Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Sunday, March 18
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
MT’s season ends at Louisville in NIT second round
3/18/2018 8:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Kermit Davis era came to a close Sunday for Middle Tennessee, as the Blue Raiders traveled to Louisville in the NIT second round and were defeated 84-68.
"I thought Louisville played really well," Davis said. "I thought our team competed … but we just couldn't get enough stops to beat a really good Louisville team. We wish Louisville the best of luck."
Davis, who will be introduced Monday as the head coach at the University of Mississippi, wrapped up a 16-year tenure at Middle Tennessee with a 332-188 overall record.
He's the winningest head coach in program history and guided MT to three NCAA Tournaments, bringing the Blue Raiders their first two victories in the Big Dance in over 25 years. The four-time coach of the year winner also helped the blue and white to six conference regular-season championships, including five in the last seven years and the last two in Conference USA, and two C-USA Tournament titles.
"It's been unbelievable," Davis said. "If you could have been at my first practice in the spring of 2002 when I got there and to see the program evolve … it's been really fun to build the program."
The game was a seesaw affair early, but a second-quarter Cardinals run proved to be the difference.
Louisville (22-13) took a 16-15 lead into the first-quarter break, and through five minutes of the second quarter it led just 25-22. But, a foul on Middle Tennessee senior scoring leader Nick King at the 4:32 mark of the frame, his third foul of the contest, changed things drastically.
With their 20.9-points-per-game scorer forced to the bench for the remainder of the half, the Blue Raiders (25-8) suffered a 12-0 Cardinals run, eventually heading to the locker room at halftime trailing 41-26.
"In this high-level game, we needed Nick and Brandon [Walters] in the game," Davis said. "We didn't handle it very well when both of those guys were on the bench. That was a critical time."
King returned in the second half and with fellow senior Brandon Walters willed Middle Tennessee to get back into the contest, cutting the margin to as little as seven in the third quarter, but turnovers proved to be the Blue Raiders' downfall. They finished with 15 compared to just seven for the Cardinals and gave up 22 points off the miscues.
The two blue big men combined for 31 of MT's 42 points in the second half, 19 for King and 12 for Walters, and finished with 24 and 16 in the game, respectively.
It was the 24th time in 33 games King led the team in scoring and was his 19th 20-point outing.
"Nick King, for a new player, impacted our team more than any first-year player in college basketball this year. No question about it," Davis said. "I'm so proud of Nick."
King closed out perhaps the best single-season in Blue Raider history.
The Memphis native who came to Middle Tennessee this season as a graduate transfer, the first ever in the program's history, finished with a school single-season record 694 points. He was named Conference USA Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, a USA Today Third Team All-American and finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
"MTSU, I gave it my all," King said. "I'm just proud to be a Blue Raider.
"Everybody says, you know, they want what's best for the players and it's all about the players. But, coming here, [Davis] gave me the opportunity that I've always wanted. He said I had to come here and I had to work, and I told him I'd rock with you until the wheels fall off. That's exactly what we did."
The loss also ended the collegiate career of senior Giddy Potts, who's considered one of the best to ever put on the Middle Tennessee uniform.
Potts, who had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists on Sunday, is just one of two Blue Raiders all-time to reach the 1,600-point mark. He finished second in program history with 1,645 points, first in career starts, first in career 3-pointers made and attempted, fourth in 3-point shooting percentage, fourth in career steals, third in games played and third in minutes played.
He's also tied with fellow senior Edward Simpson as Middle Tennessee's all-time wins leader with 100.
"It's been a hell of a ride," Potts said. "I've done everything I can possibly do to help this program … and I gave it my all. That's all I can say, I gave it everything I can give.
"We had some great times, bad times, crazy times – I love this man (Davis) to death. He gave me an opportunity to come to MT and play, and I know I gave it my all."
While the Blue Raiders' season ends in disappointing fashion, Davis doesn't want his team to hang its head and think poorly of the year. Plenty was still accomplished, including a 16-2 mark in C-USA play and 12-2 record in true road games, the best such record in the nation.
The squad was also one of his favorites to coach in his 16-year run at Middle Tennessee and is filled with players he'll keep near and dear to his heart as he makes the move to Oxford, Mississippi.
"I just told them [after the game] how proud I was," Davis said. "The schedule that we played, the 10th-hardest non-conference schedule in college basketball … and getting to the postseason, should have gotten in the NCAA Tournament, and 25 wins. I couldn't be prouder.
