• OVC Men’s Basketball Report – January 28 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Thursday, January 31
*Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m. (ESPNews)
*Southeast Missouri at Belmont, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at SIUE, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Murray State at Jacksonville State, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Eastern Kentucky at Eastern Illinois, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, February 2
*Morehead State at Eastern Illinois, 3:15 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Austin Peay at Jacksonville State, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at Belmont, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Eastern Kentucky at SIUE, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southeast Missouri at Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Murray State at Tennessee Tech, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
OVC Players of the Week
PLAYER
Kevin McClain, G • 6-3, 190, Sr. • Jennings, Fla. • Belmont
In two key road wins last week McClain averaged 19.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds/game, did not commit a turnover in 68 minutes of court time and hit 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the field while making clutch plays against Murray State and Austin Peay. The senior scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second half (including a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 10 points with 10:01 to play) in a 79-66 win over Murray State. That win snapped the Racers 19-game OVC winning streak (including tournament wins) and its 18-game home court winning streak. In the game he hit 9-of-18 field goals, added four rebounds and four assists without committing a turnover in 40 minutes of action. He also keyed a defensive effort that held Murray State to a season-low 32 percent shooting (and limited Ja Morant to 5-of-19 from the field). Two days later he scored six of his 16 points in the final 3:17 of regulation as the Bruins overcame a 14-point second half deficit (including a 10-point deficit with 6:29 to play) to defeat Austin Peay 96-92, handing the Govs its first home loss of the season. McClain scored the go-ahead basket with 1:25 to play and moments later added a steal and a transition 3-pointer to increase the lead to five points. In the process he went over 1,000 career points.
Others Nominated: Terry Taylor, Austin Peay; Josiah Wallace, Eastern Illinois; Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky; Jason Burnell, Jacksonville State; A.J. Hicks, Morehead State; Ja Morant, Murray State; Ledarrius Brewer, Southeast Missouri; Jr. Clay, Tennessee Tech; Quintin Dove, UT Martin.
NEWCOMER
Josiah Wallace, G • 6-4, 185, So. • Marshall, Ill. • Eastern Illinois
Wallace, a transfer from Olney Central College, averaged 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists/game while hitting 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the field and 40 percent (6-of-15) from 3-point range in a pair of road games. At UT Martin, Wallace scored the final eight points of the game, including knocking down a 3-pointer with 15 seconds to play, to give the Panthers a 66-64 win. In that contest he also added six rebounds, three assists a block and steal in 35 minutes of action. At Southeast Missouri, Wallace hit 9-of-18 field goals (3-of-8 3-pointers) on his way to 21 points. He also grabbed five rebounds and added two assists.
Others Nominated: Jarrett Givens, Austin Peay; Kelvin Robinson, Eastern Kentucky; Detrick Mostella, Jacksonville State; Darnell Cowart, Murray State; Malik Martin, Tennessee Tech; Quintin Dove, UT Martin.
FRESHMAN
Jr. Clay, G • 6-0, 160, Fr. • Chattanooga, Tenn. • Tennessee Tech
In two road games Clay averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals/game while hitting 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the field and 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range. At Morehead State he scored a career-high 26 points while also dishing our five assists, grabbing three rebounds and netting two steals. Clay, who accounted for 50 percent of his team’s scoring output, hit 9-of-19 shots (3-of-7 3-pointers) and 5-of-7 free throws in the close loss. Two days later Clay flirted with a triple-double in a 91-85 win over Eastern Kentucky as the team snapped a four-game losing streak. Clay scored 22 points, had nine rebounds and dished out eight assists while also netting two steals in 36 minutes. In that game he hit 8-of-11 shots (3-of-4 3-pointers) and snagged a key offensive rebound with 15 seconds left to ice the game. Clay is second among OVC freshmen in scoring (13.5 points/game) and assists (3.9/game).
Others Nominated: Nick Muszynski, Belmont; Gabe McGlothan, Southeast Missouri.
