THE LATEST LINE: MURRAY ST. PROVES TO BE CLASS OF OVC

That Murray State's Racers dominated Ohio Valley Conference basketball this season is really no surprise to anybody who saw the extremely talented Racers play.

What will probably come as a surprise to most people is if the Racers don't at least give somebody a major scare -- if not even win a game -- in the NCAA Tournament.

To most of the country, the Racers are a well-kept secret, although they did claim impressive non-conference victories over Arkansas, Dayton and Iowa State.

But Murray is certainly no secret to the OVC's coaches, who have been singing the Racers' praise all season -- and would like nothing better than to see them win an NCAA tourney game or two. What a boost for the conference that would be.

And it could happen, because the Racers are certainly talented enough to do it. But, despite a 29-3 record, Murray still won't be among the higher seeds and figures to face one of the nation's traditional `name' programs right off the bat.

But, unlike in years past -- when the OVC champion is generally a 14 or 15 seed -- the Racers figure to be somewhere in the 11 or 12 range when the NCAA bracket is revealed today, meaning they at least won't have to face one of the country's super-powers in the first round.

Murray, which has been the OVC's dominant team for the past decade, has had some pretty good NCAA showings in the past.

Who can forget the upset of North Carolina State and near-upset of eventual champion Kansas in 1988? Or last year's three-point loss to Duke?

This Murray team is believed to be one of the most talented in the history of the OVC.

So who knows what kind of havoc the Racers might wreak on the rest of the NCAA field.

For anybody who followed OVC basketball this year, it's going to be fun to find out.

* Congratulations to the area prep basketball teams that are still playing, led by Jackson's Lady Indians, who will be making a fourth straight trip to the Class 4A Final Four in Columbia. What a dynasty Ron Cook and his girls have going in Jackson.

Notre Dame's girls, Scott City's boys, Delta's boys and Scott County Central's girls also deserve big pats on the back for winning district titles.

Special congrats to Delta's Bobcats and coach Nate Crowden, who played on the Bobcats' last district title team in 1976. The Bobcats broke a long district drought last week.

And how about the job Derek McCord continues to do at Scott City. The Rams were one of the area's perennially mediocre (at best) basketball teams until McCord took over seven years ago.

But he gradually pumped up interest in the sport and now the Rams have won three straight district titles. And most of the town is absolutely crazy about the team.

* Former Meridian (Ill.) High hoop star Wes Goldsmith, a senior at Central Methodist College, has been named first-team all-Heart of America Conference.

Goldsmith will compete with his team in the upcoming NAIA Division II national tournament.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian