Murray State University Athletics
MSU Basketball Awards Night
4/7/2010 5:57:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Murray State men's basketball squad enjoyed a night of reflecting during a reception at the Regional Special Events Center in Murray, Ky., as the team gave out honors to their senior class and others who earned team awards.
"I am very thankful for the support we get here at Murray State," Kennedy said. "When we play games, people care and that makes this a special place."
The Racers had perhaps the most memorable season in their 85 campaigns when they won a record 31 games in 2009-10 which included the program's first victory in the NCAA Tournament in 22 years.
Seniors Tony Easley, Georges Fotso and Danero Thomas were honored as the trio left with many good memories.
Easley broke the MSU single-season record for blocked shots and Thomas became the 35th member of the MSU 1000-Point Club and Fotso was a valued leader.
All agreed, the personal accomplishments were nothing compared to the Racers beating Vanderbilt March 18 in San Jose, Calif., on Thomas' buzzer-shot that gave MSU their first NCAA win since 1988.
"That is a moment that I'll never forget," Thomas said. "We had a great time this season, and it happened because we all believed in each other. When a team has that love for each other, special things can happen and this time I've had at Murray State will stay with me the rest of my life."
The Racers also notched their 21st Ohio Valley Conference regular season and 14th tournament title along the way.
Murray State Head Coach Billy Kennedy and coaching staff handed out other awards.
The Racer Hustle Award was given to Jeffery McClain who played in all 36 games and was often responsible for help to the team in areas that don't always show up in the box score.
The Jeff Martin Class & Character Award was given to senior Georges Fotso who was one of the team's leaders during his four seasons with MSU.
B.J. Jenkins earned the Popeye Jones - Mr. MSU Award that goes to the student-athlete who displayed excellence in all areas on and off the court.
Isacc Miles was given the Garrett Beshear Defensive Award for his outstanding efforts in a season where the Racers were consistently ranked as one of the best defensive teams in the nation.
The attending guests were also treated to a season highlight video featuring all of the great moments in MSU's magical 31-5 season.
Looking back, Kennedy said the areas that had been marked for improvement after the 2008-09 season were indeed better going into this season.
"When we broke it down, there were three areas I wanted change about our team," Kennedy said. "One was we needed to become more physical on the defensive end of the court. And we also needed to improve our three-point shooting and our depth."
Once the Racers started workouts in the fall, Kennedy knew the Racers had a chance to be very good.
"I thought if we could take the character and toughness we had and add to it the other areas of improvement, we could do something special," he said. "The things we had in place made for a very special and outstanding season."
Mission accomplished.
