Murray State Racers men's basketball
The Murray State Racers men's basketball program represents Murray State University in intercollegiate men's basketball. Murray State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, having joined that conference in 2022 after 74 seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers have played home games at the CFSB Center on their campus in Murray, Kentucky since 1998. Murray State made its 18th appearance in the [NCAA Men's NCAA Division I|Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA tournament] in 2022. Five times the Racers advanced in the tournament, most recently by defeating the University of San Francisco in 2022. In 1988, Murray State defeated NC State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to eventual runner-up Butler in the second round.
Venues
Murray State's first basketball venues were Wilson Hall ; Lovett Auditorium, which had a capacity of 1,500; and Carr Health Building, which had a capacity of 3,000. Racer Arena opened in 1954 and entertained Racer fans for 43 years. While its capacity was 5,500, over 6,000 people crowded the arena on numerous occasions. Racer Arena is now a volleyball-only facility, one of the largest in NCAA Division I.Replacing Racer Arena was the CFSB Center, the current home of Murray State men's basketball. Completed in June 1998 at a cost of $20 million, the facility is a modern arena which can host other events besides basketball. The CFSB Center sits 8,602 and includes a $250,000 scoreboard and a 2,000 sq. ft. weight room. The first basketball game at the CFSB Center was against [Southern Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball|Illinois Salukis men's basketball|Southern Illinois] on November 14, 1998, a 65β62 victory for the Racers in front of 7,633 spectators. It was formerly known as the Regional Special Events Center, or "RSEC", until the name was changed on September 17, 2010, after Community Financial Services Bank donated $3.3 million to Murray State, at the time the largest donation in athletic history.
History
In 2005, Street & Smith's named the Racers the 52nd best program of all time. In their prestige system, ESPN ranked Murray State the 30th best programs from 1984 to 2008, breaking a tie with Villanova due to a higher winning percentage. The Racers are the highest "true" mid-major team in their rankings.Cutchin era (1925β1941)
Carlisle Cutchin launched the Murray State basketball program in 1925. At the time, Murray State was a teacher's college and the nickname was the Thoroughbreds. In the 1935β36 season, Cutchin coached Murray State to its highest win percentage for a season at.920, when his Thoroughbreds finished with a record of 23β2. That season also included Murray State's best start, at 19β1. In his final season, he led the Thoroughbreds to the title game of the 1941 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament, at which time they lost to the San Diego State Aztecs 36β34. Since he retired in 1941, he has maintained his position as the all-time winningest coach in Murray State basketball history, with a career record of 267β101.Mountjoy era (1941β1942)
Rice Mountjoy was hired as the next men's basketball coach from Danville High School, where he was athletic director. In his only season with the Thoroughbreds, he coached the team to an 18β4 record. That season was marked by strong play from early jump shot proponent Joe Fulks, who transferred from Millsaps College. Mountjoy left after the 1941β42 season to coach Augusta Tilghman High School in nearby Paducah.John Miller era (1942β1948)
Former Murray State basketball player and then-freshman team coach John Miller replaced Mountjoy as head basketball coach. His best season was his first, when he led the team to a 21β5 record and finished fourth in the 1941 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament.Hodges era (1948β1954)
From Southern Illinois, Harlan Hodges led the team to two NAIA Tournaments and two No. 16 AP rankings in his six seasons, with a 109β66 record. Bennie Purcell and Garrett Beshear were on the roster during those years and were later named NAIA All-Americans. Hodges left Murray in May 1954 for the University of Idaho in the Pacific Coast Conference, where success largely eluded him. He resigned after five seasons in 1959 to become the superintendent of schools in Anna, Illinois, then returned to Murray in 1964 to teach.Alexander era (1954β1958)
Rex Alexander was promoted from assistant to head coach after former North Carolina head coach Tom Scott accepted, then turned down the head coaching post at Murray State. Alexander led Murray State for four seasons, posting a 45β54 record, including a 15β10 mark in 1955β56. But after his first team was Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament runners-up, his teams never finished higher than third in the conference and he was replaced by DePauw University head coach Cal Luther on March 5, 1958. Alexander agreed to stay on as an assistant coach under Luther.Luther era (1959β1974)
In 1958, Murray State hired Cal Luther, who had served the previous four seasons as head coach at DePauw. In 16 seasons under Luther, Murray State won three OVC regular-season championships and made the NCAA tournament in 1964 and 1969. His 1970β71 team reached No. 17 in the Associated Press poll, entering the rankings after a thrilling 73β71 victory over Western Kentucky in Murray. WKU would go on to reach the NCAA tournament Final Four that season. A two-time OVC Coach of the Year, Luther led the Racers to a 241β134 record.Luther's most notable players were future professional players Dick Cunningham, Claude Virden and Stewart Johnson, as well as Racer greats Herb McPherson, Jim Jennings and Les Taylor.
