2017–18 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team represented Middle Tennessee State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Raiders, led by 16th-year head coach Kermit Davis, played their home games at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee as members of Conference USA. They finished the season 25–8 overall, 16–2 in C-USA play to win the regular season championship. In the C-USA Tournament, they were defeated in the quarterfinals by Southern Miss in overtime. As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference tournament, the Blue Raiders received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament, where they defeated Vermont in the first round before losing to Louisville in the second round.

2017–18 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball
C-USA regular season champions
NIT, Second Round
ConferenceConference USA
2017–18 record25–8 (16–2 C-USA)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Greg Grensing
  • Win Case
  • Ronnie Hamilton
Home arenaMurphy Center
2017–18 Conference USA men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
Middle Tennessee16–2 .889  25–8  .758
Old Dominion15–3 .833  25–7  .781
Western Kentucky14–4 .778  27–11  .711
Marshall †12–6 .667  25–11  .694
UTSA11–7 .611  20–15  .571
UAB10–8 .556  20–13  .606
North Texas8–10 .444  20–18  .526
FIU8–10 .444  14–18  .438
Southern Miss7–11 .389  16–18  .471
Louisiana Tech7–11 .389  17–16  .515
Florida Atlantic6–12 .333  12–19  .387
UTEP6–12 .333  11–20  .355
Rice4–14 .222  7–24  .226
Charlotte2–16 .111  6–23  .207
† 2018 C-USA Tournament winner

The season marked the first time in the program's history that the Blue Raiders were ranked in the AP Top 25 during the season, coming in at No. 24 on the week of February 19.[1]

Head coach Kermit Davis left the school on March 19, 2018 to accept the head coaching job at Ole Miss.[2][3] He finished at Middle Tennessee with a 16-year record of 332–188. On March 24, the Blue Raiders named UNC Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt as the team's new head coach.[4]

Previous season

The Blue Raiders finished the 2016–17 season 27–4, 17–1 in C-USA play to win the regular season championship.[5] In the C-USA Tournament, they defeated UTSA, UTEP, and Marshall to win the 2017 C-USA Tournament.[6] As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.[7] As the No. 12 seed in the South region, they defeated 5-seeded Minnesota in the First Round before losing in the Second Round to 4-seeded Butler.[8] The team also had several winning streaks during the season winning 8 games in a row in non-conference schedule, 10 games in a row to start conference play and a new school record, then 11 games in a row from mid-conference play all the way through winning the conference tournament and into the NCAA tournament before losing to Butler. The team finished the season with a 31–5, 17–1 record setting new school and conference records for wins in a season and in conference play and had another NCAA tournament upset for the second straight year.

Offseason

Departures
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Xavier Habersham4F6'6"208RS SeniorDublin, GAGraduated
JaCorey Williams22F6'8"220RS SeniorBirmingham, ALGraduated
Quavius Copeland24G6'1"178JuniorGreenville, SCTransferred to North Carolina A&T
Reggie Upshaw Jr.30F6'8"228SeniorChattanooga, TNGraduated
Stephen Strachan31G6'2"200RS JuniorNassau, BahamasWalk-on; left the team due to personal reasons
Aldonis Foote45G/F6'5"213SeniorPeoria, ILGraduated

Incoming transfers
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
James Hawthorne4F6'7"205JuniorPrentiss, MSJunior college transferred from Southwest Mississippi Community College.
David Simmons21G6'3"209JuniorHenderson, KYJunior college transferred from Tallahassee Community College.
Antonio GreenG6'2"165JuniorTupelo, MSTransferred from Texas–Rio Grande Valley. Under NCAA transfer rules, Green will have to sit out in the 2017–18 season. Will have two years of eligibility left.

2017 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
T.J. Massenburg
PF		 Snellville, GA Shiloh High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) N/A Oct 2, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Therren Shelton-Szmidt
SG		 Mississauga, ON Shiloh High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Oct 9, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 9, 2017.

    2018 recruiting class

    Roster
    2017–18 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    G 0 Tyrik Dixon 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)184 lb (83 kg) SoSouthwest Christian Academy Bentonville, AR
    F 1 Brandon Walters 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)250 lb (113 kg) RS SrHoward
    Walters State CC    		 Chattanooga, TN
    G 2 Antwain Johnson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)197 lb (89 kg) JrMalone Greenwood, FL
    G 3 Donovan Sims (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)165 lb (75 kg) FrBlackman Murfreesboro, TN
    F 4 James Hawthorne 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) JrPrentiss
    Southwest Mississippi CC    		 Prentiss, MS
    F 5 Nick King 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)225 lb (102 kg) SrMemphis East Memphis, TN
    G 10 Will Slatten 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)166 lb (75 kg) RS FrMoore County Sparta, TN
    G 11 Edward Simpson, Jr. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrSt. Martin Ocean Springs, MS
    G 12 Therren Shelton-Szmidt 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)190 lb (86 kg) FrHamilton Heights Christian Academy Mississauga, ON
    G 14 Chase Miller (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg) RS SoShelton Dallas, TX
    F 15 T. J. Massenburg 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)220 lb (100 kg) FrShiloh Snellville, GA
    G 20 Giddy Potts 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)217 lb (98 kg) SrAthens Athens, AL
    G 21 David Simmons 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg) JrHenderson County Henderson, KY
    F 25 Karl Gamble 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)224 lb (102 kg) JrA.C. Flora Columbia, SC
    F 35 Davion Thomas 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) RS FrNorthside Columbus, GA
    G Antonio Green  6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg) JrTupelo
    Texas–Rio Grande Valley    		 Tupelo, MS
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster
    Last update: October 9, 2017

