• OVC Men's Basketball Report - January 6 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Tuesday, January 7
Middle Tennessee
at Tennessee State, 7:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Wednesday, January 8
*Murray State at Eastern Kentucky, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Thursday, January 9
*Belmont at Southeast Missouri, 7:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Eastern Illinois at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*SIUE at Jacksonville State, 7:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Saturday, January 11
*Belmont at UT Martin, 4:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Eastern Illinois at Jacksonville State, 4:30 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri, 5:30 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Eastern Kentucky at Morehead State, 6:30 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Austin Peay at Murray State, 7:30 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*SIUE at Tennessee Tech, 7:30 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
adidas® OVC Players of the Week
PLAYER
Glenn Cosey, G • Sr., 6-0, 182 • Flint, Mich. • Eastern Kentucky
Cosey tied the OVC single-game record by making 10 3-pointers in a victory at Eastern Illinois last Thursday. Cosey made his first four attempts before missing, then hit his next six attempts before missing his last shot to finish the game 10-of-12 from long range. The senior finished the game with a career-high 34 points while also dishing out six assists, netting two steals and not committing a turnover in 34 minutes of action. He finished the week with 23 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal in a road loss at SIUE. For the week Cosey averaged 28.5 points, 5.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals/game while hitting 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field, 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from 3-point range and 80 percent (8-of-10) from the free throw line. Cosey ranks first in the OVC in 3-pointers made/game (3.6), second in free throw percentage (88.0%), third in scoring (20.0 points/game), fourth in 3-point percentage (43.9%) and fifth in assists (4.7/game).
Others Nominated: Chris Horton, Austin Peay; Sherman Blanford, Eastern Illinois; Chad Posthumus, Morehead State; Cameron Payne, Murray State; Jarekious Bradley, Southeast Missouri; Donivine Stewart, SIUE; Myles Taylor, UT Martin.
NEWCOMER
Jarvis Williams, F • Jr., 6-8, 210 • Macon, Ga. • Murray State
Williams helped Murray State to a pair of victories last week by averaging 18.0 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks/game while hitting 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the field. Williams recorded double-doubles in each game to increase his season total to six, which is tied for fourth in the OVC. Williams had 16 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in the team’s victory over Southeast Missouri and added 20 points, 15 rebounds and a block in a victory over UT Martin. The 18 rebounds are the second-most by an OVC player in a game this season. The transfer from Gordon State College is second in the OVC in rebounding (10.9/game), third in blocks (1.6/game), eighth in field goal percentage (58.9%) and 12th in scoring (13.7 points/game).
Others Nominated: Damarius Smith, Austin Peay; Chris Olivier, Eastern Illinois; Jarekious Bradley, Southeast Missouri; Donivine Stewart, SIUE; Marshun Newell, UT Martin.
FRESHMAN
Cameron Payne, G • Fr., 6-2, 175 • Bartlett, Tenn. • Murray State
Payne helped Murray State to a 2-0 start in OVC play by averaging 25.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals/game while hitting 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the field, 57.9 percent (11-of-19) from 3-point range and 81.8 percent (9-of-11) from the free throw line. Payne set career scoring highs in each contest, scoring 23 points in an 82-75 victory over Southeast Missouri and 27 points in a 91-77 victory over UT Martin. Against the Redhawks Payne hit 5-of-9 3-pointers on his way to 23 points while also pulling down six rebounds, dishing out five assists, netting three steals and blocking a shot. His 3-pointer with 4:29 left to play gave the Racers the lead for good. Against UT Martin Payne hit 6-of-10 3-pointers on his way to 27 points while also pulling down five rebounds, dishing out five assists and netting a steal. Payne ranks eighth in the OVC in scoring (14.7 points/game) and fourth in assists (5.5/game). It marks the third time this season he has been named OVC Freshman of the Week.
Others Nominated: Evan Bradds, Belmont.
Notes From Around the League
OVC Overview/This Week’s Highlights: OVC play got underway full force last week with every team beginning its league schedule...After the first full week there are four teams who are currently undefeated at 2-0 (Austin Peay, Belmont, Morehead State and Murray State), two from each division...Eastern Kentucky senior Glenn Cosey tied the OVC single-game 3-pointers made record by connecting on 10-of-12 3-pointers in a victory over Eastern Illinois last week; Cosey ranks first in the OVC in 3-pointers made/game (3.6), third in scoring (20.0 points/game) and fourth in 3-point percentage (43.9%)...The OVC currently has three players (Chad Posthumus, Jarvis Williams and Chris Horton) who rank in the Top 14 nationally in rebounding; the OVC in the only conference to have three players in the top 14 of that stat category.
Cosey Ties OVC Single-Game 3-Pointers Made Record: Eastern Kentucky senior
Glenn Cosey tied the OVC single-game record for 3-pointers made against Eastern Illinois on January 2. Cosey made 10-of-12 3-point attempts on his way to 34 points. The 10 made 3-pointers tied the record also held by EIU’s Marc Polite (set in the 1999-00 season against Arkansas State). The 10 made 3-pointers are the second most by a Division I player this season (Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter had 12 on Dec. 22).
Rebounding: The OVC currently features three of the top 14 rebounders in Division I basketball as Morehead State’s
Chad Posthumus ranks second (12.4/game), Murray State’s
Jarvis Williams is sixth (10.9/game) and Austin Peay’s
Chris Horton is 14th (10.2/game). The OVC is the only Conference with three players in the Top 14 nationally (the only other league with two players in the Top 14 is the Mountain West).
OVC in the NCAA Statistical Rankings: In the latest NCAA statistical rankings (Jan. 6), Eastern Kentucky ranked third nationally in turnover margin (+7.3/game), sixth in steals (10.1/game), eighth in 3-pointers made/game (9.6) and 20th in turnovers/game (10.1). Morehead State ranks 15th in rebounding margin (+8.4/game) while Belmont is 18th in field goal percentage (49.3%) and Southeast Missouri is 24th in scoring offense (82.1 points/game). Individually Morehead State’s
Chad Posthumus is second in rebounding (12.4/game) and third in double-doubles (9) while Murray State’s
Jarvis Williams is sixth in rebounding (10.9/game). Austin Peay’s
Chris Horton is seventh in double-doubles (8), 12th in field goal percentage (61.3%), 14th in rebounding (10.2/game) and 16th in blocked shots (3.19/game). Eastern Kentucky’s
Glenn Cosey is eighth in 3-pointers made/game (3.6), 29th in 3-point percentage (43.9%) and 34th in scoring (20.0/game). Southeast Missouri’s
Jarekioius Bradley is 17th in scoring (21.3 points/game) while Tennessee State’s
Patrick Miller is 10th in minutes played/game (37:11/game).
Kelly Nets 40 Points, 1 of 5 40-Plus Point Efforts by an OVC Player In Last Decade: When Morehead State senior
Drew Kelly scored 40 points on Dec. 19 against South Dakota, it was one of just five 40-plus point efforts by an OVC player over the last decade (back through the 2004-05 season). It was the most points by a Morehead State player since Ricky Minard scored 43 in the 2002-03 season. Below is a listing of 40-plus point games over the last 10 years.
50 - Kevin Murphy, Tennessee Tech vs. SIUE (1/30/12)
43 - Derek Wright, Austin Peay at Southeast Missouri (1/29/08)
42 - Lester Hudson, UT Martin vs. Tennessee Tech (3/03/09)
41 - Lester Hudson, UT Martin at Central Arkansas (12/31/08)
40 - Drew Kelly, Morehead State vs. South Dakota (12/19/13)
Two OVC Players Announced as Nominees for Allstate NABC Good Works Team: Eastern Kentucky’s
Deverin Muff and Tennessee State’s
Patrick Miller have been announced as nominees for the Allstate NABC Good Works Team. The award recognizes a select group of college basketball student-athletes who have made significant contributions to the greater good of their communities through volunteerism and civic service. The pair are two of 117 men’s nominees from which two 10-member teams will be selected later this year.
