College basketball rankings: Hot shooting keeps Murray State in Top 25 And 1 with the best record in hoops
The Racers have won 15 games in a row and could finish undefeated in Ohio Valley Conference play
By
Gary Parrish
•
1 min read
Unless you're a hardcore college basketball fan who follows everything, Murray State might be a little off of your radar. It's the byproduct of the Racers playing in the Ohio Valley Conference, where marquee matchups are, unfortunately, few and far between. So it's possible you don't even realize that Murray State won again Thursday night. But Murray State did indeed win again Thursday night — 91-56 against Austin Peay — to extend its winning streak to 15 games.
The Racers are now 25-2.
That's the best record in the sport.
"It was a game that was on television," noted Murray State's KJ Williams, who finished with 25 points and seven rebounds for the ESPN audience. "We just wanted to go out and send a message that we can play as a team, and [that] we've got guys that can score anywhere on the court, one through five."
The fact that the Racers had six players from all five positions finish in double-figures in points suggests Williams' point is accurate. With former Murray State star Ja Morant, now a third-year All-Star and MVP candidate with the Memphis Grizzlies, sitting courtside, the Racers shot 64.3% from the field, 41.2% from 3 and 85.7% from the free throw line in the 35-point win. They missed 20 shots in 40 minutes and offensive-rebounded nine of them, which raised their offensive-rebounding percentage to 36.1. That ranks ninth nationally, according to KenPom.
Murray State remains No. 24 in Friday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. The Racers' next game is Saturday at Tennessee Martin, and they're now just three more wins away from finishing 18-0 in the OVC.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Gonzaga has won 15 straight games by double-digits and all 11 West Coast Conference games by at least 16 points. The Zags' next game is Saturday against Santa Clara. | -- | 10-1 |
| 2 |  | Auburn is 13-2 in the first two quadrants and in possession of an SEC-best 12-1 record in league games. The Tigers' next game is Saturday at Florida. | -- | 8-3 |
| 3 |  | Arizona is 10-2 in the first two quadrants with the losses coming at Tennessee and at UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Oregon. | -- | 9-0 |
| 4 |  | Kansas is 14-4 in the first two quadrants with three of the four losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday at West Virginia. | -- | 8-3 |
| 5 |  | Purdue is 12-4 in the first two quadrants with all four losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Boilermakers' next game is Sunday against Rutgers. | -- | 10-1 |
| 6 |  | Duke is 9-3 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Virginia falling in Quadrant 3. The Blue Devils' next game is Saturday against Florida State. | -- | 10-0 |
| 7 |  | Kentucky is 9-5 in the first two quadrants with all five losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Alabama. | -- | 7-4 |
| 8 |  | Villanova is 11-6 in the first two quadrants with wins over Providence and Tennessee. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Georgetown. | -- | 8-2 |
| 9 |  | Providence is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech and Wisconsin, and losses to Villanova, Marquette and Virginia. The Friars' next game is Sunday at Butler. | -- | 7-5 |
| 10 |  | Wisconsin is 12-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Purdue, Houston and Ohio State. The Badgers' next game is Sunday against Michigan. | -- | 7-3 |
| 11 |  | Texas Tech is 11-6 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kansas, Baylor, Texas and Tennessee. The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday at Texas. | -- | 7-3 |
| 12 |  | Baylor is 13-5 in the first two quadrants but just 3-3 in its past six games. The Bears' next game is Saturday against TCU. | -- | 7-2 |
| 13 |  | Tennessee is 10-6 in the first two quadrants with wins over Arizona and Kentucky. The Vols' next game is Saturday at Arkansas. | -- | 7-3 |
| 14 |  | UCLA is 8-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Arizona, Villanova and Marquette. The Bruins' next game is Saturday against Washington. | -- | 7-3 |
| 15 |  | Texas is 10-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kansas and Tennessee. The Longhorns' next game is Saturday against Texas Tech. | -- | 7-4 |
| 16 |  | Illinois is 11-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State. The Illini's next game is Saturday at Michigan State. | -- | 8-3 |
| 17 |  | Ohio State is 8-6 in the first two quadrants with five of the six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Buckeyes' next game is Saturday against Iowa. | -- | 8-2 |
| 18 |  | Houston is 5-4 in the first two quadrants but in possession of zero Quadrant 1 wins. The Cougars' next game is Sunday at Wichita State. | -- | 10-1 |
| 19 |  | Michigan State is 9-7 in the first two quadrants but just 4-5 in its past nine games. The Spartans' next game is Saturday against Illinois. | -- | 9-1 |
| 20 |  | USC is 7-3 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Stanford falling in Quadrant 3. The Trojans' next game is Sunday against Washington State. | -- | 10-1 |
| 21 |  | Marquette is 9-9 in the first two quadrants with seven victories coming in Quadrant 1. The Golden Eagles' next game is Sunday at Creighton. | -- | 5-6 |
| 22 |  | Alabama is 12-7 in the first two quadrants with two additional losses to Georgia and Missouri falling in Quadrant 3. The Crimson Tide's next game is Saturday at Kentucky. | -- | 7-3 |
| 23 |  | Saint Mary's is 7-6 in the first two quadrants with all six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Gaels' next game is Saturday against BYU. | -- | 9-2 |
| 24 | | Murray State, on a 15-game winning streak, is 4-1 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to East Tennessee State falling in Quadrant 3. The Racers' next game is Saturday at Tennessee Martin. | -- | 8-3 |
| 25 |  | Arkansas is 8-5 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Vanderbilt falling in Quadrant 3. The Razorbacks' next game is Saturday against Tennessee. | -- | 8-2 |
| 26 |  | UConn is 9-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Auburn and Marquette. The Huskies' next game is Saturday against Xavier. | -- | 10-1 |
