Morehead State Eagles men's basketball

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Morehead State Eagles
Basketball current event.svg 2023–24 Morehead State Eagles men's basketball team
Morehead State Eagles wordmark.svg
UniversityMorehead State University
All-time record1058-1013 (.511) [1]
Head coachJonathan Mattox [2]
Conference Ohio Valley
Location Morehead, Kentucky
Arena Ellis Johnson Arena
(Capacity: 6,500)
Nickname Eagles
ColorsBlue and gold [3]
   
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1956, 1961
NCAA tournament round of 32
2011
NCAA tournament appearances
1956, 1957, 1961, 1983, 1984, 2009, 2011, 2021, 2024
Conference tournament champions
1983, 1984, 2009, 2011, 2021, 2024
Conference regular season champions
1956, 1957, 1961, 1963, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1984, 2003, 2023, 2024

The Morehead State Eagles are an NCAA Division I men's basketball team that represents Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, United States. The school is a charter member of the Ohio Valley Conference and has competed in the OVC since its inception in 1948.

Contents

Program summary

The Eagles are the lone charter member of the OVC that still currently competes in the conference. Morehead State has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, with the most recent coming during the 2023–24 season. MSU has won a total of 17 OVC Championship, with 11 regular season titles and six OVC Tournament championships. MSU's 17 OVC championships are the most won by any current OVC member, while the Eagles' six OVC Tournament titles is also tops amongst the current set of OVC squads. The most recent OVC title came during the 2023–24 season, when the Eagles collected a share of the regular season crown and won the 2024 OVC Tournament. The Eagles were most recently coached by Preston Spradlin, who resigned after his eighth season at Morehead State. Spradlin guided the Eagles to four-straight 20-win seasons for the first time in program history from 2020–24. Morehead State set the program record for most wins in a season during the 2023–24 season, as the Eagles collected a total of 26 wins. Jonathan Mattox, previously associate head coach, was named as the 15th head coach in the program's history. [2]

Postseason results

NCAA Division I tournament results

The Eagles have appeared in nine NCAA Tournaments, with the most recent coming during the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Morehead State is a combined record is 6–10 in the NCAA Tournament. The six NCAA tournament wins are the most by any current Ohio Valley Conference member and are the second-most in OVC history, behind former member Western Kentucky. Additionally, MSU’s nine tournament appearances are third-most in OVC history.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1956 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
East Regional 3rd Place Game
Marshall
Iowa
Wayne State
W 107–92
L 83–97
W 95–84
1957 QuarterfinalsPittsburghL 85–86
1961 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Mideast Regional Third Place
Xavier
Kentucky
Louisville
W 71–66
L 64–71
L 61–83
1983 11First Round(6) SyracuseL 59–74
1984 12Preliminary Round
First Round
(12) North Carolina A&T
(5) Louisville
W 70–69
L 59–72
2009 16Opening Round
First Round
(16) Alabama State
(1) Louisville
W 58–41
L 54–74
2011 13First Round
Second Round
(4) Louisville
(12) Richmond
W 62–61
L 48–65
2021 14First Round(3) West VirginiaL 67–84
2024 14First Round(3) IllinoisL 69–85

NIT results

The Eagles have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament one time. Their combined record is 1–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2023 First Round
Second Round
Clemson
UAB
W 68–64
L 59–77

CBI results

The Eagles have appeared in three College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 5–4.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2010 First Round
Quarterfinals
Colorado State
Boston University
W 74–60
L 89–91OT
2014 First RoundIllinois StateL 67–77
2016 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals–Game 1
Finals–Game 2
Finals–Game 3
Siena
Duquesne
Ohio
Nevada
Nevada
Nevada
W 84–80
W 82–72
W 77–72
W 86–83
L 68–77
L 82–85OT

NAIA

The Eagles have appeared in the NAIA Basketball Tournament once, their record is 0–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1951First RoundSouthwest Texas StateL 70–62

Eagles in the NBA

Morehead State has had a total of seven former Eagles play in an NBA game. Xavier Moon is the most recent Morehead State alum to play in the NBA. Moon is currently in his third season with the Los Angeles Clippers, playing on a two-way contract with the Clippers and the NBA G League’s Ontario Clippers, as of the 2023–24 season.

Kenneth Faried is Morehead State’s highest NBA Draft pick, as he is the school’s lone first round pick. Faried was selected as the No. 17 overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the First Round of the 2011 NBA draft. He would go on to play the most NBA games by an Eagle, as he logged 478 career appearances over eight seasons with the Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets from 2011–19. Faried scored 5,430 points and pulled down 3,884 rebounds in the NBA, both are the most by a Morehead State player.

List of Morehead State players that played in the NBA

Eagles in international leagues

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References

  1. "Morehead State Eagles School History". Sports Reference. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Morehead State Welcomes Jonathan Mattox Back to Lead Men's Basketball Program". Morehead State University Athletics. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  3. "Morehead State University :: Brand and Style Guide" . Retrieved December 27, 2022.