Morehead State Eagles: A Primer for Illinois Basketball Fans Ahead of NCAA Tournament Clash

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Morehead State, a small Kentucky university, is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance against the Fighting Illini (26-8, 14-6 Big Ten) in Omaha, Nebraska. 

One of the most successful teams in the Ohio Valley Conference is the Eagles, who have a record of 6-9 over the course of their whole history

Morehead State University, which was initially established in 1887 as Morehead Normal School, currently boasts a total student population of 9,000 students, including both graduate and undergraduate graduates.

The Eagles are the only original member of the Ohio Valley league that continue to play in the league. Morehead State is a member of the conference and competes in it. Among all OVC participants, Morehead State holds the record for many conference titles with 17. 

Having a career record of 140-108 (56%), Coach Preston Spradlin has guided the Eagles to four consecutive seasons of 20 wins and three bids in the NCAA Tournament. His record is a lifetime percentage of 56%. 

Morehead State Basketball Success

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Morehead State, a small Kentucky university, is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance against the Fighting Illini (26-8, 14-6 Big Ten) in Omaha, Nebraska.

Additionally, he has won one tournament championship in addition to two OVC Championships during the regular season.

Morehead State’s basketball team finished the 2023-24 season with a record of 26-8 (14-4 OVC), which earned them the third seed in the Open Valley Conference Tournament. 

For the conference tournament, the Eagles finished winners after claiming victories over No. 6 SIUE, No. 2 UT Martin, and No. 1 Little Rock. Averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, guard Riley Minix was the one who led the squad in scoring.

The history of Morehead State’s presence in the NCAA Tournament has them in third place all-time with nine appearances, following only Western Kentucky, a previous member of the NCAA Tournament, in terms of victories. Morehead State’s record in the tournament is 6-9.

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