Good morning, sports fans. For years, the Eastern-Murray State game has been the big one, but this season the rivalry has lost some of its luster.

For the last three years, the men’s basketball games between the two teams have been one of the most intense match-ups in the Ohio Valley Conference, but now it’s like the new car that you bought one year ago.

There is really only one player of superstar caliber in Eastern’s Henry Domercant, to go along with some players from Murray State, like junior Chris Shumate and senior Justin Burdine. Both players are the catalysts for the Racer offense.

The Panthers, however, are still looking for a way to get out of the ‘give the ball to Henry and get out of the way’ offense. What has disappeared this season are the legendary match-ups of players that made this rivalry great.

Those of you who have been here for a while will remember Murray State’s Isaac Spencer and Aubrey Reese, who for two years torched the Panthers and ended their season.

And I’m sure all of you recall how Kyle Hill finally got the monkey off of Eastern’s back last season.

In the last two or three seasons, even the secondary players were extraordinary with Murray’s Rod Murray and Ray Cunningham, and Eastern’s Matt Britton and Marc Polite.

These were the games that legends are made of. Games that were back and forth on the scoreboard almost always came down to the final seconds. Sure, there were a few blowouts, but even those were divided equally between the two teams

Back in the day there was so much more hype for Thursday’s game. But this time it is very ho-hum. Maybe it has something to do with Eastern playing Benedictine on Monday.