Murray State' s
Ke'Shunan James was named the 2017-18 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year while Southeast Missouri's
Adrianna Murphy was selected as the OVC Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Southeast Missouri's
Tesia Thompson was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year while Coach of the Year honors went to Belmont's
Bart Brooks.
James, a native of Jackson, Tenn., earns her first Player of the Year honor. The senior forward/guard leads the league with 21.4 points per game while ranking in the top five in rebounds (8.1 rpg) and steals (2.0). The first-team All-OVC selection is ninth in the OVC with a 46.4 field goal percentage while ranking eight with 4.1 assists per game. James has scored in double figures in all but three games this year including hitting the 30-point mark four times. She notched a career-high 41 points against Austin Peay. James has also registered 10 double-doubles this season. During OVC play, she recorded a league-leading 22.8 points. James recently became the third member of Murray State's 2,000-point club. She is the third Racer to earn Player of the Year honors joining Karen Hubert (1983-84) and Joi Scott (2006-07).
A native of Fishers, Ind, Murphy earns her first Defensive Player of the Year award. The junior guard ranks 19th in the nation with a league-leading 2.9 steals per game. She recorded a season-high eight steals recently versus SIUE. In OVC action, Murphy recorded 3.2 steals each time out. She also ranks second with 5.3 assists per game. Murphy has averaged 9.9 points in 30 games played. She has reached double-digits in points 15 times so far this year. She becomes the first Redhawk to earn the honor.
Thompson, a freshman from Memphis, Tenn., leads all OVC freshman with 15.1 points per game in league action to rank eighth in the conference. She finished the regular-season averaging 13.0 points over the 30 games played. Thompson reached double-digits 17 times in her last 20 games, including a streak of 14 straight. The All-OVC second team and All-Newcomer pick reached the 20-point mark four times including a season-best 25 in the regular-season finale against UT Martin. Thompson is the first Redhawk to be named the Freshman of the Year.
Brooks , who is in first year at the helm of Belmont, was named the OVC Coach of the Year after leading his team to a perfect 18-0 league mark. It marks the eight time in OVC history that a team has finished the regular-season undefeated in league action. The Bruins are currently ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll making them the first OVC team to be ranked in the poll since 1992. Belmont has won its last 43 games against league opponents which is the second longest streak in the nation behind UConn's 95. He becomes the second Bruin to win Coach of the Year honors joining Cameron Newbauer who won the award last season.
ALL-OVC
Joining James as first team selections are Belmont junior guard
Darby Maggard, senior center
Sally McCabe and senior guard
Kylee Smith; Morehead State's junior guard
Miranda Crockett and senior forward
Eriel McKee; Austin Peay senior center
Brianne Alexander; Eastern Kentucky redshirt junior guard
A'Queen Hayes; SIUE senior guard
Donshel Beck; Tennessee State redshirt junior forward
Tia Wooten; and UT Martin sophomore guard
Kendall Spray.
A native of Larwill, Ind. Maggard, ranks first in the league in assists (5.4 apg) and free throw percentage (95.5%). She also ranks fifth with 16.7 points each time out.
McCabe, a native of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., is first in the league with 3.0 blocks each time out this year. She also ranks sixth in rebounds (7.3 rpg) and 10th in points (14.4)
A product of Alpharetta, Ga., Smith is third in the league with 18.6 points per game while ranking fourth with a 40.2 three-point field goal percentage. She is also eight with 6.9 rebounds per game.
Crockett, a native of Martinsville, Va., is seventh in the OVC with 14.9 points per game while ranking sixth with a 47.7 field goal percentage. She also ranks 13th with 6.1 rebounds per game.
A native of Lawrenceburg, Ky., McKee ranks 2nd in the Conference with 2.6 steals each time out. She is also 13th with 13.7 points per game and 15th with 4.9 rebounds each time out.
Alexander, a product of Smyrna, Tenn., is seventh in the OVC with a 47.4 FG%. She also ranks 18th in points with 11.9 each time out.
A native of Horn Lake, Miss., Hayes ranks third in rebounds with 8.2 per game. She is also eight in the conference with 14.8 points each time out.
Beck, a native of St. Louis, Mo. ranks ninth in the league with 6.4 rebounds per game while ranking 14th in points with 13.7 each time out.
A product of Memphis, Tenn, Wooten leads the league in rebounds with 8.9 per game while ranking second with 21.2 points per outing. She is also 10th in steals with 1.6 per game.
Spray, a native of Lebannon, Tenn., is the league leader in three-point field goal percentage (43.5%) and three-point field goals made per game (3.9). She is also fourth with 17.8 points per game.
Joining Thompson on the 2017-18 All-OVC second team are Belmont junior guard
Jenny Roy (Brentwood, Tenn.); Murray State senior guard/forward
Bria Bethea (Clay, Ala.); SIUE redshirt -senior guard
Lauren White (Edwardsville, Ill.); and UT Martin senior forward
Ashton Feldhaus (Richmond, Ky.).
Roy is among league leaders with 7.9 rebounds per game while Bethea has put up 15.4 points per game to rank 6th. White is 11th in the conference with 14.2 points per game while Feldhaus has scored 7.2 points per game this year.
Making up the All-Newcomer Team with Thompson and Hayes Tennessee State freshman guard
Taylor Roberts (Oklahoma City, Okla.); Tennessee Tech freshman forward
MacKenzie Coleman (Edmonton, Ky.); and UT Martin freshman forward B (Middleton, Tenn.)
Roberts ranks in the league's top 10 with 14.6 points per game while Colman ranks 23rd with 10.3 points each time out and Perry is 22nd with 11.1 points per outing.
2017-18 All-Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Teams
(voted on by the league's head basketball coaches and sports information directors)
FIRST TEAM
Ke'Shunan James, Murray State*
Darby Maggard, Belmont*
Sally McCabe, Belmont*
Tia Wooten, Tennessee State
Kendall Spray, UT Martin%
Kylee Smith, Belmont*
Donshel Beck, SIUE%
A'Queen Hayes, Eastern Kentucky
Miranda Crockett, Morehead State%
Brianne Alexander, Austin Peay
Eriel McKee, Morehead State
SECOND TEAM
Tesia Thompson, Southeast Missouri
Lauren White, SIUE
Jenny Roy, Belmont
Bria Bethea, Murray State
Ashton Feldhaus, UT Martin
ALL-NEWCOMER
A'Queen Hayes, Eastern Kentucky
Tesia Thompson, Southeast Missouri
MacKenzie Coleman, Tennessee Tech
Chelsey Perry, UT Martin
Taylor Roberts, Tennessee State
OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ke'Shunan James, Murray State
OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Tesia Thompson, Southeast Missouri
OVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Adrianna Murphy, Southeast Missouri
OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Bart Brooks, Belmont
* - 2016-17 First Team All-OVC
% - 2016-17 Second Team All-OVC