Wins Over Top 25 Teams By OVC Teams: Belmont’s win over No. 11 North Carolina on Nov. 17 was the first for an OVC team in non-conference play since Murray State (ranked No. 14 at the time) beat No. 16 Saint Mary’s at home on Feb. 18, 2012. It was the first road victory over a Top 25 team since the Racers topped No. 20 Memphis 76-72 on Dec. 11, 2011. The last time an OVC team beat an opponent ranked 11th or higher was in 1987 when Austin Peay bested No. 11 Illinois in the NCAA Tournament. Here is a look at some recent OVC wins over Top 25 opponents.
Belmont 83, #11 North Carolina 80 (Nov. 17, 2013)
#14 Murray State 65, #16 Saint Mary’s 51 (Feb. 18, 2012)
Murray State 76, #20 Memphis 72 (Dec. 11, 2011)
Morehead State 61, #14 Louisville 61 (March 17, 2011) (NCAA Tournament)
Murray State 66, #21 Vanderbilt 65 (March 18, 2010) (NCAA Tournament)
Murray State, #12 Arkansas (Dec. 25, 1997)
Tennessee Tech, No. 15 Southern Miss (Dec. 6, 1990)
Middle Tennessee 97, #16 Florida State 83 (March 16, 1989) (NCAA Tournament)
Murray State 78, #14 North Carolina State 75 (March 18, 1988) (NCAA Tournament)
Austin Peay 68, #11 Illinois 67 (March 12, 1987) (NCAA Tournament)
CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll: In the December 30 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll (the latest poll had not yet been released), Eastern Kentucky jumped up to 19th while Belmont was ranked 24th. Wichita State picked up 31 first-place votes to be ranked No. 1. Now in its 15th season, the Mid-Major poll is made up of team’s from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC and West Coast. It is voted upon by coaches from those conferences, with one coach per conference casting a vote (Eastern Kentucky’s Jeff Neubauer is the OVC representative).
Eastern Kentucky Ties OVC Single-Game 3-Pointers Made Record: Eastern Kentucky tied the OVC single-game record for 3-pointers made in a game with 20 against Warren Wilson College on Nov. 13. The Colonels were 20-of-39 (51.3%) from 3-point range in the 114-45 victory and tied the record set by Southeast Missouri State a season ago.
Mann Named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com NBCSports.com (Nov. 18): Belmont senior
J.J. Mann was named National Player of the Week by both CBSSports.com and NBCSports.com after leading the Bruins to a 83-80 victory over No. 11 North Carolina on Nov. 17. Mann scored a career-high 28 points, including three 3-pointers in the final 1:02 as Belmont topped its first Top 25 team since December 2003. Mann scored 11 of Belmont’s final 13 points as the team overcame an eight-point deficit with 2:37 to play. He also scored 23 points in a come-from-behind victory over Indiana State earlier in the week. For the week Mann averaged 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals/game.
Two OVC Players Named Candidates for Senior CLASS Award: Two OVC men’s basketball student-athletes have been named candidates for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award. The two players are among 30 male candidates nationally considered for the award (UT Martin’s Heather Butler is one of 30 female candidates for the award as well). The OVC selections were Belmont guard
J.J. Mann and Tennessee Tech forward
Dennis Ogbe. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four® and NCAA Women’s Final Four®. Each of the 30 candidate classes will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplify excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
OVC Enters Season Having Won a Game in Four of Past Five NCAA Tournaments: Despite not winning a game in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the OVC has won a NCAA Tournament game in four of the past five years. The four-year winning streak came to an end last season, as the OVC had been one of just nine conferences (3 non-BCS) to win a game from 2009-12.
OVC Tournament Once Again at Municipal Auditorium: The 2014 OVC Tournament will be once again be played at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. (March 5-8). It marks the fourth-straight year the tournament has been at the venue and the ninth time the combined men’s and women’s tournaments have been held at the venue (1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013); the men’s tournament was also held there in 1967. Beginning in 2011 the Championship switched to a format where the top eight men’s and women’s teams play in the merit-based format. The No. 1 and 2 seeds received two byes to the semifinals while the No. 3 and 4 seeds received one bye into the quarterfinals. The first round included the No. 5 seed against the No. 8 seed and the No. 6 seed against the No. 7 seed. As part of the deal to host the tournament at Municipal Auditorium, the Nashville City Council and Municipal Auditorium committed $200,000 to improvements at the venue, which opened in 1962. Among the major improvements included upgrades to the dressing rooms, two new scoreboards and the new OVC-branded playing surface. The floor was built by Horner Sports Flooring, whose corporate headquarters are in Dollar Bay, Mich. The company has made floors for many collegiate and National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, including building the floor for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game which was held at Texas Stadium.
Loos is All-Time Winningest Coach in OVC History; Byrd Ranks 8th Among Active NCAA Coaches: With a 68-66 victory at Ohio on Dec. 9, 2009, Austin Peay head coach
Dave Loos recorded his 320th career victory while in the OVC, a mark that ranks first all-time. Loos passed Cal Luther (319 wins at Murray State and UT Martin) for the all-time mark. Loos, the Dean of OVC coaches, is now in his 24th year at Austin Peay. Loos now has 379 victories in his tenure at Austin Peay and 461 for his career (which ranks him 28th among Division I head coaches). Belmont head coach
Rick Byrd (who is in his second year in the OVC) has 673 career victories, which ranks eighth among active Division I head coaches (who recently passed John Wooden’s 669 wins on the all-time list). Loos and Byrd are two of just seven active Division I coaches to have coached at the same school for 20 or more years (the others are Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Oakland’s Greg Kampe, Coppin State’s Fang Mitchell and Davidson’s Bob McKillop.
Former OVC Players in the NBA: Entering the 2013-14 season there are four former OVC players on NBA rosters. Former Morehead State All-American
Kenneth Faried was the No. 22 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and is in his third season with the Denver Nuggets. Faried was a two-time OVC Player of the Year, three-time OVC Defensive Player of the Year and set the NCAA Modern Era (since 1973) Rebounding record during his career. Faried was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2012 and was the MVP of the Rising Stars Game in 2013. The other three players are all rookies this season, including former Murray State All-American
Isaiah Canaan, former Belmont All-American
Ian Clark and former Tennessee State standout
Robert Covington. Canaan and Covington are teammates with the Houston Rockets (Canaan was drafted in the second round while Covington signed a free agent deal) while Clark signed a free agent deal with the Utah Jazz. Covington is currently playing with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBDL, making him one of three total OVC players in that league. The others are Jacksonville State’s
Nick Murphy (Tulsa 66ers) and TSU’s
Kellen Thornton (Idaho Stampede).
The 2013-14 Season: The 2013-14 season marks the 66th of competition in the OVC. Over the previous 65 years, 13 different teams have claimed an OVC regular season championship.
Southeast Missouri’s Stone Tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year: The 2013-14 All-OVC Preseason Men’s Basketball team was headlined by Southeast Missouri State senior
Tyler Stone, who was named the Preseason Player of the Year. Overall seven different schools were represented on the team with Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky and Southeast Missouri having two selections apiece while Belmont, Jacksonville State, Tennessee State and UT Martin had one selection each to round out the team. The squad features two players who were All-OVC first or second-team selections last season and three players who were selected to the All-Newcomer squad. The team is comprised of seven seniors and three juniors. Last season Stone ranked eighth in the OVC in scoring (15.5 points/game), fifth in rebounding (7.8/game) and blocked shots (1.3/game) and 12th in field goal percentage (49.2%) while leading Southeast Missouri to a winning overall record and berth in the OVC Tournament quarterfinals. Other selections to the Preseason All-OVC team were Tennessee State’s
Patrick Miller, Austin Peay’s
Travis Betran and
Will Triggs, Eastern Kentucky’s
Glenn Cosey and
Corey Walden, Belmont’s
J.J. Mann, Southeast Missouri’s
Nino Johnson, UT Martin’s
Myles Taylor and Jacksonville State’s
Brian Williams.
Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, Murray State Picked as OVC Preseason Favorites: In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors Eastern Kentucky has been picked the favorites in the East Division while Murray State and Southeast Missouri State were tabbed co-favorites in the West Division in the OVC for 2013-14. Eastern Kentucky picked up 18 of a possible 24 first-place votes (schools were not allowed to vote for themselves) and a total of 128 points to lead all vote getting. The Colonels were followed in the East by defending OVC champion Belmont, who picked up the remaining six first-place votes and 116 total points. The East Division voting was rounded out by Morehead State (74 points), Jacksonville State (72), Tennessee State (60) and Tennessee Tech (42). The top of the West Division was shared by Southeast Missouri and defending West Champions Murray State. The Redhawks received 13 first-place votes while the Racers picked up the remaining 11 to both finish with 117 total points. The West was rounded out by Austin Peay (90 points), UT Martin (66), Eastern Illinois (58) and SIUE (44).
Westwood One Sports to Broadcast OVC Championship Game: For the fifth consecutive season, the 2014 Men’s Basketball Championship game will be broadcast by the Westwood One Sports radio network, the largest provider of audio content in America. Westwood One Sports is the largest independent national audio media company in the U.S., delivering compelling, engaging, and fully-integrated audio content to over 8,200+ radio stations and digital media companies. Westwood One’s powerful portfolio of iconic media, sports and entertainment brands, combined with some of the most recognized live events in the world, provide strong and unique brand engagement to over 225 million consumers each week.
OVC Digital Network: The OVC launched the OVC Digital Network (OVCDN) in August 2012. The OVCDN is the exclusive home for live web streamed athletic contests involving OVC schools. This marks the eighth year the OVC has streamed live events, but the second year the events will be offered free of charge and in an HD format and will feature improved quality thanks to an investment in new equipment conference-wide. Fans will also find it easier to log onto
OVCDigitalNetwork.com and access the streams and can do so without any registration. The events will be available on any computer, tablet or smart phone without needing any special downloads or apps thanks new streaming technology.
Team Notes
Austin Peay: Austin Peay played three games last week, topping Dalton State in non-conference play before opening OVC action with victories over UT Martin and Southeast Missouri...It marks the first 2-0 start in Conference play since the 2010-11 season...The team’s current three-game overall winning streak is the longest since the team won three-straight late in the 2011-12 season...The 93-57 victory over Dalton State was the 350th for the program at the Dunn Center and also snapped a three-game overall losing streak...The Govs then topped UT Martin 81-68 and knocked off preseason OVC West Division favorite Southeast Missouri 80-74 as they turned a 48-41 deficit with 16:29 to play into a 65-52 lead just 8:30 later thanks to a 24-4 run...Sophomore Chris Horton averaged 14.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.0 blocks/game last week and is now in the top 16 nationally in each double-doubles (7th), field goal percentage (12th), rebounding (14th) and blocked shots (16th)...Horton had a school record eight blocks against UT Martin...Point guard Damarius Smith had 28 assists (9.3/game) in the three games including 10 against the Redhawks; it marked the third time this season he has had 10 or more assists in a game and he currently leads the OVC and ranks 20th nationally in assists (6.1/game)...In both OVC games last week APSU shot 50 percent or better from the field and have now scored 80 or more points in three-straight and four of its last five games...The Govs rank first in the OVC in field goal defense (44.0%) and blocked shots (5.7/game)...Austin Peay will play just once this week, traveling to rival Murray State for a Saturday evening contest.
Belmont: Belmont shook off a rough December that saw they play five-straight road games, all against opponents who played in the postseason a year ago by winning a pair of games at home (its first home contests since Dec. 1)...The Bruins topped Jacksonville State 78-67 and Tennessee Tech by a 64-62 margin...Belmont is now 16-2 in OVC play over the past two seasons...In the victory over JSU, the Bruins shot 64.3 percent from the field, establishing a new Curb Event Center record...Freshman Evan Bradds averaged 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists/game while hitting 43.8 percent from the field in the two contests; Bradds has tallied double figures in seven of his last eight games and ranks third in the OVC in field goal percentage (64.5%)...Guard Craig Bradshaw had 18 points against the Gamecocks and added 17 against the Golden Eagles; Bradshaw hit 5-of-9 (55.6%) 3-pointers during the week and also had four assists and four steals...Senior J.J. Mann ranks first in the OVC and 26th nationally in free throw percentage (89.1%)...The Bruins lead the OVC in field goal percentage (49.3%), 3-point percentage (49.3%) and assists (15.8/game); nationally the team’s field goal percentage ranks 18th...This week Belmont will play its first OVC road games of the year as they face Southeast Missouri on Thursday and UT Martin on Saturday.
Eastern Illinois: Eastern Illinois dropped a pair of Conference contests last week, losing at home to Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State to fall to 1-2 in OVC play...Senior Sherman Blanford averaged 18.0 points and 6.5 rebounds/game last week including scoring a career-high 23 points in the loss to EKU; in that contest he was 8-of-12 from the floor and a perfect 7-of-7 at the charity stripe...Through three OVC games this season Blanford leads the team with averages of 17 points and seven rebounds/game...Newcomer Reggie Smith averaged 19 points/game last week while also dishing out nine total assists and netting three steals...EIU was 37-for-44 from the foul line against Eastern Kentucky, breaking the Lantz Arena record for made free throws (the team made 35 in a game against St. Joseph’s on Dec. 16, 1978); the 37 made free throws are the second-most by an OVC team this season and the 14th-most nationally in a game...The Panthers rank second in the OVC in blocks (5.6/game)...Eastern Illinois will play its first Conference road contests of the year this week when they travel to Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State.
Eastern Kentucky: Eastern Kentucky began OVC play with a 100-81 victory at Eastern Illinois before dropping a 85-79 decision at SIUE on Saturday...In that game a 14-2 run by the Cougars put them ahead by 11 points with 2:33 to go before the Colonels rallied to pull within 81-79 with 1:00 to go, but the team could get no closer, missing its final three 3-point attempts of the game...Glenn Cosey was named OVC Player of the Week after averaging 28.5 points, 5.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals/game while hitting 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field, 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from 3-point range and 80 percent (8-of-10) from the free throw line...In the win over EIU, Cosey tied the OVC single-game record for 3-pointers made in knocking down 10-of-12 attempts on his way to a season-high 34 points and also dishing out six assists...Cosey is currently averaging 20.0 points/game which ranks 34th nationally; he also moved into 10th place on the EKU career 3-pointers made list (134)...As a team EKU ranks third nationally in turnover margin (+7.3/game), sixth in steals (10.1/game), eighth in 3-pointers made/game (9.6) and 20th in turnovers/game (10.1)...Eastern Kentucky will host rival Murray State on Wednesday night; due to changes in scheduling philosophy over the past few years (including switching to divisions last year) this is the first meeting in Richmond between the two teams since December 2, 2010 (a game MSU won 74-72)...EKU has won 21 of its last 22 games at home (with the lone loss being to Belmont last season)...The week also includes a Saturday matchup at Morehead State.
Jacksonville State: Jacksonville State started last week with a 70-65 victory over UT Martin to open OVC play...Despite shooting just 3-of-11 (27.3%) from 3-point range, the Gamecocks forced five more turnovers than they committed in the victory; Darion Rackley led the way with 22 points while Brian Williams added 16 points and six assists...Following New Year’s Day the week ended with two OVC losses as the team fell to 1-2 in OVC play...The Gamecocks were clipped 78-67 by a hot-shooting Belmont squad (who shot a building record 63.8 percent) before falling to Tennessee State by a 70-65 margin on Saturday night...Williams led the team with a 14.5 points/game average, hitting 48 percent from the field while also dishing out five total assists...Rackley led the way against the Bruins, scoring 15 points on 8-of-10 free throw shooting and also dishing out four assists to go along with three steals...In the TSU contest it was junior Avery Moore and D.J. Felder who each came off the bench to lead the team...Moore knocked down three 3-pointers on his way to 13 points while Felder scored 14 points, pulled down six rebounds and blocked a shot...Jacksonville State will host SIUE on Thursday night and Eastern Illinois on Saturday as the team begins a three-game home stand...The Gamecocks are currently 5-1 at Pete Mathews Coliseum this season.
