Murray's Key to Success: Balance

SportsIllustrated.com columnist Steve Trocchi wrote a Mid-Major Report about Murray State's balanced attack. Really an interesting article, as he notes: "Through Monday, the top six scorers for the Racers were averaging 10.6, 10.4, 10.3, 10.1, 10.0 and 10.0 points per game." Ivan Aska, B.J. Jenkins, Danero Thomas, Tony Easley, Isaiah Cannan, and Iaasac Miles are the top scorers for the team. Cannan is the sixth man, coming off the bench while the other five are regular starters.

Impressive numbers when you think about it, I don't know many other teams in the nation that are as balanced as that through their sixth man. Many of the top mid-majors are leaning on one or two top scorers, but Murray is hanging with them with six well-coached, like-minded players. The six players are helping MSU hit the top of many statistical lists, as it is second in the country in field goal percentage (.515), fourth ins teals per game (11) and scoring margin (+19.0).

That depth has helped them rise to the top ten of CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major poll. They are 13-0 in the OVC and riding a 13-game win streak.

With the exception of last week's nail biter against Austin Peay where the team narrowly escaped with a two-point victory in the closing seconds of the game, the team has won by double-digit numbers in just about all of its conference games this season. The team will be looking to carry that victory into the OVC Championship, just three weeks away, March 5-6.

Read the rest of the article here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/bill_trocchi/02/08/mid.major.report/