2015–16 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team
American college basketball season
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The 2015–16 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team represented Middle Tennessee State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Raiders, led by 14th-year head coach Kermit Davis, played their home games at the Murphy Center and were members of Conference USA (C-USA). They finished the season 25–10, 13–5 in C-USA play to finish in second place. They defeated Charlotte, Marshall, and Old Dominion to be champions of the C-USA tournament and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As a #15 seed, in the first round they upset #2 seed and #2 nationally ranked Michigan State to become the eighth #15 seed to win an NCAA Tournament game. In the second round they lost to Syracuse.
ConferenceConference USA
Record25–10 (13–5 C-USA)
Headcoach
- Kermit Davis (14th season)
Assistant coaches
- Greg Grensing
- Win Case
- Ronnie Hamilton
| 2015–16 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball | |
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NCAA tournament, Second Round | |
| Conference | Conference USA |
| Record | 25–10 (13–5 C-USA) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Murphy Center |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UAB | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 26 | – | 7 | .788 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee † | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 25 | – | 10 | .714 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshall | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 17 | – | 16 | .515 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 23 | – | 10 | .697 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Old Dominion | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 25 | – | 13 | .658 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UTEP | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 19 | – | 14 | .576 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charlotte | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 14 | – | 19 | .424 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Kentucky | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 18 | – | 16 | .529 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Texas | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rice | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIU | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 13 | – | 19 | .406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida Atlantic | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 8 | – | 25 | .242 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Miss* | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 8 | – | 21 | .276 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UTSA | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 5 | – | 27 | .156 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2016 C-USA Tournament winner *Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed postseason ban. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
The Blue Raiders finished the 2014–15 season 19–17, 9–9 in C-USA play to finish in sixth place. They advanced to the championship game of the C-USA tournament, where they lost to UAB. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Kent State.
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeVante Jones | 1 | G | 5'10" | 160 | Junior | Chicago, IL | Dismissed from the team |
| Andrew Rogan | 14 | G | 6'3" | 170 | Freshman | Murfreesboro, TN | Walk-on; didn't return |
| JaQuel Richmond | 15 | G | 6'1" | 180 | Freshman | Greensboro, NC | Transferred to UNC Wilmington |
| Marcus Tarrance | 23 | G | 6'6" | 210 | Senior | Memphis, TN | Graduated |
| Gavin Gibson | 32 | G | 6'4" | 200 | Junior | Chattanooga, TN | Walk-on; didn't return |
| Jacquez Rozier | 42 | F | 6'7" | 220 | Senior | Waynesboro, GA | Graduated |
Incoming transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldonis Foote | 15 | F | 6'5" | 215 | Junior | Peoria, IL | Junior college, transferred from Trinity Valley Community College |
| JaCorey Williams | 22 | F | 6'8" | 218 | Senior | Birmingham, AL | Transferred from Arkansas. Under NCAA transfer rules, he had to sit out for the 2015–16 season. Had one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Quavius Copeland | 24 | G | 6'0" | 175 | Sophomore | Greenville, SC | Junior college, transferred from Gulf Coast State College |
Note: Justin Coleman, a junior who transferred from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, was going to be enrolled at the start of the fall of 2015. Later, he was dismissed from the team due to violations of team rules.
Recruiting class of 2015
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl Gamble PF |
Columbia, SC | A. C. Flora High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | May 19, 2014 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (NR) | ||||||
| Joan Duran PF |
Chattanooga, TN | Hamilton Heights Christian Academy | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Jan 27, 2015 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: (NR) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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Note: Jalen Perry, a 2015 high school graduate from Louisville, Kentucky, was going to be enrolled in the fall of 2015. Later, he was dismissed from the team due to violations of team rules.
