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Murray State has been playing basketball for well over a half-century, but each of its 5 winningest seasons have occurred during the past 2 decades under a quartet of coaches (Billy Kennedy/Steve Prohm/Mark Gottfried/Mick Cronin). Brand-new Racers head coach Matt McMahon will try to continue building the legacy this year, but after losing each of the team’s top-3 scorers from last year he will have to depend on seniors such as Jeffery Moss. Fortunately, Moss finished last season as the best FT shooter on the team and was also 1 of the top 3-PT shooters in the conference. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jeffery about playing for a new coach and turning 22.
In January 2014 you tied a school record by making all 14 of your FTs in a win over Tennessee-Martin: what is your secret for making FTs? You just have to take your time and focus on the basket.
A few weeks later you made your 1st 8 shots en route to a career-high 31 PTS (7-9 3PM) in a win over Tennessee Tech: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I guess you could say that. I credit my teammates for setting good screens for me and my PG for finding me, then I just knocked down my shots.
In the 2014 CIT title game you scored 9 PTS in an 8-PT win over Yale: what did it mean to you to win a title? It felt really good. We only had 1 senior (Dexter Fields) and we wanted to win it for him so that he could go out as a champion. We came together and did it for him.
Last year your 48.7 3P% was #5 in the OVC: what is the key to making shots from behind the arc? You just need to get up reps every day during practice and get in the gym outside of practice. It also helps if both you and your teammates have confidence in you.
In the 2013 OVC tourney you scored 5 PTS in a 2-PT OT loss to Belmont, and in the 2015 OVC tourney you scored 12 PTS in a 1-PT loss to Belmont: how sick are you of seeing the Bruins every March?! We just had letdowns as a team and it cost us both times, so you have to give credit to Belmont.
In the 2015 NIT you scored 12 PTS in a 3-PT loss to ODU: how close did you come to winning the game, and what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this year? I learned that you have to play all 40 minutes. Anything is possible in the final seconds…as we learned when we lost on a buzzer-beater from half-court.
You have a new coach this year in Matt McMahon: how difficult has the transition been, and what is he like so far? It has been easy for the returning players. He has coached me for the past few years as an assistant and is easy to play for: we just go out and play our hardest.
You lost each of your top-3 scorers from last year (Cameron Payne/Jarvis Williams/TJ Sapp): how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? I do not feel any pressure at all. I played with those guys for 2 years and I was the 1 to give them advice when they were here, so I just need to step up and help our guys out by being more vocal.
You turned 22 last weekend: what did you do for the big day? We had an off-day, but I just went to the gym and then rested up for practice on Monday.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? As a team we want to get better every day, win our division, and then try to get over the hump by winning the OVC tourney and making it to the NCAA tourney.