Part Two – What He’s Learned
(St. Louis, MO) – Murray State coach Matt McMahon has played in the NCAA Tournament and he has been an assistant coach in ‘The Big Dance’ and next week he will coach his first game in Mark Emmert’s annual celebration of college basketball.
As as a sharp-shooting guard for Appalachian State, McMahon’s team went to the NCAA Tournament, sustaining an opening round loss to Ohio State. The third year head coach says he wants to help his players stay focused but also to enjoy the experience.
As an assistant at Murray State, McMahon helped the Racers reach the NCAA Tournament in 2012. An opening round victory over Colorado State gave MSU it’s second Tournament win in a span of three seasons under two different coaches (Billy Kennedy in 2010 and Steve Prohm in 2012). McMahon says the 2012 squad was a special team and like this season’s Racers, they were determined to win some games.
McMahon served as a four-year assistant under current Iowa State coach Steve Prohm and says he stays in contact with his former boss. His first phone call after qualifying for the NCAA Tournament was to Prohm.
In tournament play, coaches are always looking for someone to emerge, or surprise the opposition. Someone that goes unnoticed because of the star power of Jonathan Stark, Terrell Miller and Ja Morant is Shaq Buchanan. The 6’3 guard is the team’s fourth leading scorer, netting over nine points per game, but his defensive prowess is important. Buchanan’s 50 steals, lead the team and McMahon says he’s something of a ‘junkyard dog.’
The win over Belmont, in the OVC Championship game, was McMahon’s first over the Bruins in four attempts.
After a two year record of 33-31 in McMahon’s first two seasons, the Racers (26-5) have won 13-straight games and most bracketologists have suggested MSU will receive a 13 seed. As we write this story, ESPN has the Racers heading to San Diego, and CBS believes they will be in Boise.
Much is yet to be decided by Sunday.
Coach McMahon and the Racers have earned an RPI of 48, just two notches behind Prohm’s last season in Murray, Kentucky. It appears Racer-Mania is back.
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