Cal Luther was a firebrand of a coach. The standing joke at the university was the over and under of Cal throwing off his jacket during a game due to a call by a ref, or from frustration with a player. The latter part of his tenure was marred by an OVC issue with testing and which tests the schools in the OVC used to qualify athletes. During the 1973β74 season several players were disqualified for using an illegal testing equivalency. This happened across the OVC, and Murray was not the only school to lose student athletes. Most of the disqualified athletes were allowed to transfer by the NCAA to other schools, but OVC schools lost the services of those athletes who had not actually taken the SAT, but had taken the ACT.
Overton era (1975β1978)
After three seasons as an assistant under Cal Luther, Fred Overton was elevated to head coach in 1975. After a 9β17 first season, the Racers started the 1976β77 season with a 17β6 record before dropping their last four games for a 17β10 final ledger, finishing second in the OVC. But after the Racers posted an 8β17 in 1977β78, Overton was fired.Greene era (1978β1985)
Ron Greene returned to his alma mater fresh off earning the AP Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year award at Mississippi State in 1978.After managing only four wins in his first season as coach at Murray, Greene led the Racers to 23 wins the following year and an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. The Racers knocked off Jacksonville and Alabama before losing to Illinois 65β63 in the quarterfinals, all on the road. Greene's Racers would win three Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles and reach the NIT twice more under his guidance.
A highlight of the 1981β82 season came when Murray State traveled to South Bend, Indiana, to play against Notre Dame. Murray State defeated a Notre Dame team coached by Digger Phelps 56β54.
His overall record at Murray State was 119β78. While at the Racer helm, Greene coached Racer greats Gary Hooker and Lamont Sleets.
Newton era (1985β1991)
In Steve Newton's second season, in 1986β87 the team finished with a 13β15 record. This marked the last time the Racers had a losing season for the next 29 seasons; only Arizona, Kansas, and Syracuse hold longer streaks.In addition to Murray's win in 1988, two years later the No. 16 seed Racers took No. 1 seed Michigan State into overtime before falling 75β71. The loss in 1990 was the closest a 16 seeded team had ever come to knocking off a No. 1 seeded team in the tournament. While a 16 seeded Princeton team and a 16 seeded East Tennessee State team both fell by just 1 point during regulation in the 1989 tournament, the 1990 Murray State team was the only 16 seed ever to take a game into overtime. In 1997, the No. 15 seed Racers nearly shocked the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils in a 71β68 loss.
In 1988, Jeff Martin became the first basketball player in Murray State, and OVC, history to be invited to the Olympic trials for the US Basketball Team. This was the last year that professionals were not allowed on the team. Martin did not make the team but impressed many with his performance.
The best-known player in the Newton era is Popeye Jones. While at Murray State, Jones scored 2,057 points which still ranks fourth all time for the Racers. He is also Murray State's all-time leader in rebounds with 1,374, and led the nation in that category in the 1990β91 season. Jones is the only player in MSU history to record more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Jones helped lead the Racers to OVC championships in 1991 and 1992. He went on to have a successful career in the NBA after being drafted in the second round by the Houston Rockets in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Edgar era (1992β1995)
Scott Edgar was hired as head basketball coach after serving six seasons as an assistant coach under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas. Bringing a version of Richardson's uptempo "40 Minutes of Hell" philosophy to Murray, Edgar led the Racers to two NCAA tournament appearances and one NIT appearance in four seasons. His teams won three OVC regular-season championships, posting a 48β14 record in conference games during his tenure.Edgar recruited Racer greats Marcus Brown and Vincent Rainey to Murray State, with Brown averaging 22.4 points and Rainey 18.8 points in Edgar's final season at Murray.
Edgar left Murray State after the 1994β95 season to become head coach at Duquesne.
Gottfried era (1995β1998)
Mark Gottfried was hired as head basketball coach after serving seven seasons as an assistant coach under Jim Harrick at UCLA. Gottfried was hired shortly after he finished the 1995 season with the Bruins, in which he helped lead the Bruins to an NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Mark Gottfried was also the nephew of ESPN analyst and former Murray State football coach Mike Gottfried.In Gottfried's first season, the Racers returned four starters, including Marcus Brown, from the Racer team that nearly upset North Carolina in the 1995 NCAA tournament, and the team was picked to finished first in the OVC. The Racers won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship in 1996 for the third straight season; however, the Racers were defeated in the OVC tournament. In the final game of the tournament, Murray State's Vincent Rainey was charged with a foul with two-tenths of a second left on the clock in a tie game against the rival Austin Peay Governors. APSU's Reggie Crenshaw made two free throws and the Racers lost the game 70β68. As a result of the loss, the Racers did not reach the 1996 NCAA tournament. The Racers lost to the Missouri Tigers in the opening round of the 1996 National Invitational Tournament, and finished the season 19β10. Marcus Brown finished his college playing career at the close of the 1996 season with 2,236 career points, which is third best in Murray State history.
