2017–18 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team American college basketball season
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.
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] 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] C-USA tournament , they defeated UTSA , UTEP , and Marshall to win the 2017 C-USA Tournament.[ 6] NCAA tournament .[ 7] Minnesota in the first round before losing in the second round to 4-seeded Butler .[ 8]
Offseason
Departures
Incoming transfers
2017 recruiting class
College recruiting information
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
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
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:
2018 recruiting class
College recruiting information (2018)
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Junior Farquhar PG
Orangeville, ON
Orangeville Prep
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Jul 18, 2018
Star ratings :Scout :Rivals :247Sports : N/A ESPN grade: NR
Anthony Crump PG
Canton, MI
Plymouth High School
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
May 8, 2018
Star ratings :Scout : N/A Rivals : N/A 247Sports : N/A ESPN grade: NR
Jayce Johnson SG
Buffalo, NY
Canisius High School
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Jul 27, 2018
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:
Roster
2017–18 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Previous school
Hometown
G 0
Tyrik Dixon 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 184 lb (83 kg)
So Southwest Christian Academy
Bentonville, AR
F 1
Brandon Walters 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg)
RS Sr Howard Walters State CC
Chattanooga, TN
G 2
Antwain Johnson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 197 lb (89 kg)
Jr Malone
Greenwood, FL
G 3
Donovan Sims (W)
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg)
Fr Blackman
Murfreesboro, TN
F 4
James Hawthorne 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg)
Jr Prentiss Southwest Mississippi CC
Prentiss, MS
F 5
Nick King 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg)
Sr Memphis East
Memphis, TN
G 10
Will Slatten 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 166 lb (75 kg)
RS Fr Moore County
Sparta, TN
G 11
Edward Jr. Simpson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg)
Sr St. Martin
Ocean Springs, MS
G 12
Therren Shelton-Szmidt 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg)
Fr Hamilton Heights Christian Academy
Mississauga, ON
G 14
Chase Miller (W)
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg)
RS So Shelton
Dallas, TX
F 15
T. J. Massenburg 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg)
Fr Shiloh
Snellville, GA
G 20
Giddy Potts 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 217 lb (98 kg)
Sr Athens
Athens, AL
G 21
David Simmons 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg)
Jr Henderson County
Henderson, KY
F 25
Karl Gamble 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 224 lb (102 kg)
Jr A.C. Flora
Columbia, SC
F 35
Davion Thomas 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg)
RS Fr Northside
Columbus, GA
G
Antonio Green 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
Jr Tupelo Texas–Rio Grande Valley
Tupelo, MS
Head coach Assistant coach(es) Legend (C) Team captain(S) Suspended(I) Ineligible(W) Walk-on Roster
Schedule and results
Date
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Site (attendance)
Exhibition
Nov 2, 2017 *7:30 pm
Arkansas Fort Smith W 85–55 25 – Potts
6 – King
5 – Johnson
Murphy Center Murfreesboro, TN
Non-conference regular season
Nov 10, 2017 *11:00 am
Trevecca Nazarene 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 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 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 Fort Myers, FL
Dec 6, 2017 *7:00 pm
at Vanderbilt
W 66–63 6–1
23 – King
6 – Tied
5 – Potts
Memorial Gymnasium 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 Birmingham, AL
Dec 22, 2017 *4:30 pm, ESPNU
vs. Princeton Diamond Head Classic quarterfinalsW 69–67 8–2
18 – King
5 – 3 tied
4 – Tied
Stan Sheriff Center 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
30 – King
8 – King
6 – Simmons
Bartow Arena Birmingham, AL
Jan 4, 2018 6:00 pm
at FIU
W 71–66 OT
10–4
25 – Potts
10 – King
3 – Simpson
FIU Arena Miami, FL
Jan 6, 2018 4:00 pm
at Florida Atlantic
W 61–57 11–4
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
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
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
15 – Tied
9 – King
3 – Simmons
Cam Henderson Center Huntington, WV
Jan 20, 2018 6:00 pm, Stadium
at Western Kentucky
W 66–62 14–5
28 – King
9 – King
3 – King
E.A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY
Jan 25, 2018 6:30 pm, Stadium
UTSA W 75–51 15–5
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
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
18 – Johnson
11 – King
4 – Johnson
Ted Constant Convocation Center Norfolk, VA
Feb 3, 2018 6:00 pm
at Charlotte
W 78–73 18–5
24 – King
12 – King
3 – King
Dale F. Halton Arena Charlotte, NC
Feb 8, 2018 6:30 pm, Stadium
Rice W 94–75 19–5
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
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
20 – King
11 – King
4 – Tied
Reed Green Coliseum Hattiesburg, MS
Feb 17, 2018 6:00 pm, Stadium
at Louisiana Tech
W 87–70 22–5
25 – King
11 – Walters
4 – Sims
Thomas Assembly Center Ruston, LA
Feb 24, 2018 6:00 pm, Stadium
No. 24
UAB W 79–54 23–5
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
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
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 Louisville, KY
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Central Time .
Source[ 9]
References
^ Steinberg, Russell (February 19, 2018). "AP Poll: Middle Tennessee earns first-ever Top 25 ranking" . midmajormadness.com . Retrieved March 20, 2018 . ^ "Ole Miss announces Kermit Davis as Rebels' next coach" . ESPN.com . March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018 .^ "Ole Miss formally introduced Kermit Davis as its new men's basketball coach late Monday evening" . Retrieved March 21, 2018 .^ Goodman, Jeff (March 24, 2018). "Nick McDevitt joins Middle Tennessee St. after lengthy run at UNC Asheville" . ESPN.com . Retrieved March 24, 2018 . ^ "MBK: Middle Tennessee Claims C-USA Regular-Season Title" . Conference USA . February 26, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017 .^ "Middle Tennessee wins 2017 Conference USA basketball tournament" . SBNation.com . Retrieved June 29, 2017 .^ "Blue Raiders win Conference USA tournament, head back to NCAA Tournament" . DNJ . Retrieved June 29, 2017 .^ "Middle Tennessee vs. Butler – Game Recap – March 18, 2017 – ESPN" . ESPN.com . Retrieved June 29, 2017 .^ "2017–18 Men's Basketball Schedule" . Middle Tennessee State University . Retrieved June 29, 2017 .
