MVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2023-24 season

Mar 5, 2023; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs guard Tucker DeVries (12) celebrates with head coach Darian DeVries during the second half against the Bradley Braves in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

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MVC Basketball Rob Perry #2 of the Murray State Racers (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

7. Murray State Racers – Head Coach Steve Prohm

2022-23 record: 17-15 overall, 11-9 in the MVC

Because of offseason losses, this league is hard to figure. I believe six teams will be better than last season, four will be about the same and one (SIU) will get worse. Murray State is one of those teams that will be better, but how much better and relative to so many teams improving, is hard to discern.

Robin Perry’s return was huge. Steve Prohm’s leading returning scorer and third-team all-conference player brings instant stability to a team with some very solid complementary pieces and loads of young talent. He owns the Valley’s third best returning scoring average at 14.4 points per game and he’s a threat from anywhere on the floor.

Junior guard Jacobi Wood led the league in minutes played, averaged double-digits in scoring and is the MVC’s returning leader in assists at 4.6 per game. Brian Moore and Quincy Anderson are versatile players that can do a little of everything. None of those four players are taller than 6’4.

Size is where the rub is for these Racers. Sophomores-to-be 6’9 Sam Murray, 6’6 Justin Morgan, 6’7 transfers Nick Ellington and Alden Applewhite represent the team’s tallest players with Division 1 experience. Neither of the sophomores started a game, but the juniors Ellington and Applewhite have extensive experience. Ellington for Eastern Illinois and Applewhite at Portland.

A sleeper to remember could be Malek Abdelgowad, a 6’10 forward was ranked in the top tweny of all junior college players while at South Plains Community College and has international experience with the Egyptian U18 team.

Prohm has a stellar freshman class. Ohio’s fifth best player Lawrent Rice averaged over 24 points, eight rebounds and nearly five assists during his senior campaign. He could be the next great Murray State guard. 6’8 freshman John McCrear is the Common Wealth of Kentucky’s seventh best player and redshirt freshman Patrick Chew was ranked as Arizona’s second best 2022 player.

Morgan and Murray had similar credentials coming to the Racers. If those five young players develop as they project, Prohm is set for a nice run of success.

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