With a November 23, 1996, victory over the Belmont Bruins, the Racers began a 47-game home winning streak that would last into the 1999β2000 season. The Racers won the 1997 OVC Tournament with an overtime win over Austin Peay and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament.
ESPN's College Basketball Encyclopedia names the Racers 1997β98 season as having the best team in school history. OVC player of the year De'Teri Mayes led the 1997β98 team to 23 victories by double digit margins. Isaac Spencer was a freshman on the team. Spencer would go on to score 2,248 points over four seasons, which places him second place all time for the Racers. The Racers won both the OVC regular season and OVC tournament again in 1998; however, Murray State fell to number eight seed Rhode Island in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Racers finished the season a number 25 ranking in the final AP Poll. Mark Gottfried won three Ohio Valley Conference Championships in each of his three seasons, the only OVC coach to accomplish such a mark.
Gottfried was hired by Alabama to be head basketball coach in March 1998. He had been a starting player for the Crimson Tide for three seasons between 1985 and 1987.
Anderson era (1998β2003)
Tevester Anderson was promoted to head coach of the Racers in March, 1998 after Mark Gottfried left Murray State to take the head coach position at the University of Alabama. Anderson, the first African American to serve as head coach of the Murray State men's basketball team, had previously served as an assistant coach under Gottfried during the previous three seasons. At age 61, Anderson was also the oldest rookie head coach in NCAA Division I basketball. In his first year as coach of the Racers, Anderson led the team to a 27β6 record, an Ohio Valley Conference championship, and an NCAA tournament appearance. Anderson was named the OVC's Co-Coach of the Year and was named NABC District 7 Coach of the Year following the 1998β99 season.In Anderson's second year as head coach, the Racers finished the 1999β2000 season with a 23β9 record. The record was good enough to capture a share of the OVC regular season championship, but the Racer's failed to win the OVC Tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. Murray State home court winning streak, the longest in the nation, also came to an end in 2000 with a January 15 loss to Missouri State University.
Over the next three years under Anderson, the success of the Racer basketball program steadily declined, culminating in a low point during the 2002β03 season. The Racers finished the 2002β03 season with a 17β12 record, which was fourth-place in the OVC standings. The fourth-place finish was the worst finish in the OVC standings since the 1986β87 season. Amid rumors that Anderson would relinquish his coaching duties at Murray State under pressure from university officials, he resigned from the head coach position in March 2003. Anderson was named as the new head coach at Jackson State University in April 2003.
Cronin era (2003β2006)
Previously an assistant at Cincinnati under Bob Huggins and at Louisville under Rick Pitino, Mick Cronin was introduced as the new head coach of the Racers on April 5, 2003. When he accepted the position, Cronin became the fourth youngest head coach in NCAA Division-I basketball. In Cronin's first season as head coach, the Racers won the OVC tournament and advanced to the first round of the NCAA tournament where the Racers fell to No. 5 seeded Illinois. The success of the 2003β04 season was also tainted by arrests and suspensions. Just before the start of the 2004 NCAA tournament, juniors Adam Chiles and Kelvin Brown were arrested on drug charges. Chiles was charged with hindering prosecution and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and Brown was charged with theft from an alleged gas drive-off, possession of marijuana, and his second offense of possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were arrested following a 911 hangup call from their apartment in which Chiles was found outside and Brown was found hiding in a closet. Chiles was cleared to play in the tournament, but Brown was suspended indefinitely and later dismissed from the team in April.Problems continued for the Racers in the 2004β05 season. The team's only returning starter, Adam Chiles, was dismissed from the team in November following his second arrest of 2004. Chiles was stopped by Kentucky State Police while driving on Western Kentucky Parkway near Leitchfield, Kentucky. Chiles was charged with driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, possession of an open alcoholic beverage container, and speeding. Chiles had averaged 10.1 points and 3.9 assists for the Racers in the previous season. The Racers went on to finish the 2004β05 season with a record of 20β10 and a first round loss in the OVC tournament.
