MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – In 1971, Middle Tennessee State College – before it was Middle Tennessee State University – started construction on a brand new, 11,500-seat basketball arena to house the Blue Raiders' budding men's basketball program (the women's program didn't start until 1975).
To help make the first year in their new home the grandest it could be, legendary MT coach Jimmy Earle knew he had to have a terrific recruiting class for the 1971-72 season. That way, when the freshmen from that class were ready to join the varsity squad in 1972-73 – freshmen weren't allowed to play varsity in their first year at that time – they'd be primed for the first season in the new arena.