Murray State University Athletics
Racers Working Hard To Prepare For The NCAA Tournament Road Ahead
3/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Fresh off winning the program's 12th Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title, the Murray State Racers and first-year head coach Mick Cronin have quickly turned their focus to an unnamed opponent and the goal of winning in the NCAA Tournament.
MSU (28-5) will learn its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday, March 14, during the nationally televised NCAA Selection Show at 5 p.m. CT on CBS. For the Racers, there are no concerns about whether they'll play in this year's "Big Dance," but rather who they'll have to face and where they'll play.
"We'll certainly be ready to play anybody we're paired with; we'll go play wherever we're sent," said Cronin. "Obviously, we'd prefer to play on a truly neutral court, but you never know what hand you're going to be dealt. Whatever happens, we've got work to do to get ready for our next game."
After giving his team Sunday and Monday off from practice, Cronin and the Racers got back to work on Tuesday afternoon with a spirited two-hour session at the Regional Special Events Center. MSU, which enters the NCAA Tourney riding an eight-game winning streak overall, will continue to work on specific areas of its offense and defense prior to learning their opponent for next week's first-round game.
"By the time we play our first-round game next week, we will have had at least 11 days between games, so staying sharp is a big thing for us," Cronin said. "I think having a little rest will also help out after playing six games in 13 days to close the season, and there's no doubt this week will allow us to improve in some areas before we prepare for a specific opponent next week."
The Racers, set to make their sixth NCAA Tournament in the last 10 years and their 12th overall, have been led throughout the season by senior forward Cuthbert Victor, the 2004 OVC Player of the Year and 2004 OVC Tournament Most Valuable Player. A native of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, the 6-5 Victor ranks in the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage (fourth at 62.9%) and rebounding (eighth at 10.3 rpg) while leading five MSU players scoring in double-figures at 14.5 points per game.
"Cuffy (Victor) is such a team player that his only real concern is whether this team wins or not," Cronin said. "He's a guy that can help us in so many ways, and he's become very difficult for people to defend because of his unselfishness. He's also an invaluable part of our defense with his great instincts, his shot-blocking and his rebounding. It's been such a treat to coach him this season."
As a team, the Racers are in the top 13 nationally in four statistical categories through Monday's action. MSU is second in the nation in assists per game at 19.0, fourth in field-goal percentage at 49.8 percent, ninth in scoring offense at 81.1 points per game and 13th in scoring margin at +12.3. And though their offense gets much of the hype, it's the defense that made the difference in the Racers' 66-60 win over Austin Peay in the OVC title game last Saturday.
"So much has been made of our scoring and our offense, but I'm really pleased that our guys made the commitment to defense that was required for us to have the season we've had so far," Cronin said. "All season long, we've stressed the importance of our team defense and the role it would play for us to achieve the goals that these players set prior to the season. Our players set their sights on winning an NCAA Tournament game before we ever played our first exhibition game, and over the last few weeks, our defense has really been the difference for us.
"That's why we're in the position we're in now. Hopefully, we can continue to do the things that got us here and achieve the goal that was set last fall by the players on this team."
So with only a few days left until they learn the next step, the Racers will continue to work each day with the hopes of continuing their season beyond the NCAA Tournament's first round.
