Morehead State Basketball: 2021-22 preview and outlook for Eagles

Morehead State Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Eagles

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 19: Johni Broome #4 of the Morehead State Eagles blocks a shot by Derek Culver #1 of the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/2021 Getty Images) /

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Morehead State Eagles basketball opens the season at Auburn . Jc Bballironbowl 19 /

Difficult schedule preparing for conference play

Spradlin has put together a tremendous schedule. Morehead State will be ultra prepared for the Ohio Valley Conference schedule. The Eagles open the regular season in the State of Alabama with a game at Auburn and then at UAB. Auburn, ranked 22nd in our preseason poll, will match 7’ transfer Walker Kessler against Broome in a battle of dynamic young post players. UAB won 22 games last year.

MSU travels to Mississippi State and Xavier among other games. Ben Howland’s Bulldogs have been a sub-100 KenPom team for five straight seasons and went to the NIT finals last year. Xavier was only able to play 21 games last season, winning 13 and Travis Steele is maintaining the ‘Butler Way’ that he played in. The Musketeers have also been a sub-100 KenPom team for the past five years.

East Tennessee State and IUPUI are on the schedule too.

Spradlin makes sure his team plays Alice Lloyd College most, if not every season. His alma mater is an NAIA squad. He believes in giving back and believes that it is important to ‘remember where you’ve come from.’ Last season, his former boss, John Calipari purposely played his former assistant for the same reason.

Morehead’s schedule will not only prepare the Eagles for OVC play but provide N.E.T. ranking boosting opportunities.