March 27, 2012

Kevin Murphy selected to play in Reese's College All-Star Game Friday

Kevin Murphy will get to play at least one more game before concluding his collegiate career. He was selected to play in Friday's Reese's College All-Star game, joining an elite list of players.

Game will be televised on tape delay Saturday

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Kevin Murphy will get to play at least one more game before concluding his collegiate career.

The standout senior guard on Tennessee Tech's men's basketball team has been invited to play in the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) Reese's College All-Star Game, an opportunity afforded only 20 of the best senior student-athletes in Division I college basketball.

The game is one of many events to be held conjunction with the Final Four this weekend in New Orleans. Tip-off is set for 4:35 p.m. CDT Friday at the New Orleans SuperDome, immediately following open practices of the Final Four teams.

Fans can watch the game on a tape-delayed basis Saturday at noon on TruTV.

Murphy will play for the East All-Star Team alongside Marquette's Jae Crowder and Northwestern's John Shurna, among others. The East All-Star team features Gonzaga?s Robert Sacre and Missouri's Ricardo Ratliffe among others.

Murphy and the rest of the East squad will be coached by former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson while the West will be led by former LSU coach Dale Brown.

The all-star game has been a showcase for Ohio Valley Conference standouts as recently as a season ago when Morehead State's Kenneth Faried scored 17 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lift the West to a 113-108 win.

"It's a great honor for Kevin and for our program to be showcased on national TV," TTU head coach Steve Payne said. "This is a great opportunity for Kevin to play with guys who are going to play in the NBA. These are the best seniors in the country, and a lot of guys who have played in this game have gone on to successful pro careers."

Murphy finished the season as Tech's second-leading all-time scorer with 2,019 career points. He also leaves as the Golden Eagles' all-time leader in games played.

The Atlanta, Ga., native averaged 20.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in his senior season and drew national attention when he became the only Division I player to score 50 points in a game this season against SIU Edwardsville on Jan. 30.

Full rosters for the all-star teams are listed below:

WEST ALL-STARS
Casper Ware, G, Long Beach State
Jorge Gutierrez, G, California
Dominique Morrison, F, Oral Roberts
Devoe Joseph, G, Oregon
Bradford Burgess, G/F, VCU
Wendell McKines, F, New Mexico State
Storm Warren, F, LSU
Chance Stanback, G/F, UNLV
Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga
Ricardo Ratliffe, F, Missouri

EAST ALL-STARS
Scott Machado, G, Iona
Juan Fernandez, G, Temple
Ramone Moore, G, Temple
Kevin Murphy, G, Tennessee Tech
Jae Crowder, F, Marquette
John Shurna, F, Northwestern
Keith Wright, F, Harvard
Garrett Stutz, C, Wichita State
Henry Sims, C, Georgetown
Mitchell Watt, F, Buffalo