Notes From Around the League
OVC Overview/This Week’s Highlights: Jacksonville State and Murray State enter this week tied for first place in the OVC with 7-1 league marks; the two teams will play on Thursday in Jacksonville...Austin Peay and Belmont are each one game back in the standings...Belmont topped Murray State to end the Racers 19-game OVC winning streak (including tournament games) and its 18-game home court winning streak...Eastern Kentucky senior Nick Mayo became the 18th member of the OVC’s 2000-Point Club (and first to join since 2013) two weeks ago and enters this week with 2,072 points; that ranks him 12th in OVC history, just four points out of 10th place...Mayo, who currently ranks seventh nationally in active career scoring leaders, also became the first player in OVC history with 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 blocks and 100 made 3-pointers in a career (and the only active Division I player)...Murray State’s Ja Morant leads all Division I players in assists (10.5/game - 2.7/game more than second place), ranks fourth in double-doubles (13) and ninth in scoring (24.1 points/game); the last OVC player to lead the country in assists was Tennessee Tech’s Van Usher (8.8/game in 1991-92)...Morant became the first Division I player in the last 20 seasons to record 40 points, 11 assists and five steals in a regulation game when he did so at SIUE on January 19...Morant hit 21-of-21 free throws in that game, establishing a new OVC single-game record (just three off the NCAA record); he was the first Division I player with 21 or made free throws in a game without a miss in the past 20 seasons...The week prior Morant had 18 assists against UT Martin (Jan. 10), the most assists by Division I player this season and tied for the second-most in OVC single-game history...Morant’s 13 double-doubles are three off the nation’s lead; he is the only player in the Top 14 nationally in double-doubles under 6’6” tall...Morant needs only 12 assists to set the Murray State single-season record; he is only 11 assists away from joining the OVC single-season Top 10 list...Belmont’s Grayson Murphy had 15 assists at Austin Peay last week, setting a Belmont Division I era record...In that game Belmont’s Dylan Windler scored 20 consecutive points at one point of the second half...Murray State enjoyed two big home crowds last week, 8,969 against Belmont and 7,059 against Tennessee State...Over its last 13 games, Austin Peay is hitting 51.2 percent from the floor; the team has shot at least 40 percent from the field in 18-straight games...UT Martin snapped a nine-game losing skid with a win over SIUE on Saturday...Eastern Kentucky enters the week ranked first nationally in steals (11.1/game); junior Kelvin Robinson had eight steals against Tennessee Tech, matching the most by an EKU player in the past 15 years.
Morant Named National Player of the Week by USBWA: Murray State sophomore
Ja Morant was named the National Player of the Week by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on January 22. In two wins Morant averaged 33.5 points, 10.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 3.0 rebounds/game while hitting 57.6 percent (19-of-33) from the field, 50 percent (7-of-14) from 3-point range and 95.7 percent (22-of-23) from the free throw line. In a win over SIUE, Morant became the first Division I player in the past 20 years to have 40 points, 11 assists and five steals in a game. The sophomore hit 21-of-21 free throws in the game, establishing a new OVC record for most made free throws in a game without a miss. He began the week with 27 points, 10 assists, three rebounds, a block and steal in a win over Eastern Illinois. He hit 11-of-16 field goals (4-of-5 3-pointers) in the win over EIU. For the week Morant had only six turnovers in 77 minutes of court time.
Morant Sets OVC Single-Game Free Throw Record: Murray State sophomore
Ja Morant set a new OVC record for most made free throws without a miss when he hit 21-of-21 attempts against SIUE on January 19. That broke the previous record of 17-of-17 set by Morehead State’s Jim Sandfoss in 1966-67 and was just three of the NCAA record (24-of-24 by Arlen Clark of Oklahoma State in March 1959). The 21 total makes in a game was three off that OVC record. Morant was the first NCAA Division I player with 21 or more made free throws without miss in a game in the past 20 years (Tennessee State’s Grant Williams hit 23-of-23 four days later, hitting 17 in regulation and six in overtime).
Morant First Division I Player With 40/10/5 in a Game in Past 20 Seasons: Murray State sophomore
Ja Morant became the first NCAA Division I player in the past 20 seasons to have a regulation game with 40 points, 11 assists and five steals when he did so at SIUE on January 19.
Morant Dishes Out Second-Most Assists in OVC Single-Game History: Murray State sophomore
Ja Morant had 18 assists in a win at UT Martin on January 10. The 18 assists are the most by a Division I player this season and tied for the second-most in OVC single-game history. Morant leads the country in assists (10.5/game - 2.5/game more than second place) and is currently on pace to break the OVC single-season assists record.
