Blue Raider Basketball Has Big Day: ESPY and Extension

0
224

Davis Gets Extension Through 2024

Head Basketball Coach Kermit Davis and the Blue Raiders posted one of the most successful seasons in school history. Middle Tennessee finished 25-10 overall, won the Conference USA tournament for the first time and then posted one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history. In the first round, the Blue Raiders shocked No. 2 seed Michigan State , who was a Final Four favorite. (see next article for more).

“Our family is totally committed to Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee,” Davis said. “We hope we’re a fabric of the community.”

Davis is going into his 15th season as Middle Tennessee’s coach and has a 259-159 record at the school. The Blue Raiders have had just one losing record in that time and has made the NCAA Tournament two of the last three seasons.

Speaking of Michigan State…And The ESPY Goes To……

The Middle Tennessee men’s basketball program has been nominated for the Best Upset ESPY Award, as announced by ESPN on Wednesday.

“This will be another great night for the Middle Tennessee brand as well as worldwide exposure for our university and this program,” head coach Kermit Davis said.

The Blue Raiders made history in March when they became just the eighth No. 15 seed to defeat a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, upending No. 2 ranked Michigan State in the opening round, 90-81, on March 18.

After opening up a 15-2 lead, the Raiders never trailed the Spartans at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. MT held a six-point advantage at halftime and never faltered in the second half, answering every threat Michigan State made.

Middle’s starting five shined on the national stage, each posting double-figure scoring efforts against MSU led by Reggie Upshaw’s 21-point outing.

Upshaw’s iconic dunk with 40 seconds remaining sealed the upset for Middle Tennessee to send the Raiders into the round of 32.

The ESPYs take place on July 13 at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. Fan voting for each category can be found at ESPYs.com and is open until the beginning of the awards show.

“I’m really excited for our players and our fans as it will be a very enjoyable event and experience for the Blue Raider family,” Davis stated.

The other nominees for Best Upset are Holly Holm’s knockout defeat of Ronda Rousey and Roberta Vinci’s victory against Serena Williams at the U.S. Open.
Read More