The 2005β06 Racers rebounded from their struggles in the previous season to win both the OVC regular season title, their 1st since 2000, and the tournament title to return to the NCAA. In the 2006 tournament, junior guard Trey Pearson missed a critical 3-point shot in the final seconds of the first-round game against No. 3 seeded defending champion North Carolina. UNC was fouled on the rebound and went to the line to sink the game clinching shots to defeat the No. 14 seeded Racers 69β65. After the 2006 NCAA tournament Cronin took the reins of the Cincinnati Bearcats, his hometown team and alma mater.
Kennedy era (2006β2011)
On April 12, 2006, Southeastern Louisiana head coach Billy Kennedy was introduced as Murray State University's head men's basketball coach, succeeding the recently departed Cronin.After continuing to contend in the conference over his first few seasons, Kennedy's 2009β10 team finally broke through, winning the program's 21st OVC regular season title with a conference record of 17β1. They would then go on to defeat Morehead State to capture their 14th OVC tournament title, clinching a berth in the NCAA tournament.
The Racers won their first-round game in the 2010 NCAA tournament in dramatic fashion, defeating fourth-seeded Vanderbilt 66β65 on a buzzer-beating jump shot by senior Danero Thomas. This was the first time that any Ohio Valley Conference team had advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament since Middle Tennessee advanced in 1989.
The Racers followed up a regular season conference championship for the second year in a row in 2011. The Racers were eliminated from the OVC tournament in 2011; however, they earned a number six seed in the National Invitational Tournament where the Racers suffered a first round loss to Missouri State University. In May 2011, Billy Kennedy announced that he was leaving Murray State to accept the head coach position at Texas A&M University.
First Prohm era (2011β2015)
Steve Prohm was introduced as the 15th head coach on May 23, 2011. Prohm was promoted to the head coach position after serving as an assistant coach under Billy Kennedy for the previous five seasons. The Racers won the 2011 Great Alaska Shootout early in the 2011β12 season and went on a 23-game winning streak to start the season. The team's 23β0 start under Prohm was the best start to a season in team history. The 23β0 start beat the previous best start record of 16β0 set by the 1935β36 men's basketball team under Carlisle Cutchin. The 23β0 start was the third-best start in NCAA Division I history for a first-year head coach, and it set OVC records for most wins to start a season and overall winning streak during a seasonThe 10th win of the 2011β12 season was a victory over the then No. 21-ranked Memphis Tigers. This was Murray State's first win over a ranked team since defeating Vanderbilt in the 2010 NCAA tournament. It was also Murray State's first win over a ranked team during the regular season since the Racers defeated No. 12 Arkansas in 1997. Following the victory over Memphis, the Racers entered the national polls at No. 24 on the AP Top 25 Poll on December 12, 2011. This marked the first time an OVC basketball team had been ranked in the major national polls since the Racers were last ranked at No. 25 in the final poll of the 1998 season. The No. 24 ranking also marked the team's highest ranking since February 1971, when the Racers were 17th. The No. 24-ranked Racers defeated the Lipscomb Bisons in the 11th game of the season. The victory was the first win for Murray State as a ranked team since a ranked Racer team defeated Tennessee Tech 72β69 on February 2, 1971. On January 2, 2012, Murray State moved into the No. 1 spot in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. The Racers became the first OVC team to ever achieve the No. 1 ranking in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. Following Murray State's 16th win of the season, a January 7, 2012, victory over conference-rival Austin Peay, the Racers moved up to No. 14 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and No. 15 in the AP Poll. Their 17th win came against Jacksonville State at the CFSB center to put the Racers to 17β0, and their best start in school history. Their 18th win against Tennessee Tech, 82β74 on January 14, 2012, kept Murray one of only three Division I schools with an unbeaten season as of that date. The January 9 AP ranking was the highest ranking in the history of the Murray State men's basketball program. The No. 15 ranking was also the highest ranking for an OVC team since the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were ranked No. 7 on March 16, 1971.
On February 9, 2012, Murray State hosted OVC-rival Tennessee State University as the No. 9 team in the nation and the lone unbeaten in Division I basketball. Murray State lost 72β68. Two days later, Murray State answered with a definitive win at home against rival Austin Peay 82β63, bringing its record to 24β1. This win was quickly followed by a win on the road at SEMO, 75β66, to clinch the Racers third consecutive Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship.
