Sporting a new coach, many new players and a new system, few really know what to expect from the Murray State men's basketball team as they begin the 2022-23 season on Tuesday hosting Jacksonville College for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at Beames Fieldhouse.
First-year head coach Josh Davis admittedly isn't sure himself but knows he's got a talented, young squad that will continue to work hard to improve each day throughout the season. The Aggies were tabbed eighth in the nine-team Region II preseason coaches' poll.
"We know that every day we hold ourselves to a high standard and it will be a process," Davis commented. "Hopefully by January and February we will be formidable in conference play. We have played the hardest preseason schedule they have probably ever played at Murray. That has included three or four Top 10 teams in the nation, and we have been inconsistent, especially with our youth. We have looked good at times and not so good at times. We've definitely been tested so there is nothing we're going to see that should surprise us during the season."
The squad's top returnee from last year's 21-10 finish is Dayten Holman, a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard from Norman that was third on the team with 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds a contest a season ago. Also back for the Aggies are 6-5 guard A.J. Richard and 6-7 forward K.J. Boone, who will each play more prominent roles after coming off the bench during their freshman campaigns. Richard tossed in 5.5 points per game while Boone averaged 4.0 an outing.
Coach Davis also expects six-foot guards Stanley Harley and T.J. Gardner to be able to step in key slots as well after transferring in with collegiate experience under their belts. Harley produced 7.4 points a contest last year at Arizona Western while Gardner was a second team All-Conference performer at McHenry County College averaging 10.2 points.
"Dayten will be our leader as a returning starter, but I think we have several others that will be capable of stepping things up in key spots as we get into conference action after the first of the year," Davis said. "A.J. has adjusted well, as has K.J Boone. I think they will both do well in our system and have a huge impact on the team. Harley and T.J. were solid at other jucos last year so have that college experience and we expect a lot from them.
"Our freshmen are still inconsistent and adjusting to the college level and fighting for positions. A lot of them are still adjusting to completely different roles than they played in high school. We are trying to get them to morph into what the team needs. The strength of this team will probably be our depth. We have a lot of interchangeable pieces. It has been difficult to see that many that really stand out above the rest. We'll just see who plays best together, compliments each other best and what mixture of guys go out and show what they can do when it's game time."
While injuries have hampered the season preparation somewhat, Davis is hoping to be near full strength for what he expects to be a tough opening slate that will include four games in each of the first two weeks of the season.
That slate begins with Jacksonville on Tuesday and Richland College on Homecoming Friday before they travel to the Mitchell/Mullen's Elite 8 Classic in Edmond on November 6-7 for a pair of contests.
"We have been bit by the injury bug a little so still not at full strength," Davis added. "Guys are still getting acclimated to each other. Hopefully we'll be at full strength as far as bodies go next week but will still be adapting. We've already dealt with our fair share of adversity but hope that prepares us for a long, grueling season of junior college basketball.
"We have a tough opponent in Jacksonville to start off with but are excited to get going. We want to look like a whole different team by February from what people see to start the season. We know it's a marathon and not a sprint. We are way more focused on being at our best late in conference play than right now."
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