Roster
| 2015–16 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| 11/12/2015* 6:30 pm |
Faulkner | W 84–63 | Murphy Center (2,512) Murfreesboro, TN | ||||||||
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| 11/17/2015* 7:00 pm, ASN |
at Murray State | L 65–76 | 0–1 |
CFSB Center (3,070) Murray, KY | |||||||
| 11/21/2015* 7:00 pm |
at Tennessee State | W 69–66 | 1–1 |
Gentry Complex (1,500) Nashville, TN | |||||||
| 11/26/2015* 8:30 pm, CBSSN |
at Alaska Anchorage Great Alaska Shootout Quarterfinals |
W 75–72 | 2–1 |
Alaska Airlines Center (2,478) Anchorage, AK | |||||||
| 11/27/2015* 11:00 pm, CBSSN |
vs. UNC Asheville Great Alaska Shootout semifinals |
W 63–61 | 3–1 |
Alaska Airlines Center (2,822) Anchorage, AK | |||||||
| 11/28/2015* 11:30 pm, CBSSN |
vs. Toledo Great Alaska Shootout championship |
W 78–70 | 4–1 |
Alaska Airlines Center (3,132) Anchorage, AK | |||||||
| 12/02/2015* 8:00 pm, FSN |
VCU | L 56–62 | 4–2 |
Murphy Center (8,882) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 12/05/2015* 5:00 pm, ASN |
South Alabama | W 68–55 | 5–2 |
Murphy Center (4,106) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 12/12/2015* 12:00 pm, MT10 |
vs. Auburn | W 88–81 | 6–2 |
Bridgestone Arena (7,322) Nashville, TN | |||||||
| 12/17/2015* 6:00 pm, ASN |
Belmont | W 83–62 | 7–2 |
Murphy Center (5,555) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 12/22/2015* 6:00 pm |
at Georgia State | L 62–64 | 7–3 |
GSU Sports Arena (1,819) Atlanta, GA | |||||||
| 12/27/2015* 4:30 pm, FSN |
vs. South Dakota State | L 61–65 | 7–4 |
Sanford Pentagon (3,200) Sioux Falls, SD | |||||||
| 12/30/2015* 6:00 pm |
Trevecca Nazarene | W 82–67 | 8–4 |
Murphy Center (3,122) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| Conference USA regular season | |||||||||||
| 01/03/2016 2:00 pm, ASN |
at UAB | L 67–78 | 8–5 (0–1) |
Bartow Arena (4,279) Birmingham, AL | |||||||
| 01/07/2016 6:00 pm, ASN |
UTEP | W 78–72 | 9–5 (1–1) |
Murphy Center (4,105) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 01/09/2016 3:00 pm, ASN |
UTSA | W 79–71 | 10–5 (2–1) |
Murphy Center (4,632) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 01/14/2016 6:00 pm |
at Charlotte | W 73–72 | 11–5 (3–1) |
Dale F. Halton Arena (3,914) Charlotte, NC | |||||||
| 01/16/2016 3:00 pm, FSN |
at Old Dominion | W 64–61 | 12–5 (4–1) |
Ted Constant Convocation Center (7,067) Norfolk, VA | |||||||
| 01/21/2016 6:30 pm |
North Texas | W 86–64 | 13–5 (5–1) |
Murphy Center (3,826) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 01/23/2016 5:00 pm |
Rice | W 87–73 | 14–5 (6–1) |
Murphy Center (4,104) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 01/28/2016 6:00 pm |
at Marshall | L 66–82 | 14–6 (6–2) |
Cam Henderson Center (5,724) Huntington, WV | |||||||
| 01/30/2016 7:00 pm, FCS |
at WKU | W 66–64 | 15–6 (7–2) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (5,259) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
| 02/04/2016 6:30 pm, MT10 |
Florida Atlantic | W 85–73 | 16–6 (8–2) |
Murphy Center (5,411) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 02/06/2016 6:00 pm |
FIU | W 67–66 | 17–6 (9–2) |
Murphy Center (5,298) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 02/11/2016 8:00 pm, ASN |
at Louisiana Tech | L 63–73 | 17–7 (9–3) |
Thomas Assembly Center (5,011) Ruston, LA | |||||||
| 02/13/2016 7:00 pm |
at Southern Miss | W 76–54 | 18–7 (10–3) |
Reed Green Coliseum (2,917) Hattiesburg, MS | |||||||
| 02/21/2016 5:00 pm, CBSSN |
UAB | L 67–77 | 18–8 (10–4) |
Murphy Center (7,822) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 02/25/2016 6:00 pm, ASN |
WKU | L 72–78 | 18–9 (10–5) |
Murphy Center (4,333) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 02/27/2016 5:00 pm |
Marshall | W 83–74 | 19–9 (11–5) |
Murphy Center (4,051) Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
| 03/03/2016 6:00 pm |
at Florida Atlantic | W 76–59 | 20–9 (12–5) |
FAU Arena (1,040) Boca Raton, FL | |||||||
| 03/05/2016 5:00 pm, ASN |
at FIU | W 61–58 | 21–9 (13–5) |
FIU Arena (2,422) Miami, FL | |||||||
| Conference USA tournament | |||||||||||
| 03/10/2016 6:00 pm, ASN |
(2) | vs. (7) Charlotte Quarterfinals |
W 79–61 | 22–9 |
Legacy Arena (9,797) Birmingham, AL | ||||||
| 03/11/2016 5:30 pm, CBSSN |
(2) | vs. (6) Marshall Semifinals |
W 99–90 | 23–9 |
Legacy Arena (6,176) Birmingham, AL | ||||||
| 03/12/2016 1:30 pm, FS1 |
(2) | vs. (5) Old Dominion Championship |
W 55–53 | 24–9 |
Legacy Arena (5,519) Birmingham, AL | ||||||
| NCAA tournament | |||||||||||
| 03/18/2016* 1:45 pm, CBS |
(15 MW) | vs. (2 MW) No. 2 Michigan State First Round |
W 90–81 | 25–9 |
Scottrade Center (14,250) St. Louis, MO | ||||||
| 03/20/2016* 5:10 pm, TNT |
(15 MW) | vs. (10 MW) Syracuse Second Round |
L 50–75 | 25–10 |
Scottrade Center (15,169) St. Louis, MO | ||||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. MW=Midwest Region. All times are in Central Time. | |||||||||||