Murray State basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Racers

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Head coach Matt McMahon of the Murray State Racers reacts against the Florida State Seminoles in the first half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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Head coach Matt McMahon Murray State Basketball (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2021-22 outlook for Murray State basketball

Murray State basketball is accustomed to sitting near the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings and last year’s sixth-place finish isn’t likely to be repeated. McMahon is a proven winner and he has rebuilt his roster into one that can be a league heavyweight once again.

Brown and Williams should be all-league players once again and Collins could be the league’s top incoming transfer. Collins and Hannibal are high-capacity newcomers and Murray’s team is more talented, more experienced, and deeper than last season.

Belmont and Morehead State are defending OVC champions. The Bruins won the regular-season championship and the Eagles the tournament title. Three OVC teams have new coaches and two teams have left the league for the ASUN conference, so the OVC is in transition.

Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State who have left the league finished third and fourth last season. Southeast Missouri, Tennessee Tech, and Southern Illinois Edwardsville are improving and should pose a bigger threat to the league’s top three teams.

It is a year of transition for the Ohio Valley Conference and Murray State should contend for a top spot.

The league is returning to an eight-team conference tournament format. OVC teams have to qualify for the season-ending event in Evansville. Murray State will have no trouble qualifying for the tournament, but earning a top-two seed is pivotal. The top two OVC teams earn a double-bye in Evansville.

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Austin Peay, Tennessee Martin, and Eastern Illinois have new coaches and Tennessee State’s roster is virtually brand new. Murray State should finish no worse than third place in the reconfigured OVC and if McMahon’s recruits produce as he expects them to, the Racers could earn one of those tournament double-byes.