Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Vitale impressed by Davis, Blue Raiders
10/28/2016 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – It's officially basketball season in Murfreesboro, and to help celebrate the season kickoff Middle Tennessee invited a special guest to campus on Thursday.
Dick Vitale, the hall of fame college basketball analyst for ESPN, was the keynote speaker at the Auto Art Tip Off Celebration before taking in the men's team practice and Murphy Madness.
The day was a great opportunity for Vitale to meet and greet some of the Blue Raider faithful, which he said was the best part about the event.
"It's exciting. You get the chance to meet the real hardcore basketball fans, it sets the tone for the year – I love it," he said. "What they do here is fantastic. They have a great program here, and I think [head coach] Kermit [Davis] is doing a fantastic job here."
Vitale raved about the direction the basketball program is heading. Under Davis, the program's all-time coaching leader in wins with 276, the Blue Raiders have won at least 24 games four out of the last five seasons, culminating in last year's 25-10 team that upset second-seeded Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"I think they're doing it the right way," Vitale said. "They have stability in their coaching, not a scenario where you have to change coaches every year. They love what Kermit does, he's very disciplined. I like their intensity and their work ethic – no one is out there fooling around, everyone is out there practicing with a purpose. That's the key to being successful in anything – practicing with a purpose."
Wins like Middle Tennessee's over Michigan State last postseason are exactly why Vitale, who coached four seasons at the University of Detroit, said the NCAA Tournament is so special.
Upsets are also the best way, he said, to bring hype to a basketball program that is considered a mid-major. Vitale pointed to his own experience of upsetting the Blue Raiders for his only NCAA Tournament coaching win in 1977 as a case in point.
"I think right here epitomizes it," he said. "You see here the excitement, the enthusiasm, the energy – I call it the three E's – and winning does that. Winning creates an environment, gets everybody excited, alumni come back and people get really thrilled."
Once programs start getting marquee wins, the key is to keep a winning tradition alive by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament every year. With Davis at the helm, Vitale said, Middle Tennessee could well be on their way.
"You have to sustain it. The bottom line is you have to sustain it year in and year out," he said. "You have to go to the tournament – no one says you have to beat Michigan State every year – but you have to be able to be one of the leaders in your conference and get a tournament bid. When you do that, it keeps your program at an elite level."
As far as Middle Tennessee's play on the court, Vitale is anxious to see what the Blue Raiders will have to offer this season with two All-Conference-USA players – junior Giddy Potts and senior Reggie Upshaw – and a cast of talent around them.
"They're a much deeper team than I thought, watching them practice," Vitale said. "They're very athletic, too. This can be a very surprising team. They won 25 games last year, and they might even be better this year."
While Vitale was ultimately involved with Murphy Madness to shed his insight into the Blue Raider basketball program, there is a more important topic he shares wherever he goes.
"There is nothing more important to me at this stage of my life than raising money for kids battling cancer," he said. "We have a Dick Vitale Gala, and my gala so far has raised $18.2 million for kids battling cancer, and it's not enough. There's not enough being done in raising money."
To donate to Vitale's cause, visit dickvitaleonline.com.
Dick Vitale, the hall of fame college basketball analyst for ESPN, was the keynote speaker at the Auto Art Tip Off Celebration before taking in the men's team practice and Murphy Madness.
The day was a great opportunity for Vitale to meet and greet some of the Blue Raider faithful, which he said was the best part about the event.
"It's exciting. You get the chance to meet the real hardcore basketball fans, it sets the tone for the year – I love it," he said. "What they do here is fantastic. They have a great program here, and I think [head coach] Kermit [Davis] is doing a fantastic job here."
Vitale raved about the direction the basketball program is heading. Under Davis, the program's all-time coaching leader in wins with 276, the Blue Raiders have won at least 24 games four out of the last five seasons, culminating in last year's 25-10 team that upset second-seeded Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"I think they're doing it the right way," Vitale said. "They have stability in their coaching, not a scenario where you have to change coaches every year. They love what Kermit does, he's very disciplined. I like their intensity and their work ethic – no one is out there fooling around, everyone is out there practicing with a purpose. That's the key to being successful in anything – practicing with a purpose."
Wins like Middle Tennessee's over Michigan State last postseason are exactly why Vitale, who coached four seasons at the University of Detroit, said the NCAA Tournament is so special.
Upsets are also the best way, he said, to bring hype to a basketball program that is considered a mid-major. Vitale pointed to his own experience of upsetting the Blue Raiders for his only NCAA Tournament coaching win in 1977 as a case in point.
"I think right here epitomizes it," he said. "You see here the excitement, the enthusiasm, the energy – I call it the three E's – and winning does that. Winning creates an environment, gets everybody excited, alumni come back and people get really thrilled."
Once programs start getting marquee wins, the key is to keep a winning tradition alive by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament every year. With Davis at the helm, Vitale said, Middle Tennessee could well be on their way.
"You have to sustain it. The bottom line is you have to sustain it year in and year out," he said. "You have to go to the tournament – no one says you have to beat Michigan State every year – but you have to be able to be one of the leaders in your conference and get a tournament bid. When you do that, it keeps your program at an elite level."
As far as Middle Tennessee's play on the court, Vitale is anxious to see what the Blue Raiders will have to offer this season with two All-Conference-USA players – junior Giddy Potts and senior Reggie Upshaw – and a cast of talent around them.
"They're a much deeper team than I thought, watching them practice," Vitale said. "They're very athletic, too. This can be a very surprising team. They won 25 games last year, and they might even be better this year."
While Vitale was ultimately involved with Murphy Madness to shed his insight into the Blue Raider basketball program, there is a more important topic he shares wherever he goes.
"There is nothing more important to me at this stage of my life than raising money for kids battling cancer," he said. "We have a Dick Vitale Gala, and my gala so far has raised $18.2 million for kids battling cancer, and it's not enough. There's not enough being done in raising money."
To donate to Vitale's cause, visit dickvitaleonline.com.
Players Mentioned
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