Murray State Basketball: 3 keys to upsetting Marquette in Round of 64

2. Contain the Hauser Brothers

The Murray State defense will have their hands full all game with not only Markus Howard but also Sam and Joey Hauser, their other leaders on offense. 6-foot-9 freshman forward K.J. Williams will have his hands full all night but the Hauser brothers should be a good test for him and his squad.

Sam is averaging 14.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game so they’ll need to make a concerted effort to keep him off the glass. He’s also shooting 40.1 percent from behind the arc. Joey, the younger of the two, is averaging 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on 43.3 percent shooting from 3-point range.

Both Hausers are long and wiry forwards at 6-foot-8 and their length and versatility on the wing should give Murray State some issues. The average height of the Racers roster this season is 6-foot-5. Just three of their 13 players listed on the roster are 6-foot-8 or over.

With such a disadvantage, the Racers will need to prevent big performances from the Hauser brothers. 6-foot-5 forward Sacar Anim is another player they’ll need to keep an eye on as well. He’s shooting 40.9 percent from behind the arc, though he’s averaging just 2.0 attempts per contest on the year.