20 - James Johnson, Middle Tennessee vs. Freed-Hardeman (1985-86)
18 - Ja Morant, Murray State vs. UT Martin (2018-19)
18 - Chad Peckinpaugh, Eastern Illinois vs. Southeast Missouri (1996-1997)
17 - Van Usher, Tennessee Tech vs. Western Kentucky (1990-91)
16 - Done 7 Times (last in 2013-14 season)
Mayo Becomes 18th Member of OVC’s 2,000-Point Club: Eastern Kentucky senior
Nick Mayo became the 18th member of the OVC’s 2,000-Point Club (and first since 2013) against Southeast Missouri on January 19. Earlier in the season against Xavier (Dec. 15) he passed Matt Witt (2002-06) to become EKU’s all-time leading scorer. Mayo currently has 2,072 points, which ranks 12th in OVC history, just four points out of 10th.
Mayo Becomes First OVC Player to Join 2,000/700/200/100/100 Club: Eastern Kentucky’s
Nick Mayo is the first player in OVC history with 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 blocks and 100 made 3-pointers. The only other player in OVC history to reach four of those five categories was Murray State’s Isaac Spencer (1997-2001) who had all but the 3-pointers. Only six other OVC players reached the 2,000-point, 700-rebound and 200-assist plateau in a career. Mayo is the only active Division I player with 2000/700/200/100/100.
NCAA Stats Leaders: In the latest NCAA statistical leaders (Jan. 28), Murray State ranks fifth in scoring margin (+17.4 points/game), sixth in 3-point defense (27.2%) and assists (18.8/game), 10th in field goal percentage (49.7%) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.51), 16th in scoring (83.9 points/game) and 25th in blocked shots (4.9/game). Belmont ranks fourth in assists (19.5/game), sixth in scoring (86.4 points/game), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.52) and 20th in field goal percentage (49.0%). Eastern Kentucky ranks first in steals (11.1/game), second in forced turnovers (19.38/game), ninth in scoring (86.0 points/game) and 13th in turnover margin (+4.2/game). Individually, Murray State’s
Ja Morant ranks first in assists (10.5/game), fourth in double-doubles (13) and ninth in points/game (24.1) while Eastern Kentucky’s
Nick Mayo is 13th in scoring (23.3 points/game), 27th in free throw percentage (87.7%) and 50th in blocked shots (1.90/game). Belmont’s
Nick Muszynski is 16th in blocked shots (2.47) and 25th in field goal percentage (60.6%) while teammate
Grayson Murphy is 22nd in assists (6.0/game). Austin Peay’s
Terry Taylor ranks 20th in offensive rebounding (3.38/game) while Murray State’s
Shaq Buchanan is 30th in steals (2.21/game).
CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll: In the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll (January 21), Murray State was ranked No. 4 while Belmont was No.11 and Jacksonville State was No. 25. Austin Peay was among the others receiving votes. Gonzaga picked up 31 first-place votes to be ranked No. 1. Now in its 20th season, the Mid-Major poll is made up of teams 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 Illinois coach Jay Spoonhour is the OVC representative).
OVC Basketball Championships Set For Ford Center in Evansville For Second Consecutive Year: The OVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held March 6-9 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. It marks the second-straight season the event will be held in the building after a long run in Nashville. The Ford Center, which opened in 2011, is an 11,000-seat arena located in the core of Evansville’s downtown district. The 290,000-square foot facility serves as home of the University of Evansville’s men’s basketball team, the Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern Professional Hockey League and the Indiana Freebirds of the National Gridiron League (NGL). The Ford Center also serves as host to numerous sporting events and concerts on an annual basis. The 2020 OVC Basketball Championship will also be held at the venue.
Morant Added to Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List: Murray State sophomore
Ja Morant has been named to the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List as announced by the L.A. Athletic Club. The Wooden Award, first given in 1976, identifies the top player in collegiate basketball. He is the first OVC player to make the Top 25 cut since Murray State’s Isaiah Canaan in 2013 (Canaan was a Wooden All-American in 2013). The award is named in honor of legendary Coach John Wooden, who was the 1932 National Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year out of Purdue and later coached at Indiana State and UCLA.