Morehead State: After a non-conference win over Asbury to begin last week, Morehead State started OVC play with two road victories and is one of four OVC teams who are currently undefeated in league play...The Eagles won 70-63 at SIUE and pulled out an 85-77 victory at Eastern Illinois...It marks the third time in the past four seasons that MSU has started 2-0 in league play...Morehead State already has five road victories this season which is more than all of last year (when the team was 4-12)...Senior Chad Posthumus continued to dominate the glass, averaging 14.7 rebounds to go along with 13.7 points/game last week; Posthumus had a career-high 20 rebounds against Asbury and had two double-doubles to increase his OVC-leading total to 9 (which is third nationally)...Posthumus currently ranks second nationally in rebounding (12.4/game), just 0.3 rebounds/game behind UNLV’s Roscoe Smith...Junior Angelo Warner averaged 15.0 points/game in the two OVC contests last week and for the season ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 17.3 points/game including scoring 20 or more points six times this year...The Eagles lead the OVC in rebounding (41.0/game) and rebounding margin (+8.4/game); that turnover margin currently ranks 15th nationally...Morehead State returns home to host in-state rival Eastern Kentucky on Saturday night...That game begins a three-game home stand for the Eagles who are 5-1 at home this season and 65-14 at home (82%) over the past six seasons.
Murray State: After ending the 2013 calendar year with a pair of road losses, Murray State began the 2014 portion of its schedule with a pair of OVC victories...The Racers are now one of four OVC team undefeated in league play...MSU has now started 2-0 in league play for the third-straight season and fourth time in the last five years...Guard Cameron Payne was named OVC Freshman of the Week after averaging 25.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals/game and hitting 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the field, 57.9 percent (11-of-19) and 81.8 percent (9-of-11) at the free throw line; Payne had career-highs in scoring in each game, scoring 23 in a win over Southeast Missouri and 27 in a victory over UT Martin...Payne now has four 20-point games this season and ranks eighth in the OVC in scoring (14.7 points/game) and fourth in assists (5.5/game); he has been named OVC Freshman of the week three times this season...Among freshmen Payne is tied for third nationally in assists/game...Junior Jarvis Williams was named OVC Newcomer of the Week after averaging 18.0 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks/game; Williams had a pair of double-doubles (and now has 6 on the year) and now ranks sixth nationally in rebounding (10.9/game)...Murray State is 6-0 this season when winning the rebounding battle...Murray State will play at Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday night, its first trip to Richmond since Dec. 2, 2010 (due to changes in schedules and a move to divisions in the OVC)...The team then returns home to host rival Austin Peay on Saturday night.
Southeast Missouri: Southeast Missouri got off to a rough start in OVC play, dropping games at Murray State (82-75) and Austin Peay (80-74)...The Redhawks have now lost three games in a row and five of its last six...Junior Jarekous Bradley had another big week in averaging 26.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists/game and hitting 57.6 percent (19-of-33) from the field and 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from 3-point range in two games; Bradley had 22 points at Murray State (including 15 in the first 12 minutes of the second half) and added 30 points at Austin Peay (making him the sixth different OVC player to score 30 or more points in a game this season)...Bradley has led the team in scoring in each of the last four games and leads the OVC and ranks 17th nationally at 21.3 points/game this season...Bradley also ranks second in the OVC in 3-pointers made/game (2.9), fifth in free throw percentage (82.1%), sixth in rebounding (7.4/game) and seventh in 3-point percentage (42.6%)...Auburn transfer Josh Langford, who became eligible at the semester break, scored 17 points off the bench against Murray State...Tyler Stone came off the bench to record his sixth double-double of the season on Saturday, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against APSU; Stone ranks fourth in the OVC in scoring at 17.8 points/game...Southeast Missouri leads the OVC and ranks 24th nationally in scoring offense (82.1 points/game)...Southeast Missouri returns home to host Belmont for the first time at the Show Me Center on Thursday and closes out the week with a home game against Tennessee State.