On February 18, Murray State hosted St. Mary's College in a much-anticipated Bracketbuster event, and the last home game of the season. The game was not only a sellout, but the largest ever for attendance at the CFSB center: 8,825. This marked the first time two ranked teams played at the CFSB Center and the first time a ranked Murray State team played another ranked team. The game also featured a national TV audience on ESPN with legendary announcers Dave O'Brien and Dick Vitale calling the action. Murray State never trailed in the game and defeated St. Mary's 65β51, improving its record to 26β1. As the historic 2011β12 season came to a close, the Murray State men's basketball program was the recipient of several high-profile awards. Coach Steve Prohm was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, which marked the third-consecutive year the award was presented to a Murray State head coach. Prohm also was recognized as the District-IV Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association and District 19 Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Prohm also received two national coach of the year awards: the Basketball Times Coach of the Year Award and the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award. Junior point guard Isaiah Canaan was named OVC Player of the Year and Second Team All-America by the Associated Press, as well as selected to the John R. Wooden All-American team, Lute Olson All-America team, NABC All-America Third Team, and Sporting News All-America First Team. Canaan was a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award, Bob Cousy Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Lou Henson Award and to the Naismith College Player of the Year Midseason watch list.
On June 8, 2015, Prohm was announced as the new head coach at Iowa State. The Iowa State job had become open when Fred Hoiberg left to become head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
McMahon era (2015β2022)
On June 10, 2015, Matt McMahon was hired as head coach of Murray State. McMahon served as an assistant under Prohm and had just left the school to serve as an assistant to Eric Konkol at Louisiana Tech on May 27, 2015, before Prohm left for Iowa State. "I am so excited to know that Coach McMahon will be returning to Murray State to lead the Racers," Murray State athletic director Allen Ward said. "After watching him for four years, I'm convinced he's the right man for the job. He's an outstanding coach, nationally recognized as one of the top assistants in the country, with a tremendous upside. Matt has the talent and integrity to continue the momentum we've built, put his own stamp on the program, and meet the expectations that come with being the head coach at Murray State."In his first season as head coach, the Racers finished the season 17β14, 10β6 in OVC play to finish in a tie for the West Division title. They lost in the quarterfinals of the OVC tournament. However, the following year, the team's record dipped as they finished 16β17, 8β8 in OVC play to finish in third place in the West Division and losing in the semifinals of the OVC tournament.
McMahon's third Racer team posted a 26β6, 16β2 record, winning the OVC regular season and tournament championships. They were received a 12 seed in the 2018 NCAA tournament, where they fell in the first round to West Virginia. After the season, he was named National Association of Basketball Coaches District 19 Coach of the Year.
In June 2018, Murray State awarded McMahon a contract extension through 2022.
The 2018β19 season saw the Racers win 15 of their first 17 games, with the only losses to Southeastern Conference opponents Alabama and eventual Final Four participant Auburn, both on the road. By then, the nation had been introduced to sophomore point guard Ja Morant, who scored 25 points against Auburn and 38 against Alabama. The Racers went on to post a 16β2 OVC record and won the conference tournament championship over Belmont, 77β65, in Evansville, Indiana, earning a bid to the NCAA tournament for the 17th time. There, the Racers earned a No. 12 seed and defeated Marquette of the Big East Conference, 83β64, in Hartford, Connecticut, on March 21 behind a triple-double from Morant. Two days later, Murray State fell to No. 4 seed Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference, 90β62, finishing the season with a 28β5 record. After the season, Morant was named a consensus First Team All-American after becoming the first player in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists per game.
The 2019β20 season saw the Racers go 22β8 in the regular season and finish tied with Belmont atop the OVC standings with a record of 15β3. Murray State earned a share of its third straight regular season OVC Championship, while Belmont earned the No. 1 seed due to a tie-breaker. Sophomores Tevin Brown and KJ Williams were named to the All-OVC First Team prior to entering the 2020 OVC Tournament. The Racers and Belmont squared off in the OVC Championship finale for the third time in the last three years. Murray State won the previous two years but fell this season, 76β75. There was no postseason play forthcoming for the Racersβor anyone else in college basketballβdue to the shutdown of spectator sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic that engulfed the world in 2020.
The Racers' final OVC season in 2021β22 saw the Racers go on an unprecedented run rarely seen in the program's history. Initially picked to finish 3rd in the conference, the Racers compiled a perfect 18β0 record in conference play, winning the regular season title for the 28th time in program history. During this stretch, the Racers would enter the Top 25 rankings for the first time since the 2014β15 season, reaching as high as No. 19. In addition, Brown would break the OVC record for most 3-point field goals made in a career. They would then go on to win both of their OVC tournament games; a dominant semi-final victory over SEMO and a back-and-forth thriller against defending tournament champion Morehead State in the championship game, to secure the program's 18th OVC tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Individually, Brown and Williams were once again named to the All-OVC First Team, being joined by sophomore Justice Hill. Williams was named OVC Player of the Year, while Hill was named the OVC tournament's Most Valuable Player. McMahon himself was named the OVC Coach of the year for his efforts. Earning a No. 7 seed, they defeated San Francisco in the first round of the NCAA tournament before a surprise loss to Saint Peter's in the second round. Two days after Murray's exit from the NCAA tournament, McMahon left to take the head coaching opening at LSU.
