SAN JOSE, Calif. – In a somber locker room where Murray State players exchanged consoling hugs and uttered few words, nobody experienced the stark contrast between Thursday's elation and Saturday's disappointment more vividly than Danero Thomas.  The senior forward had been the hero of the first-round upset of fourth-seeded Vanderbilt, hitting the buzzer-beating jumper that sent the Racers to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1988.  On Saturday, though, Thomas went scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting in 26 minutes, grabbing seven rebounds in a 54-52 loss to Butler. He credited the Bulldogs' defense with doubling-down quickly on him when he got the ball.  "It's basketball. Some games you're on, some games you're not,'' Thomas said of the emotional swing he experienced in three days. "You just have to deal with it and move on to the next one.''  There won't be a next college game for Thomas, one of three seniors on the team along with forward Tony Easley and center Georges Fotso. Thomas found solace in the belief he's leaving the program in better shape than when he arrived.  Murray State was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006, the season before Thomas' freshman year.  "We were still building when I first got here,'' he said. "They have a great chance to get back next year. They have everybody coming back except me, Tony and Georges. They have good leadership in Isaac (Miles), B.J. (Jenkins) and all the rest of the guys.''  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Murray State's Thomas goes from zenith to nadir in short while - Campus Rivalry: College Football & Basketball News, Recruiting, Game Picks, and More - USATODAY.com