The MTSU men?s basketball team has five games remaining in the regular season to make some history.
So it?s fitting that such a stretch begins against an opponent with a deep history in Blue Raider basketball tradition. MTSU tips off at 7 p.m. today at Murphy Center against archrival Western Kentucky, the 126th meeting between the teams.
Despite losses to Vanderbilt and Denver in their last three games, the Blue Raiders are still 21-4 overall and 10-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. A win tonight or a Florida Atlantic (5-5) loss would earn at least a share of the Sun Belt East Division title. MTSU leads West Division front-runner Arkansas-Little Rock (8-2) for the overall regular-season title, which also earns an automatic bid to the NIT. UALR visits Murphy Center Saturday for a national TV game on ESPN2.
A win tonight would also tie MTSU?s program record for most wins (22) in a regular season.
MTSU coach Kermit Davis knows each win gets his team closer to the postseason. The Blue Raiders have not played in the NCAA tournament or NIT since 1989.
?We told our players that we?re down to a five-game season now, and this game is a big one in that season,? Davis said. ?You have two or three seasons. You have the regular season, then your second season is the conference tournament, and your third season is the postseason, if you do well enough to get there.
?When you get to the end of the first season, you start looking at standings and what you can do with each game. And this is a big game anyway.?
The tone of the MTSU-WKU rivalry has flip-flopped over the last two years. The Blue Raiders have won four straight over the Hilltoppers for their longest winning streak in the series since the 1920s.
But neither WKU?s historical dominance over MTSU nor the Blue Raiders? recent advantage in the series should carry much weight tonight.
Nine of WKU?s top 11 players, including six freshmen, have never played against the Blue Raiders.
Four of MTSU?s starters have never faced WKU, including three junior college transfers and Iowa State transfer LaRon Dendy.
?A lot of their guys have never been in this series before and a lot of our guys haven?t played them before,? Davis said. ?We?ve told our new guys about this rivalry, and our returning guys already understand the utmost importance of this game. All Sun Belt games are important, but this is different.?
WKU (8-15, 4-6) touts talent, but it has struggled with one of college basketball?s youngest rosters. Head coach Ken McDonald was fired a month ago. Interim coach Ray Harper lost his first three games, but the Hilltoppers have won three of their last four. Freshman guard Derrick Gordon leads WKU with 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Junior point guard Jamal Crook scored a career-high 24 points in a win over South Alabama on Saturday.
So it?s fitting that such a stretch begins against an opponent with a deep history in Blue Raider basketball tradition. MTSU tips off at 7 p.m. today at Murphy Center against archrival Western Kentucky, the 126th meeting between the teams.
Despite losses to Vanderbilt and Denver in their last three games, the Blue Raiders are still 21-4 overall and 10-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. A win tonight or a Florida Atlantic (5-5) loss would earn at least a share of the Sun Belt East Division title. MTSU leads West Division front-runner Arkansas-Little Rock (8-2) for the overall regular-season title, which also earns an automatic bid to the NIT. UALR visits Murphy Center Saturday for a national TV game on ESPN2.
A win tonight would also tie MTSU?s program record for most wins (22) in a regular season.
MTSU coach Kermit Davis knows each win gets his team closer to the postseason. The Blue Raiders have not played in the NCAA tournament or NIT since 1989.
?We told our players that we?re down to a five-game season now, and this game is a big one in that season,? Davis said. ?You have two or three seasons. You have the regular season, then your second season is the conference tournament, and your third season is the postseason, if you do well enough to get there.
?When you get to the end of the first season, you start looking at standings and what you can do with each game. And this is a big game anyway.?
The tone of the MTSU-WKU rivalry has flip-flopped over the last two years. The Blue Raiders have won four straight over the Hilltoppers for their longest winning streak in the series since the 1920s.
But neither WKU?s historical dominance over MTSU nor the Blue Raiders? recent advantage in the series should carry much weight tonight.
Nine of WKU?s top 11 players, including six freshmen, have never played against the Blue Raiders.
Four of MTSU?s starters have never faced WKU, including three junior college transfers and Iowa State transfer LaRon Dendy.
?A lot of their guys have never been in this series before and a lot of our guys haven?t played them before,? Davis said. ?We?ve told our new guys about this rivalry, and our returning guys already understand the utmost importance of this game. All Sun Belt games are important, but this is different.?
WKU (8-15, 4-6) touts talent, but it has struggled with one of college basketball?s youngest rosters. Head coach Ken McDonald was fired a month ago. Interim coach Ray Harper lost his first three games, but the Hilltoppers have won three of their last four. Freshman guard Derrick Gordon leads WKU with 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Junior point guard Jamal Crook scored a career-high 24 points in a win over South Alabama on Saturday.
