Murphy’s Odd Shot Ends Up in Right Place

Even Mark Murphy will admit that his jump shot looks unusual.

Instead of a launching it from above his head, he lets it go with a quick move off his right shoulder.

“When I saw it on tape for the first time, I thought it looked sort of weird too,” Murphy said. “But that’s the way it’s always felt more comfortable to me. I used to shoot a set shot almost the the same way.”

It may be unorthodox, but it has worked for him.

A year ago, Murphy shot 51% from three-point range at Glendale (Ariz.) Community College, averaging 23 points.

But this season?

The move to Cal State Fullerton, and Division I basketball, has been an adjustment.

“It seems like every time I get ready to shoot this season, there’s a guy in my face,” Murphy said. “I expected it to be like that, but it’s taken some time for me to get used to it. The game is a lot quicker, and the defenses are much better in Division I.”

That added pressure has been a factor in Murphy’s early-season shooting.

He’s averaging 11 points, but is shooting only 39% from the field, and 33% from three-point range. He especially struggled in two games, going one of nine from the field against Loyola Marymount and three of 12 against Montana State.

“I know I have a lot of room for improvement,” Murphy said. “But I have confidence in my shooting, and I think it will come around. In the past, I’ve always been fairly consistent, but this year I’ve been more of a streak shooter.”

Titan Coach Bob Hawking has shown confidence in Murphy’s ability.

“Coach just tells me to keep shooting if I miss one,” Murphy said. “He says there’s a good chance the next one is going to go in.”

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When Murphy misses a shot, it’s not for lack of practice.

“He’s a real gym-rat type and spends a lot of time working on his own,” Hawking said.

Murphy said he tries to spend an extra two hours shooting on days when the team practices and at least two when it doesn’t.

“If I don’t get my shots in every day, I don’t feel good,” Murphy said, smiling.

Murphy said he played most of last summer at home in Phoenix, frequently in pickup games with former Arizona star Mike Bibby.

“I think playing with him helped me improve a lot,” Murphy said. “Jason Terry [from Arizona] played there some too, but Bibby was there just about every day. It was fun playing on the same team with him because he’s such a great passer. He’s really strong defensively too, and you feel that if you can play against him, you can play against anyone in college.”

Murphy, who is 6 feet, grew up in Phoenix and had a good career at Moon River High, but he didn’t attract much attention from Division I scouts.

“My high school coach told me they didn’t think I was good enough defensively and not quick enough to play on the Division I level,” Murphy said. “I’ve worked to try to improve on defense.”

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Without any Division I scholarship offers, Murphy decided to play at Grand Canyon, a Division II school, but he spent only one season there before transferring to Glendale.

“My dream still was to play in Division I, and I decided that if I did well at a junior college, I might still have a chance,” Murphy said.

The Titans gave it to him.

“I’m happy at Fullerton,” Murphy said. “I like the offense. It’s not real structured, and it gives you freedom to do some things.”

Murphy normally plays the off-guard, but also takes over at point guard at times when Kenroy Jarrett takes a break.

Murphy and the Titans have only two more nonconference games remaining before the Big West season begins in January, and he hopes the team can regain some of the balance it showed earlier in the season.

“As a team, we need to get the inside and outside games going at the same time,” Murphy said. “It seems like when the big guys are doing well, we’re struggling from outside, and it’s been the other way around at times, too.”

Titan Notes

Monica Almaraz, who was a redshirt last season with the Titan women’s soccer team, is a member of the Mexican national team attempting to qualify for the World Cup. . . . Former Titan baseball player Shane Turner, who managed the San Francisco Giants’ Class A team in San Jose last season, has been named to manage Shreveport in the Texas League next season. . . . Former Titan basketball assistant coach Jeff Dunlap, who played in college at UCLA, is an assistant at Loyola of Chicago this season.