Southeast Missouri State men's basketball game at Murray State earns spot on national TV

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will get a dose of national television exposure next month.

It was announced Wednesday that the Redhawks' Feb. 2 game at nationally ranked Murray State has been selected for telecast by ESPNU as part of the Ohio Valley Conference's television package. The contest will tip off at 7 p.m. in Murray, Ky.

When the OVC released its ESPN basketball schedule in early October, three "wild card" dates were left open where the game to be aired would not be selected until 21 days before the contest. That assured an attractive matchup instead of having to determine the full schedule a month before the season began.

"It's great for our program and our university to be on national television," said Southeast coach Dickey Nutt, whose squad last appeared on national TV when a game during the 2009-10 season aired on ESPNU. "It's tremendous exposure for us."

Murray State, 16-0 overall and a first-place 4-0 in OVC play, entered the week as one of three unbeaten Division I men's teams.

The Racers are rated 14th and 15th in the two major national polls, their highest-ever ranking and the highest for an OVC squad since former league member Western Kentucky was No. 7 in March of 1971.

Southeast (8-8, 3-1) is tied for third place in the OVC and off to its best conference start since the 1999-2000 season.

Murray State's game at SIUE on Jan. 21 recently was selected for the first of the OVC's three televised wild card games.

The final wild card date is Feb. 23. That matchup has not yet been decided.