Second Prohm era (2022β2025)
On March 25, 2022, it was announced that Steve Prohm would return to the university as head coach. "As we envisioned the ideal profile for the next Murray State Men's Basketball head coach, it remained abundantly clear a commitment to character, integrity, student-athlete development, community, family and competitive excellence were critically important," said Murray State Director of Athletics, Kevin Saal. "Steve Prohm represents, reflects and personifies these, and many more, qualities. His skill set, experience and genuine love for Murray State will effectively guide our program as we begin our Missouri Valley Conference journey."On March 7, 2025, after a loss in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals, it was reported by ESPN that Murray State had parted ways with Prohm after a 45β52 record in three seasons as head coach. The university confirmed the decision the following day.
Season-by-season results
Starting from the 1987β88 season, the Racers had recorded a winning season for 29 straight years ending in the 2016β17 season. They have won 20 or more games in a season 32 times and three times have won 30 or more. For the first time in school history, the 2014β15 Racers went undefeated in the OVC regular season. In their final OVC season in 2021β22, they posted an unprecedented 18β0 OVC regular-season record.MsVC β Mississippi Valley Conference
KIAC β Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
SIAA β Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
NAIB β National Association for Intercollegiate Basketball
NAIA β National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
NIT β National Invitation Tournament
NCAA β National Collegiate Athletic Association
CIT β CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament
Rankings
The Racers have been nationally ranked in eight seasons in either the Associated Press Poll or the ESPN-USA Today Poll. They were first ranked during the 1950β51 season coached by Harlan Hodges. The Racers received their highest ranking, under coach Steve Prohm, during the 2011β12 season, ranking 9th in the AP Poll and 7th in the Coaches Poll.| Year | AP Poll | Coaches Poll | Coach |
| 1950β51 | 16 | Harlan Hodges | |
| 1951β52 | 16 | Harlan Hodges | |
| 1952β53 | 17 | Harlan Hodges | |
| 1970β71 | 17 | Cal Luther | |
| 1997β98 | 25 | Mark Gottfried | |
| 2011β12 | 9 | 7 | Steve Prohm |
| 2014β15 | 25 | 24 | Steve Prohm |
| 2021β22 | 19 | 19 | Matt McMahon |
- The AP Poll and Coaches Poll rankings represent the highest rankings received during that season.
Rivalries
Western Kentucky University
Murray State's oldest basketball rivalry is with nearby Western Kentucky. The two teams became archrivals during their time together in the Ohio Valley Conference. Although the schools no longer share their conference affiliation, the two schools keep the series alive every few years. The teams last played each other in 2014. They are set to renew their rivalry beginning in 2023 as part of a 4-game annual series. The two teams have met in basketball 147 times, with WKU leading the all-time series 95 to 56.Austin Peay State University (Battle of the Border)
For the rest of the Racers' OVC tenure, their primary in-conference rivalry was with Austin Peay State University, a school closer geographically than WKU. In February 2009, ESPN The Magazine highlighted the Austin Peay-Murray State rivalry. The men's basketball rivalry is part of the larger athletics rivalry between the two schools known as the Battle of the Border. While the schools no longer share their conference affiliation, both teams have kept the series going. The two teams have met 135 times, with MSU leading the all-time series 90 to 45.Belmont University
Recently, the Racers have been building a rivalry with Belmont University since the Bruins' entry into the OVC in 2012. From that year until both teams' departure from the OVC in 2022, Belmont and Murray State combined to win every regular season championship, including two seasons where they shared the title. In three consecutive years, the Racers and Bruins met in the OVC Tournament finals, with Murray State winning in 2018 and 2019. With Belmont joining the MVC alongside Murray State, the rivalry will continue in that conference. The Bruins currently lead the all-time series 13 to 12.Murray has two more built-in regional rivals in the MVC, with Southern Illinois about two hours' drive away and Evansville slightly farther away.
