Carolina, returned to Columbus, and is incredibly back with the Gamecocks for a second stint.

Now you may be wondering where I'm going with this. To my knowledge, there isn't a word for this that applies to coaches that do the same thing. Since the college basketball community went with a former GW player for player transfers, I'll go with another former Buff and Blue player for coaches and call this phenomenon a "Dooley". Although Joe technically spent many years as an assistant in between (New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas) he started off as a HC at East Carolina, went to Florida Gulf Coast, and then returned to ECU. He is actually in his second stint right now as an assistant at Kansas so perhaps this counts double.

Another guy who falls under this category is Steve Prohm. The 51 year old started off as a head coach with Murray State back in 2011, left for Iowa State in 2015, and most recently coached the Racers for the last three seasons. I guess this is a different flavor of the retread hire that I mentioned in the UMBC preview, but it somehow feels like one that doesn't usually work out. For one, college basketball was an entirely different sport for many of these guys in there first run compared to their second - transfers sitting out, no NIL, no super conferences, etc.

In Prohm's case, Murray was also still a member of the OVC, which is definitely a step down compared to the MVC which the Racers became members of when he was at ISU. I know he was dominating the OVC prior to leaving for Ames but MSU was one of the dominant programs resource-wise in the league (along with Belmont). Also, Prohm went 2-22 in his final year with the Cyclones (including a winless 0-18 record in the Big 12). Bryce Drew was able to recover from that going from Vanderbilt to Grand Canyon, but again GCU had considerably more resources compared to their peers in the WAC (we'll see what happens with the Lopes in the Mountain West this year). Murray no longer had that advantage in the Missouri Valley that they once had, and Prohm just did not have the coaching edge to get them above 7th in three years.

As a result, Murray State made a change, bringing in Ryan Miller to get this proud program back to the top of the league. The South Dakota native is like CC in the sense that he really paid his dues as an assistant before finally getting the call to lead a program. Miller has been at a number of good mid-major to power conference level schools. This includes stops at Memphis, Pepperdine, New Mexico, Auburn, UNLV, TCU, and most recently Creighton. Miller had his work cut out for him this offseason, given no one in the program that played minutes last year opted to return. The trio of JaCobi Wood, Terence Harcum, and AJ Ferguson, Murray's top three scorers, barely came off the floor last season. Wood was 12th nationally in minutes per game, Ferguson was 59th, and Harcum was 92nd in this same metric. Wood also set the table, ranking 53rd in the nation with five assists per game. The problem is no one else really helped him out in that department, as the rest of the team combined for just under seven assists. Harcum was not afraid to gun from deep, as he was second in the MVC in three point attempts (93rd nationally) but he shot a mediocre 33%.

In the modern era, this isn't necessarily a bad thing as the new guy in charge can craft the roster to his liking. Getting the team to be on the same page will no doubt be a challenge, but it's not impossible. From the looks of it, Murray certainly has the NIL and fan support to be a contender in the league. I'm not sure I've ever seen this, but the Missouri Valley decided to only rank the top five teams in the league in the preseason. The Racers were picked third behind Illinois State and Northern Iowa. I personally think they have the most talent in the league, although the two squads above them have more continuity and experience.

The season is young, but unlike the previous two opponents Murray has actually played all D1 teams so perhaps there is some legitimacy to their metrics. They've shined particularly on the offensive side of the ball, shooting it well from all over, protecting the ball reasonably well, getting to the line, and getting second chance opportunities (although that didn't happen against McNeese). It appears Miller has embraced the three ball, with MSU currently 36th in 3PA%. Spending several seasons under McDermott at Creighton will definitely influence that. Defensively, they are fairly stout inside, don't foul, and do force turnovers (not to the same level as McNeese). It's clear that Miller wants to take away the three ball at all costs, as the Racers are currently #1 in the nation in defensive 3PA%. Now they do struggle with defensive rebounding (309th), so perhaps that's where Slim, Luke, Woo, and others can take advantage. 

Murray's talent is evident from their starting lineup. Not many MVC teams are able to land two double figure scorers in the backcourt in Central Arkansas transfer Layne Taylor and UIC transfer Javon Jackson.

While no one has really thought of UCA since Scottie Pippen left in the 80s (they haven't been a top 200 team ever on KenPom since going D1 back in 2006), Taylor was a bright spot for the Bears, leading the team in points and steals while ranking second in assists. His efficiency was hurt by his high usage last year, taking nearly 16 shots a game to average 17.4 ppg. Having said that, he's a decent three point shooter (34%). It's clear that he prefers to shoot jumpers, as his overall field goal percentage was under 40 at UCA. Although he's a good FT shooter (89%), he attempted just over two tries per game, a crazy low number given his shot attempts. Still, Taylor makes an impact in a number of areas - rebounding, passing, and playing good defense along the perimeter.

Jackson meanwhile comes from within the conference, leading Illinois Chicago in ppg. I guess that makes him somewhat like the Tre of their team. His best outing last season came against the Racers in a double overtime thriller, where he finished with 30 points in the game. He did see a regression in his efficiency (minus the FT shooting) on higher volume with the Flames compared to his prior year with Utah State. Jackson, who began his career at the D2 level, can make plays for others as well, but does struggle with turnovers at times. Like Taylor, he is another good defender on-ball.

What also sticks out is the high major pedigree and size on the team. The trio of Mason Miller, JJ Traynor, and Fred King all played in the Big East last year. They weren't absolute bench warmers either.

