Murray State Basketball: 3 keys for Round of 32 game with Saint Peter’s

Murray State Basketball: 3 keys for Round of 32 matchup with Saint Peter’s

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: Justice Hill #14 of the Murray State Racers shoots the ball against Patrick Tape #11 of the San Francisco Dons during the second half in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 17, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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Tevin Brown Murray State Basketball (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Get transition points

Murray’s advantage on the boards can lead to an edge in the transition game. Guards Tevin Brown, Justice Hill and Hannibal are outstanding on the open floor. Their quickness, ball-handling, and three-point potential make them deadly when the game is a little less scripted.

The Racers don’t want to play a half-court game with the Peacocks. Saint Peter’s is KenPom’s seventh-best defensive field goal percentage team and they are extremely hard on three-point shooters. They clog the passing lanes, are good on-ball defenders, and are a top-fifty team in turnover percentage.

Murray State doesn’t want them to get set and organized. Head coach Matt McMahon says the Peacocks are an elite defensive team.

"“You see they take on Coach Holloway’s personality,” said McMahon. “They’re tough. They guard you for 40 minutes. Really elite defensively. Then I think the reason they’re here in the round of 32, if you look over this eight-game winning streak, they’ve continued to get better at the offensive end of the floor. Their top player’s production has increased over the last five games compared to the early parts of the season. As we all know in college basketball, the goal is to be playing your best basketball in March, and they’re certainly doing that.”"

Murray is one of the top steals producing teams nationally. They want to turn their defense into instant offense.