MURRAY ST. AT SEMO
This SEMO program has been on the decline for several years now. I think this is finally the year they hit rock bottom. This is head coach Rick Ray's 5th year at the helm. Coming in to this year he has a record at SEMO of 44-80 with no winning years. This year he is 4-14 going into this game. The thing about coach Ray is he is great about everything off the court. His players graduate and never get into any trouble. He is a great x/o coach. He knows basketball inside out. He has and has had some very good players. But, he has had more than his share transfer out (probable because of the losing). On multiple post game interviews he has said they put together a good game plan but the players just don't execute it. That's the rub. Somewhere there's a BIG disconnect between his basketball knowledge and the coaches ability to teach the players to execute it. Until the players prove that they can execute they should be a bet against team.
The people who schedule the OVC conference games didn't do SEMO any favors this year. So far they have only played the top 4 teams in the league and this will be their second game against Murray St. They are 0-5 in conference play. Their only close loss was at home by 2 points to Tenn. St. A team not nearly as good as the other three, Austin Peay, Belmont, and Murray. Their closest loss to those three was by 15. This will be their second game against Murray St. They lost at Murray 81-59. Their first game against Austin Peay they lost on the road by 15 and in the rematch lost by 25 at home. So the loser of the first meeting doesn't always do better in the rematch. With the currant state of the program I just don't see them keeping this one in single digits.
7* #743 MURRAY ST. -10 1/2 -105