Head coach Miller is the uncle of Mason, who has spent the last three seasons at Creighton. His best season came back in 2023-24 when he was a full time starter for the Bluejays. During that year, he averaged 5.6 ppg and shot 45% from three. Untimely injuries (sprained ankle, broken leg, fractured pinky) completely derailed last year as his shooting numbers tanked mightily (22% from the field, 17% from 3). The former 4-star recruit is healthy again this year and is a definite bounce back candidate for Murray. So far, he's shooting 46% from deep and 90% from the line (although like Taylor, does not get there enough) with some good rebounding.

King also followed the Miller pair from Omaha. While he was not a major minute option with Ryan Kalkbrenner around, his point per minute production was fairly impressive. Last year, he put up 14 points against Notre Dame and 12 points versus Seton Hall. King is good at finishing around the rim, is hard to keep off the boards, and is a very good defender inside as well. He missed Murray's season opener with a knee injury but has played in every game since.

Traynor, another former 4-star out of HS, returns to the Bluegrass State after beginning his career at Louisville (played four seasons) and most recently played in DePaul's rotation. The Blue Demons weren't as atrocious in year 1 of the Chris Holtmann era compared to Stubblefield's last year, but they still only won four games in the Big East. At Louisville, he originally played on a couple mediocre Chris Mack squads before increasing his production playing for Kenny Payne. I already hashed out that situation in the MTSU preview when talking about Lands, but I will say Traynor was not one of the bigger problems on the team. This Murray squad may end up being the best team he's played on in terms of wins. The 6'9" forward can score at all three levels and give the team a few boards a game.

The high major talent does not stop there, as both KJ Tenner (West Virginia) and Dylan Anderson (Arizona/Boise State) will play key roles off the bench, or move into the starting lineup whenever necessary. Tenner played in 30 games for the Mountaineers last season, but did not have an overly efficient campaign. Of course, to play legitimate minutes for DeVries in his first year speaks to his potential. He has shown good passing ability to start his Racer career.

Anderson meanwhile is another former 4-star top 100 guy who showed some nice skills when he got the opportunity at Boise. He will rebound and can score from all over, all while being 7 feet tall. To earn heavy minutes though, Anderson will need to defend without fouling.

Coach Miller can also turn to Ben Shtolzberg and Brock Vice when needed. Surprise, surprise - both players also have connections to Creighton. Shtolzberg, who is currently sidelined with a foot issue, began his career with the Bluejays before spending the last two years at UC Santa Barbara. He's a good shooter in theory, but has never displayed it at the college level (career 23%, despite being 90% from the line). Vice redshirted his year at Creighton before moving on to North Texas last season and playing limited minutes. He provides good depth in the frontcourt whenever needed.

Despite his name, Missouri native Brayden Shorter is actually taller for his position at 6'5". On a 30 win D2 Washburn squad, Shorter was second in scoring, knocking down an unreal 119 threes (which led all of Division 2) at a 37% clip for the Ichabods. On the year, he is averaging seven three point attempts a game, so closing out on him will be key when he gets into the game.

Finally, two French natives will see minutes in their first year of college basketball. 20 year old Roman Domon is currently third on the team in scoring despite being inexperienced. Like all international players, he will look to stretch the floor but he hasn't found his stroke yet from deep. Still, he is shooting reasonably well from the field with good rebounding. As you'd expect from a player transitioning to the US, he can be prone to turning the ball over so that will be where GW needs to take advantage. Mathis Courbon on the other hand is more of a wing. The Lyon native who is also 20 can score inside and out, but like Domon is still trying to get into a rhythm to start the year. They are joined by Illinois native Tristian Ford and New Zealander Lachlan Crate - neither freshman has played thus far.

This is a good test against a sneaky good Murray team, although they haven't had a great MTE. At the very least, they will be coming into this one hungry for a win (and I'd expect them to shoot a lot better than they did against McNeese). GW hasn't faced particularly good shooting teams so far, and the Racers have that in abundance. I'd expect an up-and-down track meet (they really take their moniker to heart). Slim should be able to corral second chances should initial shots not go down. I'm not worried about this team being run off the three point line as the ball movement has been pretty good thus far. Good to see a bounce back performance today against MTSU. The energy was there defensively - it was in particular nice to see the Revs up the pressure on that side of the ball. Outside of turnovers, the offense seems like it will be there - the team is now in the top 40 of KenPom in efficiency ahead of teams like Michigan State, UCLA, and Kansas. However, if the team comes out flat on defense it could get interesting. At least on paper, Murray has the roster to put up points.

Projected Score: GW 89, Murray State 81. 76% chance to win (KenPom). Bart Torvik also forecasts a 76% chance at a W. ESPN predicts a 72.8% chance for GW to move to 7-1.

Just saw Dinkins is 46% on the year with 47 attempts. 18 more than our next highest volume shooter. Looking back at his time at Duquesne he’s never had this good of a stretch. Hope he stays in it and doesn’t regress back to the mean

GW0509 wrote:

Tip now set for 7:45pm

https://x.com/gw_mbb/status/1993472698027212875

Thank you - thought someone tripped over the cable feed down there again.

And thanks dmvpiranha for the awesome preview as always!!!!

Energy picked up.  Still having trouble finishing inside and getting called for some ticky tack fouls. This feels like the kind of game where we have a big run coming. I’m not 100% sure, but I think Murray st is struggling when their bench is in.

I feel like at least one player on our team will step up and help us pull out the W, but

What is with the offensive rebound differential again?!?

Jackson tearing us up.

Losing at 1/2. Rebounding? = Desiire.

4 assists isn’t particularly spectacular, either. 3 games in 3 days is TOUGH. They will find a way though- a lot more game to be had.

It’s super interesting that all 3 teams go 9 deep and so playing 3 days in a row isn’t as much of a big deal as compared to one of our teams over the past 7 or 8 years.

Last edited by oldish (11/25/2025 8:51 pm)