Coaches
The Racers have had 17 different head coaches in their history. Carlisle Cutchin has the most wins in school history with 267. Steve Newton has won the most OVC Regular Season titles with four. Newton and Matt McMahon share the most OVC Tournament titles with three apiece. Eleven different coaches have received the OVC Coach of the Year award for a combined 17 times.| Coach | Years | Overall Record | Conference Record | 20-Win Seasons | Notes |
| Carlisle Cutchin | 1925β1941, 1948 | 267β101 | 4 | ||
| Rice Mountjoy | 1941β1942 | 18β4 | 0 | ||
| John Miller | 1943β1948 | 63β50 | 1 | ||
| Harlan Hodges | 1948β1954 | 109β66 | 39β29 | 2 | 1951 OVC Regular Season Champions 1951 OVC Tournament Champions |
| Rex Alexander | 1955β1958 | 45β54 | 23β19 | 0 | |
| Cal Luther | 1959β1974 | 241β154 | 125β88 | 1 | 1964, 1968, 1969 OVC Regular Season Champions 1964 OVC Tournament Champions 1964 & 1969 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Fred Overton | 1975β1978 | 44β59 | 21β25 | 0 | 1977 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Ron Greene | 1978β1985 | 119β78 | 63β35 | 3 | 1980, 1982, 1983 OVC Regular Season Champions 1980 & 1983 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Steve Newton | 1985β1991 | 116β65 | 57β21 | 3 | 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 OVC Regular Season Champions 1988, 1990, 1991 OVC Tournament Champions 1988 & 1990 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Scott Edgar | 1991β1995 | 79β40 | 48β14 | 2 | 1992, 1994, 1995 OVC Regular Season Champions 1992 & 1995 OVC Tournament Champions 1992 & 1994 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Mark Gottfried | 1995β1998 | 68β24 | 40β12 | 2 | 1996, 1997, 1998 OVC Regular Season Champions 1997 & 1998 OVC Tournament Champions 1998 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Tevester Anderson | 1998β2003 | 103β52 | 50β24 | 2 | 1999 & 2000 OVC Regular Season Champions 1999 & 2002 OVC Tournament Champions 1999 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Mick Cronin | 2003β2006 | 69β24 | 42β10 | 2 | 2006 OVC Regular Season Champions 2004 & 2006 OVC Tournament Champions 2006 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Billy Kennedy | 2006β2011 | 107β53 | 70β24 | 2 | 2010 & 2011 OVC Regular Season Champions 2010 OVC Tournament Champions 2010 & 2011 OVC Coach Of The Year |
| Steve Prohm | 2011β2015 | 104β29 | 54β10 | 4 | 2013, 2014, 2015 OVC West Division Season Champions 2012 & 2015 OVC Regular Season Champions 2012 OVC Tournament Champions 2012 & 2015 OVC Coach Of The Year 2012 Great Alaska Shootout Champions 2014 CIT Postseason Tournament Champions |
| Matt McMahon | 2015β2022 | 154β67 | 93β31 | 4 | 2016 OVC West Division Season Co-Champions 2018 & 2022 OVC Regular Season Champions 2019 & 2020 OVC Regular Season Co-Champions 2018, 2019, 2022 OVC Tournament Champions 2022 OVC Coach of the Year |
| Steve Prohm | 2022β2025 | 45β52 | 29β31 | 0 | - |
| Total | 1925βpresent | 1,706β920 | 731β354 | 32 | 4 OVC West Division Season Championships 28 OVC Regular Season Championships 18 OVC tournament championships 17 OVC Coach Of The Year Awards 1 Great Alaska Shootout Championship 1 CIT Postseason tournament championship |
Players
All-Americans
The Racers have had 14 All-Americans; the first in 1938 and the most recent in 2019.| Year | Player |
| 1938 | Etheridge McKeel |
| 1941 | Bob Salmons |
| 1943 | Joe Fulks |
| 1951 | Garrett Beshear |
| 1952 | Bennie Purcell |
| 1956 | Howie Crittenden |
| 1966 | Stew Johnson |
| 1968 | Dick Cunningham |
| 1989 | Jeff Martin |
| 1992 | Popeye Jones |
| 1994 | Marcus Brown |
| 2004 | Cuthbert Victor |
| 2012 | Isaiah Canaan |
| 2019 | Ja Morant |
NBA draftees
The Racers have had 25 players selected in the NBA draft, the first being Johnny Reagan by the Chicago Stags in 1948. Twice Murray State has had two players selected in the draft, in 1967 and 1971. Here is a list of Racers picked in the draft that posted minutes in the NBA regular season:| Year | Round | Pick | Overall pick | Player | NBA club |
| 1966 | 3 | 1 | 21 | Stew Johnson | New York Knicks |
| 1968 | 2 | 7 | 21 | Dick Cunningham | Phoenix Suns |
| 1970 | 9 | 6 | 142 | Claude Virden | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1989 | 2 | 4 | 31 | Jeff Martin | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1992 | 2 | 14 | 41 | Popeye Jones | Houston Rockets |
