1997–98 Murray State Racers men's basketball team

The 1997–98 Murray State Racers men's basketball team represented Murray State University during the 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Racers, led by third-year head coach Mark Gottfried, played their home games at Racer Arena in Murray, Kentucky, as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 29–4, 16–2 in OVC play to win the OVC regular season title. They defeated Austin Peay to win the OVC tournament to advance to the NCAA tournament. As No. 9 seed in the Midwest region, the Racers were beaten by No. 8 seed and eventual Elite Eight participant Rhode Island, 97–74.[2]

1997–98 Murray State Racers men's basketball
Ohio Valley Regular season champions
Ohio Valley tournament champions
NCAA tournament, first round
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Ranking
APNo. 25
Record29–4 (16–2 OVC)
Head coach
Home arenaRacer Arena
Seasons
1997–98 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 25 Murray State 16 2   .889 29 4   .879
Eastern Illinois 13 5   .722 16 11   .593
Middle Tennessee 12 6   .667 19 9   .679
Austin Peay 11 7   .611 17 11   .607
Southeast Missouri State 10 8   .556 14 13   .519
Tennessee State 8 10   .444 13 16   .448
Eastern Kentucky 8 10   .444 10 17   .370
Tennessee Tech 5 13   .278 9 21   .300
UT Martin 5 13   .278 7 20   .259
Morehead State 2 16   .111 3 23   .115
1998 OVC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

Roster

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1997–98 Murray State Racers men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G 10 Chad Townsend
Sr
G 12 Aubrey Reese 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) So Auburn, Alabama
F 31 Isaac Spencer 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Fr Montgomery, Alabama
G 51 De'Teri Mayes 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Sr Montgomery, Alabama
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

[3]

Schedule and results

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
Dec 18, 1997*
Campbellsville W 112–70 
Racer Arena 
Murray, Kentucky
Dec 21, 1997*
at Western Kentucky W 86–75 
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Dec 25, 1997*
vs. No. 12 Arkansas
Puerto Rico Holiday Classic
W 94–83 
Eugene Guerra Sports Complex 
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dec 26, 1997*
2:00 p.m.
vs. Iowa State
Puerto Rico Holiday Classic
W 84–76 OT
Eugene Guerra Sports Complex (500)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Jan 3, 1998
at Middle Tennessee L 71–76 OT
 
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Jan 10, 1998
at Tennessee-Martin W 67–56 
Kathleen and Tom Elam Center 
Martin, Tennessee
Jan 29, 1998
Middle Tennessee W 78–75 
Racer Arena 
Murray, Kentucky
Feb 7, 1998
Tennessee-Martin W 94–66 
Racer Arena 
Murray, Kentucky
Ohio Valley Conference tournament
Feb 24, 1998*
(1) (8) Tennessee Tech
Quarterfinals
W 84–63  27–3
Racer Arena 
Murray, Kentucky
Feb 28, 1998*
(1) vs. (4) Austin Peay
Semifinals
W 81–56  28–3
Gaylord Entertainment Center 
Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 1, 1998*
(1) vs. (7) Tennessee State
Championship game
W 92–69  29–3
Gaylord Entertainment Center 
Nashville, Tennessee
NCAA tournament
Mar 13, 1998*
(9 MW) No. 25 vs. (8 MW) Rhode Island
First round
L 74–97  29–4
Myriad Convention Center 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
MW=Midwest.
All times are in Central Time.

[4]

Rankings

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Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ sports-reference.com 1997-98 Ohio Valley Conference Season Summary
  2. ^ "Harrick and Rhode Island Post a Bittersweet Win". The New York Times. March 14, 1998. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  3. ^ "1997-98 Murray State Racers Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  4. ^ "2019-20 MURRAY STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK". Murray State University Athletics. Retrieved December 29, 2022.