Two wins away from a CollegeInsider.com Tournament championship, Dexter Fields provided some perspective on the Racers' current situation Sunday afternoon.
"Everything happens for a reason," Murray State's lone senior said. "I'm just blessed, this team is blessed for this opportunity."
Sure Murray State would have preferred a fancier date to a larger dance, but the Racers' NCAA Tournament hopes were dashed in an 86-83 loss to Eastern Kentucky in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals March 7.
And even though the focus shifted from one postseason tournament to another, Fields said MSU's expectations of a championship never did.
"Whether it's an NCAA championship or a CIT championship, we can still consider ourselves champions," he said. "Being able to play with these guys for a little bit longer has been a blessing, and playing two more and winning two more is the ultimate goal."
Murray State (21-11) hosts Pacific (18-15) Tuesday night in the CIT semifinals, with the winner advancing to face either VMI or Yale in Thursday's title game.
The Racers have beaten Missouri State, Nebraska-Omaha and Towson on their way to the tournament's final four, and MSU head coach Steve Prohm said each of his team's first three opponents were an unintentional primer for Pacific's big front line.
"Pacific has really good size up front, but we've played some teams with a lot of size in this tournament," Prohm said. "They have about three or four post players they will rotate in there, and this is another one of those teams that has three or four guys with really good size."
"That means, because of our size, we will have to do a good job of finishing over bigger guys."
6-foot-8, 220 pound senior Tony Gill leads the Tigers, averaging 11.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while forwards Tevin Harris, Khalil Kelley, Ross Rivera and Aaron Short average double-digit minutes.
Pacific has more post depth in Gabriel Aguiree, David Taylor and 6-foot-10 Tim Thomas, but Prohm said Gill is the Racers' primary focus defensively ? especially as a 38-percent 3-point shooter.
"Gill is their most efficient, best post player," he said. "The matchup with him that makes things tough, is that he can pick-and-pop, make threes and really spread the defense.
"They have good size up front, and that's something we are going to have to counter-act."
Andrew Bock and Sama Taku are two more of Pacific's seven seniors, and lead the Tigers on the perimeter ? especially defensively, where Pacific will alternate man and zone looks.
Fields said the team got its first look at Pacific on film Sunday, and added the Racers have benefitted from shorter practice times since the OVC Tournament.
"We have the same mood and same mindset regardless of how long we are out here," he said. "We are just trying to come out here and get better everyday. These guys are all looking forward to practice everyday, and we are just trying to get in here for however long we have to be, whether it's an hour or two hours, and just trying to go hard and get better."
And as far as getting better goes, so far, so good, says Prohm.
"You look at where this team has come from and it's incredible," he said. "It's like BCS bowls, not everyone is in the BCS or the Sugar Bowl. When teams go to the Outback Bowl or the Cotton Bowl, they darn sure are trying to win the thing ? and that's how it is for us right now.
"Our guys were a free throw away from winning a regular season conference championship and going 14-2, now they are two games away from a CIT championship."
"Everything happens for a reason," Murray State's lone senior said. "I'm just blessed, this team is blessed for this opportunity."
Sure Murray State would have preferred a fancier date to a larger dance, but the Racers' NCAA Tournament hopes were dashed in an 86-83 loss to Eastern Kentucky in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals March 7.
And even though the focus shifted from one postseason tournament to another, Fields said MSU's expectations of a championship never did.
"Whether it's an NCAA championship or a CIT championship, we can still consider ourselves champions," he said. "Being able to play with these guys for a little bit longer has been a blessing, and playing two more and winning two more is the ultimate goal."
Murray State (21-11) hosts Pacific (18-15) Tuesday night in the CIT semifinals, with the winner advancing to face either VMI or Yale in Thursday's title game.
The Racers have beaten Missouri State, Nebraska-Omaha and Towson on their way to the tournament's final four, and MSU head coach Steve Prohm said each of his team's first three opponents were an unintentional primer for Pacific's big front line.
"Pacific has really good size up front, but we've played some teams with a lot of size in this tournament," Prohm said. "They have about three or four post players they will rotate in there, and this is another one of those teams that has three or four guys with really good size."
"That means, because of our size, we will have to do a good job of finishing over bigger guys."
6-foot-8, 220 pound senior Tony Gill leads the Tigers, averaging 11.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while forwards Tevin Harris, Khalil Kelley, Ross Rivera and Aaron Short average double-digit minutes.
Pacific has more post depth in Gabriel Aguiree, David Taylor and 6-foot-10 Tim Thomas, but Prohm said Gill is the Racers' primary focus defensively ? especially as a 38-percent 3-point shooter.
"Gill is their most efficient, best post player," he said. "The matchup with him that makes things tough, is that he can pick-and-pop, make threes and really spread the defense.
"They have good size up front, and that's something we are going to have to counter-act."
Andrew Bock and Sama Taku are two more of Pacific's seven seniors, and lead the Tigers on the perimeter ? especially defensively, where Pacific will alternate man and zone looks.
Fields said the team got its first look at Pacific on film Sunday, and added the Racers have benefitted from shorter practice times since the OVC Tournament.
"We have the same mood and same mindset regardless of how long we are out here," he said. "We are just trying to come out here and get better everyday. These guys are all looking forward to practice everyday, and we are just trying to get in here for however long we have to be, whether it's an hour or two hours, and just trying to go hard and get better."
And as far as getting better goes, so far, so good, says Prohm.
"You look at where this team has come from and it's incredible," he said. "It's like BCS bowls, not everyone is in the BCS or the Sugar Bowl. When teams go to the Outback Bowl or the Cotton Bowl, they darn sure are trying to win the thing ? and that's how it is for us right now.
"Our guys were a free throw away from winning a regular season conference championship and going 14-2, now they are two games away from a CIT championship."