"I'll miss these guys a ton."
"I thought Louisville played really well," Davis said. "I thought our team competed … but we just couldn't get enough stops to beat a really good Louisville team. We wish Louisville the best of luck."
Davis, who will be introduced Monday as the head coach at the University of Mississippi, wrapped up a 16-year tenure at Middle Tennessee with a 332-188 overall record.
He's the winningest head coach in program history and guided MT to three NCAA Tournaments, bringing the Blue Raiders their first two victories in the Big Dance in over 25 years. The four-time coach of the year winner also helped the blue and white to six conference regular-season championships, including five in the last seven years and the last two in Conference USA, and two C-USA Tournament titles.
"It's been unbelievable," Davis said. "If you could have been at my first practice in the spring of 2002 when I got there and to see the program evolve … it's been really fun to build the program."
The game was a seesaw affair early, but a second-quarter Cardinals run proved to be the difference.
Louisville (22-13) took a 16-15 lead into the first-quarter break, and through five minutes of the second quarter it led just 25-22. But, a foul on Middle Tennessee senior scoring leader Nick King at the 4:32 mark of the frame, his third foul of the contest, changed things drastically.
With their 20.9-points-per-game scorer forced to the bench for the remainder of the half, the Blue Raiders (25-8) suffered a 12-0 Cardinals run, eventually heading to the locker room at halftime trailing 41-26.
"In this high-level game, we needed Nick and Brandon [Walters] in the game," Davis said. "We didn't handle it very well when both of those guys were on the bench. That was a critical time."
King returned in the second half and with fellow senior Brandon Walters willed Middle Tennessee to get back into the contest, cutting the margin to as little as seven in the third quarter, but turnovers proved to be the Blue Raiders' downfall. They finished with 15 compared to just seven for the Cardinals and gave up 22 points off the miscues.
The two blue big men combined for 31 of MT's 42 points in the second half, 19 for King and 12 for Walters, and finished with 24 and 16 in the game, respectively.
It was the 24th time in 33 games King led the team in scoring and was his 19th 20-point outing.
"Nick King, for a new player, impacted our team more than any first-year player in college basketball this year. No question about it," Davis said. "I'm so proud of Nick."
King closed out perhaps the best single-season in Blue Raider history.
The Memphis native who came to Middle Tennessee this season as a graduate transfer, the first ever in the program's history, finished with a school single-season record 694 points. He was named Conference USA Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, a USA Today Third Team All-American and finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
"MTSU, I gave it my all," King said. "I'm just proud to be a Blue Raider.
"Everybody says, you know, they want what's best for the players and it's all about the players. But, coming here, [Davis] gave me the opportunity that I've always wanted. He said I had to come here and I had to work, and I told him I'd rock with you until the wheels fall off. That's exactly what we did."
The loss also ended the collegiate career of senior Giddy Potts, who's considered one of the best to ever put on the Middle Tennessee uniform.
Potts, who had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists on Sunday, is just one of two Blue Raiders all-time to reach the 1,600-point mark. He finished second in program history with 1,645 points, first in career starts, first in career 3-pointers made and attempted, fourth in 3-point shooting percentage, fourth in career steals, third in games played and third in minutes played.
He's also tied with fellow senior Edward Simpson as Middle Tennessee's all-time wins leader with 100.
"It's been a hell of a ride," Potts said. "I've done everything I can possibly do to help this program … and I gave it my all. That's all I can say, I gave it everything I can give.
"We had some great times, bad times, crazy times – I love this man (Davis) to death. He gave me an opportunity to come to MT and play, and I know I gave it my all."
While the Blue Raiders' season ends in disappointing fashion, Davis doesn't want his team to hang its head and think poorly of the year. Plenty was still accomplished, including a 16-2 mark in C-USA play and 12-2 record in true road games, the best such record in the nation.
The squad was also one of his favorites to coach in his 16-year run at Middle Tennessee and is filled with players he'll keep near and dear to his heart as he makes the move to Oxford, Mississippi.
"I just told them [after the game] how proud I was," Davis said. "The schedule that we played, the 10th-hardest non-conference schedule in college basketball … and getting to the postseason, should have gotten in the NCAA Tournament, and 25 wins. I couldn't be prouder.
"I'll miss these guys a ton."
2025 MTSU Basketball tickets on sale now - October 1st
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