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BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Belmont has been picked to win the 2019-20 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball title in a preseason poll of the head coaches and sports information directors.
The Bruins earned 234 points, including 14 first-place votes, while UT Martin earned 227 points and nine first place votes for a second-place predicted finish. Tennessee Tech picked up the final first-place vote and 203 points to finish third while Austin Peay (151) and Jacksonville State (147) round out the top five. Southeast Missouri earned 139 points for a sixth-place predicted order of finish followed by Morehead State (117), Murray State (108), SIUE (99), Eastern Illinois (76), Tennessee State (53) and Eastern Kentucky (30).
Belmont is coming off a season in which it went 26-7 overall and 16-2 in the OVC to capture its third straight OVC regular-season title. The Bruins earned the top seed in the OVC Tournament and defeated UT Martin, 59-53, in the championship final to win its fourth straight tourney crown. Belmont made its fifth NCAA appearance, falling to South Carolina in the first round. Bart Brooks, who is in his second year at the helm of the Bruins, will have a trio of starters back from last year's team. The 2019-20 OVC Preseason Player of the Year senior forward Ellie Harmeyer, senior guard Maura Muensterman and senior forward Maddie Wright will all be returning this season. Harmeyer (Kenosha, Wis.) ranked among the league leaders in points (16.5 ppg), rebounds (8.9), field goal percentage (47.3%) and free throw percentage (80.0%) last year. Muensterman (Evansville, Ind.), who was named to the Preseason All-OVC team, finished the season with 8.9 points per game and a 42.3 field goal percentage. Wright (Chattanooga, Tenn.) was also a Preseason All-OVC selection after recording 9.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 2018-19.
UT Martin went 23-9 overall and 13-5 in the OVC to finish in a tie for second place. The Skyhawks earned the third seed in the OVC Tournament and fell to Belmont in the finals. Kevin McMillan enters his 11th year at the helm of UT Martin and will have four starters among 12 players returning from last season. Junior forward Chelsey Perry (Middleton, Tenn.) and junior forward Maddie Waldrop (Murray, Ky.) will be back on the court for the Skyhawks this year. Perry, who was named to the Preseason All-OVC team, is the team's top returning scorer after recording 12.0 points per game last year. She also ranked among league leaders with a 44.9 field goal percentage. Waldrop also earned Preseason All-OVC team honors after recording 8.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season.
Tennessee Tech finished in fourth place last season after going 22-11 overall and 12-6 in the league. The Golden Eagles earned the fourth seed in the OVC Tournament where they made it to the semifinals before falling to top-seeded Belmont. Kim Rosamand, who was named the 2018-19 OVC Coach of the Year, enters her fourth season at the helm of Tech and will have three starters among nine letter winners returning from last year. Junior guard Jordan Brock (Harlan, Ky.) and junior guard Kesha Brady (Smyrna, Tenn.) are among the starters back. Brock, who was named to the Preseason All-OVC Team, ranked among league leaders with 11.5 points per game and a 38.2 three-point field goal percentage. Brady finished the year fourth in the league with an 85.3 free throw-percentage while ranking second on the team with 10.2 points per game.
The 2019-20 regular-season beings on Nov. 5 with Conference play starting Jan. 2. Ten different teams have won a regular-season title with Tennessee Tech leading the way with 18.
2019-20 All-OVC Preseason Women's Basketball Team
The 2019-20 Preseason All-OVC team is headlined by Belmont senior forward Ellie Harmeyer who was named the Preseason Player of the Year.
The preseason squad features student-athletes from seven different teams. Belmont leads the way with three selections. UT Martin had two picks while Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Murray State, Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech each had one selection.
Harmeyer was an All-OVC First Team pick last season. The Kenosha, Wis., native is the league's top returning rebounder after bringing down 8.9 boards per game to rank third in the OVC last year. She was fifth in the OVC with 16.5 points per game and ninth with a 47.3 field goal percentage. Harmeyer made 80 percent of her free throw attempts to rank ninth in the league.
Earning Preseason All-Conference team honors this year after being named to the All-OVC First Team last season are: Tennessee State junior guard Jordan Brock (11.5 ppg, 38.2 3-point FG%); Southeast Missouri junior guard Tesia Thompson (18.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg).
UT Martin junior forward Chelsey Perry (12.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg); and Murray State sophomore guard Macey Turley (12.9 ppg, 4.3 apg) were both named to the Preseason All-OVC team after earning All-Conference second team honors a year ago.
Rounding out the preseason squad are: Belmont senior guard Maura Muensterman (8.9 ppg, 42.3 FG%) and senior forward Maddie Wright (9.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Austin Peay junior forward Arielle Gonzalez-Varner (12.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg); Eastern Illinois junior guard Karle Pace (13.9 ppg, 42.0 FG%); and UT Martin junior forward Maddie Waldrop (8.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg)
2019-20 OVC Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
(Selected by OVC Head Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
1. Belmont (14 first-place votes) - 234
2. UT Martin (Nine first-place votes) - 227
3. Tennessee Tech (One first-place vote) - 203
4. Austin Peay - 151
5. Jacksonville State - 147
6. Southeast Missouri - 139
7. Morehead State - 117
8. Murray State - 108
9. SIUE - 99
10. Eastern Illinois - 76
11. Tennessee State - 53
12. Eastern Kentucky - 30
(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. 11 points awarded for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
2019-20 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Team
(Selected by OVC Head Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
Jordan Brock, Tennessee Tech
Arielle Gonzalez-Varner, Austin Peay
Ellie Harmeyer, Belmont
Maura Muensterman, Belmont
Karle Pace, Eastern Illinois
Chelsey Perry, UT Martin
Tesia Thompson, Southeast Missouri
Macey Turley, Murray State
Maddie Waldrop, UT Martin
Maddie Wright, Belmont
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Ellie Harmeyer, Belmont