The simple answer here is yes, Murray State is the real deal. But it all depends on your definition of “the real deal.” Don’t be expecting a National Championship out of this team, and they are not the next Butler. But for a team that is not in a major conference, Murray State is very good. It is difficult to say if they can compete with the top teams in the country though, and we will not get a chance to see them play another ranked team during the regular season. But whether or not they a good enough team to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament is still unclear.
Murray State has won the last two regular season Ohio Valley Conference Championships, and also made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 by winning its conference tournament. If not for a terrible game against Tennessee Tech last year when the team shot 33% from the field, Murray State probably would have been in the tournament again. But Morehead State defeated Louisville, proving that the Ohio Valley is a decent conference. Murray State has some experience now. The team is returning leading scorer in Isaiah Canaan, and a “new” coach may be just what they need to get over the hump this year.
Steve Prohm is Murray State’s new coach, but he is not exactly new. He has been with the team for the last five years as an assistant coach, and he knows the players on his team very well. As the 13-0 start proves, Murray State did not need to transition into the new coach at all. They have just entered conference play, and games will get a little more difficult, but that doesn’t mean that their schedule has been a piece of cake thus far. The Racers were able to go on the road to Memphis and get a win, which was their first win against a ranked opponent since the 2009 NCAA when they defeated Vanderbilt in the first round.
The Racers are currently ranked 20th in the AP Poll, and 25th on Bob Long Sports. So people do believe that they are a good team. They have a chance to have a special season with a lot of their conference foes having a poor year. It will be exciting to see what they do in conference play. But do not be surprised if you see Murray State receiving a high seed in the NCAA Tournament and making a run at the Sweet 16 or even the elite 8 depending on their draw.
Prediction: Yes, Murray State is for real, but sadly they will eventually slip up in conference play, everyone does. No matter how good a team is, it is just too difficult to go undefeated for an entire season. They will receive a 6 or 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they will be a team that an 11 or 12 seed will not want to face. And I do not that they are good enough to reach the Elite 8, but the Sweet 16 is great possibility.