Murray State pulled the big upset Thursday, beating No. 4-seeded Vanderbilt, and tries to get another Saturday against No. 5 Butler, where former NSU English prof Dr. Rocky Colavito is on the faculty.
The Racers are coached by Billy Kennedy, a New Orleans native whose first college job was as an assistant at NSU on Dan Bell's first Demons staff in 1988-89 - the team that beat Kentucky in Rupp Arena.
Billy became head coach at Centenary, then Southeastern, before taking an assistant's post at Miami (Fla.) and getting the Murray State head coaching post. He coached the Lions to the 2005 NCAA Tournament, including an SLC Championship Game upset win in Prather Coliseum over the Demons.
Watching Billy's postgame press conference yesterday reminded me how low key and deadpan he is. You would have thought they just beat Tennessee State, not Vandy!
Another NSU connection comes at New Mexico State, where former Mike McConathy graduate assistant Paul Weir is an assistant coach. The Aggies were playing Michigan State Friday evening.
Weir was on Steve Alford's staff at Iowa for the 2006 NCAA Tournament, a year after being with the Demons. He had some mixed emotions that March 17, for sure.
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