To call Arkansas State a thorn in the side of MTSU men?s basketball would not provide a full description of the recent series.
It should be plural ? thorns in the side.
ASU delivered the decisive blow to the Blue Raiders? NCAA tournament hopes last season with an upset in the Sun Belt tournament quarterfinal.
And this season, ASU (14-8, 8-5) has dealt the lone loss to Middle Tennessee State University (20-4, 12-1) since mid-December.
Tonight, the Blue Raiders will try to fight off their recent nemesis with a 7 o?clock tipoff at Murphy Center.
?They?ve played really well against us,? MTSU coach Kermit Davis said. ?I don?t know if they get up for us or not. But I just think they?ve got good experienced players. They guard well and play really physical defense.
?I think with this game you?ve got two really good teams trying to win their sides of the league.?
MTSU has a three-game lead in the East Division, while ASU is tied with Arkansas-Little Rock atop the West Division.
The Blue Raiders have rolled through the past two months, winning 13 of 14 games. Their lone loss was a 66-60 overtime defeat at ASU on Jan. 3.
In that game, MTSU had 16 turnovers and only eight assists, a rare ratio for the Blue Raiders. But point guard Bruce Massey played only four minutes after a brief argument with Davis on the bench early in the game.
?Bruce didn?t play because of the coach?s decision, and that definitely changed our team,? Davis said. ?But even with him out there, we?ll have to play really well to win this game.
?Both teams have a pretty good familiarity with one another.?
ASU is coached by John Brady, a long-time close friend and former colleague of Davis. Brady was the head coach at LSU when Davis served as an assistant on his staff.
MTSU is ranked 32nd in RPI with a strong case for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But the Blue Raiders were in a similar position last season before some late losses softened their position, including the defeat to ASU in the Sun Belt tournament, and they missed out on a Big Dance bid.
ASU has won three straight games, but all at home. The Red Wolves will be on the road for five of their final seven regular-season games.
Meanwhile, MTSU has a 12-0 home record this season. Overall, the Blue Raiders have won 24 consecutive regular-season games at Murphy Center, dating back to November 2011.
It should be plural ? thorns in the side.
ASU delivered the decisive blow to the Blue Raiders? NCAA tournament hopes last season with an upset in the Sun Belt tournament quarterfinal.
And this season, ASU (14-8, 8-5) has dealt the lone loss to Middle Tennessee State University (20-4, 12-1) since mid-December.
Tonight, the Blue Raiders will try to fight off their recent nemesis with a 7 o?clock tipoff at Murphy Center.
?They?ve played really well against us,? MTSU coach Kermit Davis said. ?I don?t know if they get up for us or not. But I just think they?ve got good experienced players. They guard well and play really physical defense.
?I think with this game you?ve got two really good teams trying to win their sides of the league.?
MTSU has a three-game lead in the East Division, while ASU is tied with Arkansas-Little Rock atop the West Division.
The Blue Raiders have rolled through the past two months, winning 13 of 14 games. Their lone loss was a 66-60 overtime defeat at ASU on Jan. 3.
In that game, MTSU had 16 turnovers and only eight assists, a rare ratio for the Blue Raiders. But point guard Bruce Massey played only four minutes after a brief argument with Davis on the bench early in the game.
?Bruce didn?t play because of the coach?s decision, and that definitely changed our team,? Davis said. ?But even with him out there, we?ll have to play really well to win this game.
?Both teams have a pretty good familiarity with one another.?
ASU is coached by John Brady, a long-time close friend and former colleague of Davis. Brady was the head coach at LSU when Davis served as an assistant on his staff.
MTSU is ranked 32nd in RPI with a strong case for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But the Blue Raiders were in a similar position last season before some late losses softened their position, including the defeat to ASU in the Sun Belt tournament, and they missed out on a Big Dance bid.
ASU has won three straight games, but all at home. The Red Wolves will be on the road for five of their final seven regular-season games.
Meanwhile, MTSU has a 12-0 home record this season. Overall, the Blue Raiders have won 24 consecutive regular-season games at Murphy Center, dating back to November 2011.
