Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
"It's the quality of that group that's gotten us to where we are" - Senior Day dominance sets the stage for CUSA Tournament for Men's Basketball
3/10/2025 10:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nick McDevitt says this year has "flown by" because the Blue Raiders have had so much fun. Now, the challenge of winning three games in three days comes into focus
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee men's basketball coach Nick McDevitt thought on Friday that his team would avoid the hangover. Coming off a hard-fought loss to eventual Conference USA Champion Liberty, it might be expected for the Blue Raiders to have struggled with energy going into a quick turnaround matchup against bottom of the league FIU on Saturday.
But nearly from the opening tip, MTSU asserted their will on the Panthers, routing the outmatched foe 78-56 on Senior Day.
"You worry about the hangover, how long does it take to get them refocused," McDevitt said. "I just told the team that yesterday's practice, their attention to detail and focus was there."
There's not much ink to spill on the game itself. It was a team that struggled to find any sort of footing in a loaded Conference USA once again struggling against a superior opponent. Name a stat category, from field goals (30 to 20), to three-pointers (11 to 4), to second chance points (14 to 4), to assists (19 to 8), and the Blue Raiders probably bested the Panthers in that stat on Saturday.
All the better for MTSU, who were able to give all nine of their seniors at least two minutes of playing time in the final home game of the 2024-25 season. The senior class — Camryn Weston, Jestin Porter, Justin Bufford, Jacob Johnson, Essam Mostafa, Jlynn Counter, Christian Fussell, Jack Jubenville and Isaiah Lightsy — have embodied in different ways this program over the past four seasons, where the longest tenured members of the class, Weston and Bufford, have helped MTSU to 80 wins in that time.
There's JuCo players, like Weston and Bufford, but also Porter and Counter. DI transfers, like Mostafa, Johnson and Counter again. Walk-ons, like Jubenville and Lightsy, even a player who transferred out and came back in Christian Fussell. Their individual fortunes have all waxed and waned depending on the season or the week, but the depth and quality has shown through, particularly this year, with MTSU getting back to the 21-win mark at the end of the regular season.
"It's not just the quantity of that group, but it's the quality of that group that's gotten us to where we are," McDevitt said.
The head coach has commented that the season has "flown by" for the coaches and players, a product of their success, but mostly the bond the group has, rarely doing anything in the mid-state without one another. From going to movies, just hanging out at each other's apartments, and yes, getting up more shots, you can usually find a Blue Raider with another in tow if you ever cross their path in Murfreesboro.
"This group of guys this year is kind of different," Porter said. "We literally do everything together. After this, we're fixing to all meet up and just be together right now."
The family-like atmosphere, one where Porter calls his teammates his brothers, very openly, unprompted, is what's kept players like Camryn Weston engaged with the program for four years.
"Coming in from JuCo, they took me in with loving and wide-open arms," Weston said. "You just felt at home. Thats' one thing I love about MT, it's a good home feeling. I enjoy being here."
All involved with the program want to keep the bonds formed a bit longer, which will require winning three games in three days in Huntsville, Ala. next week at the Conference USA Tournament. At the end of the day on Saturday, it was confirmed the Blue Raiders would enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed, playing No. 6 seed Louisiana Tech, who swept MTSU in the regular season, on Thursday night.
The Blue Raiders had already turned the page to preparing for the Bulldogs by the press conference on Saturday.
"Stay locked in," Weston said of what the Blue Raiders need to do to their scouting report. "Study it. Know (their) players, even know the coaches, down the managers, know what you've got."
His head coach thinks the parity in a strong CUSA, plus a nonconference schedule that ranked in the Top 100 nationally for difficulty on KenPom, has helped his team be ready for the challenge ahead.
"Usually in tournament play, if you get all the way to the finals, three games in three days, it's not going to be 120 minutes of perfect; something's going to rear its head," McDevitt said. "Winning a tournament is hard. Winning three games in three days is hard. I think both our nonconference schedule and how good Conference USA has been this year has made us have to get ready for every game."
But nearly from the opening tip, MTSU asserted their will on the Panthers, routing the outmatched foe 78-56 on Senior Day.
"You worry about the hangover, how long does it take to get them refocused," McDevitt said. "I just told the team that yesterday's practice, their attention to detail and focus was there."
There's not much ink to spill on the game itself. It was a team that struggled to find any sort of footing in a loaded Conference USA once again struggling against a superior opponent. Name a stat category, from field goals (30 to 20), to three-pointers (11 to 4), to second chance points (14 to 4), to assists (19 to 8), and the Blue Raiders probably bested the Panthers in that stat on Saturday.
All the better for MTSU, who were able to give all nine of their seniors at least two minutes of playing time in the final home game of the 2024-25 season. The senior class — Camryn Weston, Jestin Porter, Justin Bufford, Jacob Johnson, Essam Mostafa, Jlynn Counter, Christian Fussell, Jack Jubenville and Isaiah Lightsy — have embodied in different ways this program over the past four seasons, where the longest tenured members of the class, Weston and Bufford, have helped MTSU to 80 wins in that time.
There's JuCo players, like Weston and Bufford, but also Porter and Counter. DI transfers, like Mostafa, Johnson and Counter again. Walk-ons, like Jubenville and Lightsy, even a player who transferred out and came back in Christian Fussell. Their individual fortunes have all waxed and waned depending on the season or the week, but the depth and quality has shown through, particularly this year, with MTSU getting back to the 21-win mark at the end of the regular season.
"It's not just the quantity of that group, but it's the quality of that group that's gotten us to where we are," McDevitt said.
The head coach has commented that the season has "flown by" for the coaches and players, a product of their success, but mostly the bond the group has, rarely doing anything in the mid-state without one another. From going to movies, just hanging out at each other's apartments, and yes, getting up more shots, you can usually find a Blue Raider with another in tow if you ever cross their path in Murfreesboro.
"This group of guys this year is kind of different," Porter said. "We literally do everything together. After this, we're fixing to all meet up and just be together right now."
The family-like atmosphere, one where Porter calls his teammates his brothers, very openly, unprompted, is what's kept players like Camryn Weston engaged with the program for four years.
"Coming in from JuCo, they took me in with loving and wide-open arms," Weston said. "You just felt at home. Thats' one thing I love about MT, it's a good home feeling. I enjoy being here."
All involved with the program want to keep the bonds formed a bit longer, which will require winning three games in three days in Huntsville, Ala. next week at the Conference USA Tournament. At the end of the day on Saturday, it was confirmed the Blue Raiders would enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed, playing No. 6 seed Louisiana Tech, who swept MTSU in the regular season, on Thursday night.
The Blue Raiders had already turned the page to preparing for the Bulldogs by the press conference on Saturday.
"Stay locked in," Weston said of what the Blue Raiders need to do to their scouting report. "Study it. Know (their) players, even know the coaches, down the managers, know what you've got."
His head coach thinks the parity in a strong CUSA, plus a nonconference schedule that ranked in the Top 100 nationally for difficulty on KenPom, has helped his team be ready for the challenge ahead.
"Usually in tournament play, if you get all the way to the finals, three games in three days, it's not going to be 120 minutes of perfect; something's going to rear its head," McDevitt said. "Winning a tournament is hard. Winning three games in three days is hard. I think both our nonconference schedule and how good Conference USA has been this year has made us have to get ready for every game."
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