When Megan Murphy, psychology sophomore and forward for the women’s basketball team, set foot on the IUS campus she knew she had found the place she wanted to spend her next four years. Murphy is from Bloomington and is further from her hometown than any other player on the IUS women’s basketball team.

“I liked the campus and how it was a smaller school setting,” Murphy said.

Murphy said she viewed going away for college as a benefit IU Southeast offered because it gave her the opportunity to meet new people.

“It is nice living on campus,” Murphy said. “A few of the other players do also, and my parents can still come to the games.”

Murphy’s parents make the drive from Bloomington to attend all of her home basketball games.

The chance to play for the Grenadiers happened when head coach Robin Farris was scouting one of her teammates during her junior year at Bloomington South High School and discovered her basketball talents.

“I liked coach Farris,” Murphy said. “He seemed like he knew what he was doing and he offered a scholarship.”

The decision to offer Murphy a scholarship has seemed to be a good one for the Grenadiers. In two years, Murphy has started most of her games for the Grenadiers and has played a major role in helping her team go undefeated in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games in her two years.

“I just busted my butt when I got here and played hard,” Murphy said. “Coach liked my hard work and my hustle.”

Murphy played the best game of her freshman season in the biggest game of the year in the KIAC conference championship game against Ashbury. The win propelled her team into the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

Emily Conklin, pre-nursing sophomore and guard on the women’s basketball team, said Murphy is someone the team can depend on and is the ultimate team player.

“She wants everyone on the team to do well,” Conklin said. “She cheers us all on with a positive attitude.”

Murphy said the goals for her season this year is to repeat as conference champions and go to the national tournament again.

“I want to be able to play my best and keep playing my best,” Murphy said.

With the benefits playing basketball at IU Southeast can bring to its players, Murphy said at times it can be hard managing school and basketball during the season.

“The hardest part is when we have away games and you have homework that you have to do, so we have to finish it on the bus on the ride home,” Murphy said. “You just have to have time management.”

Even though the away games can be hard for the players to keep up with their school work, Murphy said it is also one of the best times for her and her teammates.

“It’s a lot of fun going on the away trips with the team,” Murphy said. “We have fun staying at the different hotels on the road trips.”

Murphy said two of the main differences between high school and college basketball are longer road trips and the intensity and competition.

Murphy’s basketball career started when she was only 4 years old. Murphy’s father, Jim Murphy, played college basketball in Missouri and Alabama. He got his daughter to start playing basketball early in her life.

Besides playing basketball, Murphy said she enjoys spending her spare time taking fishing trips to Monroe County Lake and Boggs Lake in Indiana
Murphy said she also enjoys going on outings with her teammates that do not involve basketball.

“We go bowling and go to each other’s apartments and eat dinner together,” Murphy said.

When Murphy is finished at IU Southeast she said she hopes to start into a career path that involves working with children.

“I love being around kids,” Murphy said.

Murphy said she would also like to become a high school basketball coach.