SIUE: SIUE started Conference play by splitting a pair of games last week, falling 70-63 to Morehead State before upsetting preseason favorite Eastern Kentucky 85-79 on Saturday...Despite trailing by 13 points late in the MSU contest the Cougars rallied with a 9-0 run to trim the margin to 62-60 with 2:39 to play before losing by seven...Donivine Stewart led the team with 17 points in the game while also dishing out three assists, grabbing two rebounds and netting two steals...Against EKU the team shot 58 percent from the field and had four players score in double figures in winning by six points...Stewart once again led the team in scoring (15 points) while Michael Messer added 13, Tim Johnson had 12 and Kris Davis scored 11...For the week Stewart, the transfer from Bradley, averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals/game and hit 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the field...Junior Keaton Jackson leads the OVC with a 72.1 percent field goal percentage and is second in blocked shots (2.3/game)...SIUE will play a pair of road games this week, playing at Jacksonville State on Thursday and at Tennessee Tech on Thursday.
Tennessee State: Tennessee State started last week with a 57-53 home loss to Tennessee Tech but rebounded to score its first Division I victory of the season, a 70-65 win over Jacksonville State...Against JSU the team grabbed a lead around the first media timeout of the game and led the rest of the contest...TSU shot 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from 3-point range on the night, had seven steals and out-rebounded JSU 35-to-28...Senior Patrick Miller led the way with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals...Miller leads the OVC and ranks 10th nationally in minutes played/game (37:11) and also ranks second in the OVC in scoring (20.9 points/game) and sixth in assists (4.3/game) and steals (1.8/game)...M.J. Rhett added eight points and 13 rebounds for the Tigers; Rhett is third in the OVC in double-doubles (7) and ranks fourth in rebounding (9.6/game), a mark that is 24th nationally...The Tigers led the OVC in 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.7%)...Tennessee State steps out of Conference play on Tuesday when they host in-state rival Middle Tennessee...The week concludes with a Saturday contest at Southeast Missouri.
Tennessee Tech: Tennessee Tech opened OVC play by splitting a pair of road games last week, topping Tennessee State (57-53) before narrowly falling at defending OVC champion Belmont (64-62)...In the TSU win, the strong Tech defense was able to limit Patrick Miller to just 13 points (he had entered as the league’s leading scorer at over 20 points/game)...Sophomore Josiah Moore led the way with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting while Dwan Caldwell had 10 and Jeremiah Samarrippas had seven points and six assists...Against Belmont the team trailed by 16 points with under 12 minutes to play but fought back to make it a one possession game late in the contest (64-62) before a late shot attempt and tip-in attempt were just off the mark...Samarrippas had a team-high 16 points in the loss while Dennis Ogbe added 14 points and seven rebounds...The Golden Eagles lead the OVC in rebounding defense (31.8/game) while it ranks second in scoring defense (69.6 points/game), field goal percentage defense (44.3%) and rebounding margin (+5.4/game)...Tennessee Tech begins a three-game home stand with a Thursday night game with Eastern Illinois; the week concludes with a Saturday date with SIUE.
UT Martin: UT Martin dropped three Conference games last week, opening the week with a 70-65 loss at Jacksonville State and following that with an 81-68 loss at Austin Peay and a 91-77 loss at Murray State...Junior Myles Taylor averaged 15.3 points and 9.0 rebounds/game during the week including a 19-point, 14-rebounds performance against APSU; the 14 rebounds were a career-high for Taylor who now has three double-doubles on the season...Junior newcomer Marshun Newell averaged 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists/game while hitting 51.7 percent from the field in the three contests; he had a career-best 21 points to go along with six rebounds at JSU, dished out a career-high seven assists against APSU and tallied 17 points versus the Racers...Terence Smith averaged 14.7 points/game during the week while hitting 50 percent (8-of-16) from 3-point range; he had a team-high 19 points on Sunday at Murray State...The Skyhawks rank second in the OVC in turnover margin (+3.2/game)...UT Martin will play just once this week, hosting Belmont on Saturday afternoon.