| 1996 | 2 | 17 | 46 | Marcus Brown | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2013 | 2 | 4 | 34 | Isaiah Canaan | Houston Rockets |
| 2015 | 1 | 14 | 14 | Cameron Payne | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2019 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies |
Retired numbers
The Racers have retired 15 numbers, the first in 1952 and the last in 2025. The 15 retired numbers are the most of any NCAA Division I men's program.Scoring leaders
The Racers have had six players score over 2,000 points and 41 players score over 1,000 points during their careers. Marcus Brown holds the record for the most points in a single game with 45 against Washington on December 16, 1995. Jeff Martin holds the record for the most points in a single season with 806 during the 1987β88 season.Postseason
NCAA tournament
The Racers have appeared in 18 NCAA tournaments. They received their highest ranking in the tournament in 2012 with a 6th seed. They have an overall 5β18 record in tournament games. Popeye Jones holds the single game scoring record with 37 points against Michigan State in 1990.| 1964 | Quarterfinals | Loyola Chicago | L 91β101 | |
| 1969 | Quarterfinals | Marquette | L 62β82 | |
| 1988 | #14 | First round Second round | #3 North Carolina State #6 Kansas | W 78β75 L 58β61 |
| 1990 | #16 | First round | #1 Michigan State | L 71β75 OT |
| 1991 | #13 | First round | #4 Alabama | L 79β89 |
| 1992 | #14 | First round | #3 Arkansas | L 69β80 |
| 1995 | #15 | First round | #2 North Carolina | L 70β80 |
| 1997 | #15 | First round | #2 Duke | L 68β71 |
| 1998 | #9 | First round | #8 Rhode Island | L 74β97 |
| 1999 | #13 | First round | #4 Ohio State | L 58β72 |
| 2002 | #14 | First round | #3 Georgia | L 68β85 |
| 2004 | #12 | First round | #5 Illinois | L 53β72 |
| 2006 | #14 | First round | #3 North Carolina | L 65β69 |
| 2010 | #13 | First round Second round | #4 Vanderbilt
| W 66β65 L 52β54 |
| 2012 | #6 | First round Second round | #11 Colorado State | W 58β41 L 53β62 |
| 2018 | #12 | First round | #5 West Virginia | L 68β85 |
| 2019 | #12 | First round Second round | #5 Marquette #4 Florida State | W 83β64 L 62β90 |
| 2022 | #7 | First round Second round | #10 San Francisco #15 Saint Peter's | W 92β87 L 60β70 |
National Invitation tournament
In eight National Invitation Tournament appearances, the Racers are 4β8 overall in tournament games.| 1980 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | Jacksonville Alabama Illinois | W 53β49 W 70β62 L 63β65 | |
| 1982 | First round | UNLV | L 61β87 | |
| 1983 | First round | Wake Forest | L 80β87 | |
| 1989 | First round | Penn State | L 73β89 | |
| 1994 | First round | Bradley | L 58β66 | |
| 1996 | First round | Missouri | L 85β89 | |
| 2011 | #6 | First round | #3 Missouri State | L 76β89 |
| 2015 | #3 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | #6 UTEP | W 81β66W 83β62 L 69β72 |
CollegeInsider.com Postseason tournament
The Racers appeared in the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. They posted a 5β0 record to be 2014 CIT champions.| 2014 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Missouri State Omaha Towson Pacific Yale | W 66β63 W 86β62 W 85β73 W 98β75 W 65β57 |
NAIA tournament
The Racers appeared in the NAIA tournament seven times. Their combined record is 16β8.| 1938 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National 3rd-place game | Drake Northwest Missouri State New Mexico A&M Roanoke Washburn | W 47β40 W 38β30 W 30β29 L 29β35 W 33β24 |
| 1939 | First round Second round | Jordan Manchester | W 43β37 L 39β42 |
| 1941 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Oregon College Alma Northwest Missouri State Santa Barbara State San Diego State | W 68β46 W 51β33 W 46β43 W 35β33 L 34β36 |
| 1942 | First round | East Central | L 45β46 OT |
| 1943 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National third-place game | Southwest Missouri State Southwestern (KS) Pepperdine Southeast Missouri State North Texas State | W 72β44 W 44β42 W 44β38 L 36β38 L 55β59 OT |
| 1950 | First round | Central Washington State | L 55β61 |
| 1952 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Centenary West Texas State Whitworth Portland Southwest Missouri State | W 72β46 W 75β73 W 81β69 W 58β57 L 64β73 |