UT Martin has been picked to win the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball title in a preseason poll of the head coaches and sports information directors. The Skyhawks earned 242 points, including 22 first-place votes while
Belmont earned 210 points for a second-place predicted finish.
Southeast Missouri picked up the final two first-place votes and 206 points to finish third while
Tennessee Tech (172) and
Eastern Illinois (157) round out the top five.
Jacksonville State earned 129 points for a sixth-place predicted order of finish followed by
Morehead State (119),
Murray State (106),
Austin Peay (104),
Eastern Kentucky (73),
SIUE (36) and
Tennessee State (29).
UT Martin is coming off a season in which it went 22-10 overall and 16-2 in the OVC to win a share of its sixth OVC regular-season title. The Skyhawks earned the top seed in the OVC Tournament and fell to No. 3 Southeast Missouri, 67-47, in the championship final. UT Martin earned the league's automatic bid to the WNIT for its ninth postseason appearance. The WNIT was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kevin McMillan, who enters his 12th year at the helm of the Skyhawks, will have a pair of All-OVC selections return from last season. The 2020-21 OVC Preseason Player of the Year senior forward
Chelsey Perry and senior forward
Maddie Waldrop will be returning this season. Perry (Middleton, Tenn.) led the league with 23.1 points per game last season while also ranking second in field goal percentage (50.2%) and blocks (2.7 bpg). She recorded 7.9 rebounds per outing to finish fourth in the league. Waldrop, a native of Murray, Ky., ranked among league leaders in points (12.7 ppg), rebounds (7.8 rpg) and field goal percentage (48.6%).
Belmont went 22-9 overall and 16-2 in the OVC to earn a share of the OVC regular-season title. It marked the Bruins fourth straight title. Belmont earned the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament and fell to No. 3 Southeast Missouri, 114-99, in the semifinals.
Bart Brooks enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Bruins. He will have junior guard
Jamilyn Kinney and junior forward
Conley Chinn returning from last year. Kinney (Van Buren, Ark.) earned preseason All-OVC honors after recording 4.1 assists per game to rank 3rd in the OVC last year. She also posted 8.2 points per game and a 39.5 field goal percentage in 2019-20. Chinn, a native of Jackson, Miss., made 48 three pointers last year to rank second on the team. She also had 7.9 points and 4.6 rebounds each time out last season.
Southeast Missouri finished third last season after going 25-7 overall and 14-4 in the OVC. The Redhawks earned the third seed in the OVC Tournament and defeated No. 1 UT Martin, 67-47, in the championship final to win their second title. Southeast Missouri earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rekha Patterson, who was named the OVC Coach of the Year last season, is entering her sixth season at the helm of the Redhawks. She will have preseason All-OVC selection senior guard
Tesia Thompson and junior guard
Taelour Pruitt back from last season. Thompson (Memphis, Tenn.) recorded 19.7 points per game to rank second in the league. She also finished in the top 10 in rebounds (7.7 rpg), field goal percentage (44.1%), assists (3.2 apg) and free throw percentage (77.7%). Pruitt, a native of Arlington, Texas, made 37 three-pointers to rank second on the team. She also recorded 9.6 points per game and a 39.5 field goal percentage.
2020-21 OVC Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. UT Martin (22 first-place votes) - 242
2. Belmont - 210
3. Southeast Missouri (Two first-place votes) - 206
4. Tennessee Tech - 172
5. Eastern Illinois - 157
6. Jacksonville State - 129
7. Morehead State - 119
8. Murray State - 106
9. Austin Peay - 104
10. Eastern Kentucky - 73
11. SIUE - 36
12 Tennessee State - 29
(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. 11 points awarded for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
2020-21 All-OVC Preseason Women's Basketball Team
The 2020-21 Preseason All-OVC team is headlined by UT Martin senior forward
Chelsey Perry who was named the Preseason Player of the Year.
The preseason squad features student-athletes from eight different teams. Eastern Illinois, Murray State and UT Martin lead the way with two selections each. Belmont, Jacksonville State, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri, and Tennessee Tech each had on pick.
Perry was named the OVC Player of the Year and was an All-OVC First Team pick last season. The Middleton, Tenn., native is the league's top returning scorer after she led the OVC with 23.1 points per game in 2019-20. She ranked second in field goal percentage (50.2%) and blocks (2.7). Perry also brought down 7.9 boards per game to rank fourth.
Earning Preseason All-Conference team honors this year after being named to the All-OVC First Team last season are: Eastern Illinois senior guard
Karle Pace (15.0 ppg, 3.2 apg) and sophomore guard
Lariah Washington (11.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg); Murray State junior guard
Macey Turley (16.6 ppg, 4.4 apg); Southeast Missouri senior guard
Tesia Thompson (19.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Tennessee Tech senior guard
Kesha Brady (14.4 ppg, 40.7 FG%); and UT Martin senior forward
Maddie Waldrop (12.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg).
Belmont junior guard
Jamilyn Kinney (8.2 ppg, 4.1 apg); Jacksonville State senior guard
Taylor Hawks (11.2 ppg, 2.6 apg); Morehead State sophomore guard
Ariel Kirkwood (10.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg); and Murray State junior forward/guard
Alexis Burpo (10.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg.) were all named to the Preseason All-OVC team after earning All-Conference Second Team honors a year ago.
2020-21 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Team
Chelsey Perry, UT Martin*
Tesia Thompson, Southeast Missouri*
Maddie Waldrop, UT Martin*
Karle Pace, Eastern Illinois*
Macey Turley, Murray State*
Kesha Brady, Tennessee Tech*
Lariah Washington, Eastern Illinois*%
Alexis Burpo, Murray State#
Ariel Kirkwood, Morehead State#%
Jamilyn Kinney, Belmont#
Taylor Hawks, Jacksonville State#
* - 1st team All-OVC in 2019-20
# - 2nd team All-OVC in 2019-20
% - OVC All-Newcomer team in 2019-20