    Schedule and results
    Date
    time, TV    		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Exhibition
    Nov 2, 2017*
    7:30 pm    		 Arkansas Fort Smith W 85–55 
    		 25 – Potts  6 – King  5 – Johnson  Murphy Center (2,634)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Non-conference regular season
    Nov 10, 2017*
    11:00 am    		 Trevecca W 104–52  1–0
    		  17 – King  6 – King  3 – 3 tied  Murphy Center (8,227)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Nov 13, 2017*
    7:00 pm    		 at Murray State W 72–67  2–0
    		  31 – King  8 – Potts  3 – Tied  CFSB Center (3,854)
    Murray, KY
    Nov 16, 2017*
    6:30 pm, Stadium    		 Belmont L 63–69  2–1
    		  21 – King  8 – Walters  6 – Potts  Murphy Center (5,366)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Nov 18, 2017*
    3:00 pm    		 at Tennessee State W 75–65  3–1
    		  20 – King  7 – Walters  5 – Dixon  Gentry Complex (1,850)
    Nashville, TN
    Nov 21, 2017*
    6:30 pm, Stadium    		 Florida Gulf Coast W 85–72  4–1
    		  25 – King  10 – Dixon  6 – Dixon  Murphy Center (5,017)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Dec 2, 2017*
    6:00 pm    		 at Florida Gulf Coast W 81–76  5–1
    		  32 – King  11 – King  4 – King  Alico Arena (4,633)
    Fort Myers, FL
    Dec 6, 2017*
    7:00 pm    		 at Vanderbilt W 66–63  6–1
    		  23 – King  6 – Tied  5 – Potts  Memorial Gymnasium (8,739)
    Nashville, TN
    Dec 9, 2017*
    5:00 pm, Stadium    		 Ole Miss W 77–58  7–1
    		  25 – King  6 – King  9 – Dixon  Murphy Center (8,806)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Dec 16, 2017*
    5:00 pm, SECN    		 vs. Auburn
    BHM JAM    		 L 70–76  7–2
    		  19 – Potts  6 – Tied  3 – Tied  Legacy Arena (7,209)
    Birmingham, AL
    Dec 22, 2017*
    4:30 pm, ESPNU    		 vs. Princeton
    Diamond Head Classic quarterfinals    		 W 69–67  8–2
    		  18 – King  5 – 3 tied  4 – Tied  Stan Sheriff Center (7,669)
    Honolulu, HI
    Dec 23, 2017*
    3:30 pm, ESPN2    		 vs. USC
    Diamond Head Classic semifinals    		 L 84–89  8–3
    		  28 – King  11 – King  4 – Dixon  Stan Sheriff Center (5,811)
    Honolulu, HI
    Dec 25, 2017*
    7:30 pm, ESPNU    		 vs. No. 15 Miami (FL)
    Diamond Head Classic 3rd place game    		 L 81–84  8–4
    		  28 – King  8 – King  4 – Johnson  Stan Sheriff Center (6,062)
    Honolulu, HI
    Conference USA regular season
    Dec 30, 2017
    4:00 pm, Stadium    		 at UAB W 63–60  9–4
    (1–0)    		  30 – King  8 – King  6 – Simmons  Bartow Arena (4,143)
    Birmingham, AL
    Jan 4, 2018
    6:00 pm    		 at FIU W 71–66 OT 10–4
    (2–0)    		  25 – Potts  10 – King  3 – Simpson  FIU Arena (468)
    Miami, FL
    Jan 6, 2018
    4:00 pm    		 at Florida Atlantic W 61–57  11–4
    (3–0)    		  16 – King  11 – King  2 – Dixon  FAU Arena 
    Boca Raton, FL
    Jan 11, 2018
    8:00 pm, CBSSN    		 Louisiana Tech W 72–57  12–4
    (4–0)    		  22 – King  10 – King  5 – Dixon  Murphy Center (4,418)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Jan 13, 2018
    5:00 pm, ESPN3    		 Southern Miss W 69–49  13–4
    (5–0)    		  19 – Walters  10 – King  4 – Simmons  Murphy Center (4,871)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Jan 18, 2018
    7:00 pm, beIN    		 at Marshall L 63–73  13–5
    (5–1)    		  15 – Tied  9 – King  3 – Simmons  Cam Henderson Center (5,320)
    Huntington, WV
    Jan 20, 2018
    6:00 pm, Stadium    		 at Western Kentucky W 66–62  14–5
    (6–1)    		  28 – King  9 – King  3 – King  E.A. Diddle Arena (7,759)
    Bowling Green, KY
    Jan 25, 2018
    6:30 pm, Stadium    		 UTSA W 75–51  15–5
    (7–1)    		  22 – King  14 – Walters  3 – Tied  Murphy Center (5,010)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Jan 27, 2018
    6:00 pm, Stadium    		 UTEP W 81–50  16–5
