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Murray State Basketball: 2022-23 season preview for the Racers

By Harry Schroeder

Mar 17, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Murray State Racers guard DaQuan Smith (1) reacts after a basket against the San Francisco Dons in the second half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Murray State Racers guard DaQuan Smith (1) reacts after a basket against the San Francisco Dons in the second half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Murray State Racers forward DJ Burns  Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Murray State Racers forward DJ Burns  Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Murray State basketball joins a new league, but with a brand new roster and a new coach that has been there before. Steve Prohm enjoyed great success at Murray before leaving for Iowa State. He returns to replace his former assistant Matt McMahon who departed for LSU.

When McMahon left, so did virtually all the roster. Prior to McMahon’s departure, the Murray State administration announced the conference change from the Ohio Valley to the Missouri Valley Conference. After 74 years in the OVC, the Racers join fellow OVC refugee Belmont and the Horizon League’s Illinois-Chicago as new teams in the Valley.

Prohm went to work and rebuilt the Racer roster with some outstanding talent. The transfer portal was kind to the two-time OVC coach of the year. With virtually every spot to fill, he set out to find players that would fit with the program, his style, and the Murray, Kentucky community.

MSU has one of the most loyal and rabid fan bases in all of college basketball, so finding players that could mesh with fans, families, style of play and academics were all boxes that needed to be checked.

Forward D.J. Burns and guard Rod Thomas are the only returners from last year’s 31-3, OVC champions. OVC Player of the Year K.J. Williams, all-OVC guard Justice Hill and valuable wing Trae Hannibal all followed McMahon to LSU. All OVC guard Tevin Brown has graduated.

Prohm utilized every level of basketball to restock the Murray State shelves. While two players come from former OVC rosters, he landed an outstanding crop of prep players and high-level performers from the Division 2 and junior college ranks. He left no stone unturned.

Stetson transfer Rob Perry is the most accomplished of the newcomers. The 2020 ASUN ‘Freshman of the Year’ was limited to 14 games last season but was averaging 15.8 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Hatters when his season came to an end. Perry is 6’4 and a physical specimen.