Murray State Races Out to 15-0 Start

Basketball in Kentucky has been dominated by the University of Kentucky for a long time. But right now the Wildcats don't have the best record in the state. That belongs to Murray State. Tonight, the Racers beat Eastern Kentucky 76-67 to improve to 15-0 on the season. They are now one win away from tying the school's all-time best start which was set in 1935-36. This is the same Murray State team that pulled an upset of Vanderbilt at the buzzer in last year's NCAA tournament.

So how are they getting it done? Murray State has been shooting the ball very well and playing some great defense. As a team, their field goal percentage is .488, which is 17th best in the country. The team does need to work on their rebounding though, especially if they can't keep the hot shooting up. They rank 270th in the nation when it comes to grabbing boards.

The Racers have three main guys leading the way. Tonight, junior Isaiah Canaan scored his 1,000th point. Canaan is dual-threat guard based in the fact that he is both the team's leading scorer and assist man. Senior Donte Poole likes the three ball and connected on three tonight. He was the leading scorer in the game with a season-high 22 points. Tonight's game also showed that the Racers have some depth as they were without senior Ivan Aska. The team is not sure how long Aska will be out with a broken bone in his hand. While he is out, the team will miss his 6-7 frame. At times during tonight's game, Murray State was playing four guards. It is clear that they need Aska to return as soon as possible.

Now, let's look at their schedule. How good really is their record? They've beaten three Conference USA teams. That includes a double overtime win over a 14-2 Southern Miss team and a four point win over a ranked Memphis team. They also beat Dayton, a team that has been in the national conversation, by a convincing 17 points. While their schedule isn't overwhelming, it still has some quality wins so far.

So I know what you are thinking. Is Murray State capable of running the table? It is definitely possible. They are already 3-0 in conference play. None of the other Ohio Valley Conference teams have looked particularly tough. But that doesn't mean all those teams won't be pumped to try and be the team that ends the perfect season. Murray State's next game is Saturday at Austin Peay. The Racers have passed the half-way point of their season-long marathon. Now what remains to be seen is whether or not they can finish it perfect.