    (8–1)    		  17 – Walters  12 – Walters  5 – Dixon  Murphy Center (5,227)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Feb 1, 2018
    7:00 pm, Stadium    		 at Old Dominion W 66–59  17–5
    (9–1)    		  18 – Johnson  11 – King  4 – Johnson  Ted Constant Convocation Center (7,297)
    Norfolk, VA
    Feb 3, 2018
    6:00 pm    		 at Charlotte W 78–73  18–5
    (10–1)    		  24 – King  12 – King  3 – King  Dale F. Halton Arena (4,078)
    Charlotte, NC
    Feb 8, 2018
    6:30 pm, Stadium    		 Rice W 94–75  19–5
    (11–1)    		  22 – Potts  7 – Potts  8 – Dixon  Murphy Center (5,602)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Feb 10, 2018
    5:00 pm    		 North Texas W 79–73  20–5
    (12–1)    		  32 – King  11 – King  7 – Johnson  Murphy Center (6,209)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Feb 15, 2018
    7:00 pm    		 at Southern Miss W 72–63  21–5
    (13–1)    		  20 – King  11 – King  4 – Tied  Reed Green Coliseum (2,062)
    Hattiesburg, MS
    Feb 17, 2018
    6:00 pm, Stadium    		 at Louisiana Tech W 87–70  22–5
    (14–1)    		  25 – King  11 – Walters  4 – Sims  Thomas Assembly Center (4,847)
    Ruston, LA
    Feb 24, 2018
    6:00 pm, Stadium    		 No. 24 UAB W 79–54  23–5
    (15–1)    		  22 – King  6 – Tied  4 – Sims  Murphy Center (9,717)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Mar 1, 2018
    7:00 pm, CBSSN    		 No. 24 Western Kentucky W 82–64  24–5
    (16–1)    		  18 – Tied  11 – Walters  6 – Sims  Murphy Center (11,307)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Mar 3, 2018
    6:00 pm, Stadium    		 No. 24 Marshall L 67–76  24–6
    (16–2)    		  20 – Walters  9 – King  4 – Dixon  Murphy Center (10,050)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Conference USA Tournament
    Mar 8, 2018
    6:00 pm, Stadium    		 (1) vs. (9) Southern Miss
    Quarterfinals    		 L 68–71 OT 24–7
    		  17 – King  9 – King  4 – Potts  The Ford Center at The Star 
    Frisco, TX
    NIT
    Mar 13, 2018*
    7:00 pm, ESPNU    		 (3) (6) Vermont
    First Round – Baylor Bracket    		 W 91–64  25–7
    		  25 – Potts  12 – King  4 – King  Murphy Center (5,010)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Mar 18, 2018*
    5:30 pm, ESPN2    		 (3) at (2) Louisville
    Second Round – Baylor Bracket    		 L 68–84  25–8
    		  24 – King  6 – King  3 – Potts  KFC Yum! Center (13,050)
    Louisville, KY
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Central Time.

    Source[9]

    References
    1. Steinberg, Russell (February 19, 2018). "AP Poll: Middle Tennessee earns first-ever Top 25 ranking". midmajormadness.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
    2. "Ole Miss announces Kermit Davis as Rebels' next coach". ESPN.com. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
    3. "Ole Miss formally introduced Kermit Davis as its new men's basketball coach late Monday evening". Retrieved 2018-03-21.
    4. Goodman, Jeff (March 24, 2018). "Nick McDevitt joins Middle Tennessee St. after lengthy run at UNC Asheville". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
    5. "MBK: Middle Tennessee Claims C-USA Regular-Season Title". Conference USA. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
    6. "Middle Tennessee wins 2017 Conference USA basketball tournament". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
    7. "Blue Raiders win Conference USA tournament, head back to NCAA Tournament". DNJ. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
    8. "Middle Tennessee vs. Butler – Game Recap – March 18, 2017 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
    9. "2017–18 Men's Basketball Schedule". Middle Tennessee State University. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
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