Morant Records 18th Triple-Double in OVC History: Murray State sophomore guard
Ja Morant recorded the 18th triple-double in OVC history on November 24. Morant had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a win over Missouri State. Morant also had a triple-double as a freshman and is currently one of three players in OVC history to record multiple triple-doubles in a career (joining Austin Peay’s Trenton Hassell - who had 3 - and UT Martin’s Lester Hudson). Below is a list of all-time OVC triple-doubles.
Lorenzo Coleman, Tennessee Tech vs. Oral Roberts (12/21/94) - 18 pts., 11 reb., 10 bl.
Van Usher, Tennessee Tech vs. Eastern Kentucky (2/24/92) - 16 pts., 10 reb., 14 asst.
Bud Eley, Southeast Missouri vs. Morehead State (1/4/99) - 24 pts., 14 reb., 10 blocks
Trenton Hassell, Austin Peay vs. Morehead State (2/2/99) - 19 pts., 13 reb., 10 asst.
Trenton Hassell, Austin Peay vs. Tennessee State (2/26/00) - 19 pts., 11 reb., 10 asst.
Trenton Hassell, Austin Peay vs. UT Martin (2/22/01) - 27 pts., 13 reb., 12 asst.
Brandon Griffin, Southeast Missouri vs. Oakland City (12/13/03) - 12 pts., 12 reb., 10 asst.
Walker Russell, Jacksonville St. vs. Eastern Kentucky (2/28/06) - 21 pts., 11 reb., 11 asst.
Lester Hudson, UT Martin vs. Central Baptist (11/13/07) - 25 pts., 12 reb., 10 asst., 10 stl.
Lester Hudson, UT Martin vs. Southeast Missouri (2/16/08) - 26 pts., 12 reb., 10 asst.
Isacc Miles, Murray State vs. UT Martin (2/24/09) - 13 pts., 10 reb., 11 asst.
Chris Horton, Austin Peay vs. Berea (11/16/14) - 15 pts., 13 reb., 10 blocks
Deville Smith, UT Martin vs. Northwestern State (3/19/15) - 21 pts., 12 reb., 11 asst.
Kedar Edwards, UT Martin vs. Bethune-Cookman (12/17/16) - 15 pts., 10 reb., 11 asst.
Xavier Moon, Morehead State vs. Central Arkansas (12/19/16) - 25 pts., 10 reb., 11 asst.
Fatodd Lewis, UT Martin vs. UC Clermont (12/10/17) - 34 pts., 16 reb., 12 asst.
Ja Morant, Murray State vs. Eastern Illinois (12/28/17) - 11 pts, 10 reb., 14 asst.
Ja Morant, Murray State vs. Missouri State (11/24/18) - 29 pts., 13 reb., 12 asst.
EKU Sets OVC Record for Points in a Half: Eastern Kentucky scored 87 points in the second half against Brescia on December 29. That established a new OVC record, breaking the previous mark of 83 points by Morehead State against West Virginia State in the 1991-92 season. EKU finished the game with 145 points, three off the OVC record of 148 set by Tennessee State.
Tillery Ties OVC Record for 3-Pointers Made in a Game: Tennessee Tech junior
Corey Tillery tied the OVC single-game record for made 3-pointers with 10 in a win over Warren Wilson College on December 6. He tied the mark previously established by Marc Polite (Eastern Illinois, 1999-00), Glenn Cosey (Eastern Kentucky, 2013-14) and Nick Smith (Belmont, 2016-17).
Windler Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award: Belmont senior
Dylan Windler is one of 30 men’s basketball student-athletes selected as candidates for the 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate basketball. 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. The complete list of candidates follows this release. 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 men’s and women’s candidates will be narrowed to two fields of 10 finalists in February, and those names will be placed on the official ballot.
Murray State’s Morant Named to Lute Olson Award Watch List: Murray State sophomore guard
Ja Morant was one of 40 players nationally named to the 2018-19 Lute Olson Award Watch List by CollegeInsider.com. The Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I player. The 2019 Lute Olson Award will be presented at the College Insider awards event in April at the site of the men’s division I national championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Quartet of OVC Players on Lou Henson Award Watch List: Eastern Kentucky’s
Nick Mayo, Murray State’s
Ja Morant and Belmont’s
Dylan Windler were named to the 2018-19 Lou Henson Award Watch List by CollegeInsider.com in the preseason while Austin Peay’s
Terry Taylor joined the list in January. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation’s top mid-major player in Division I College Basketball. The 2019 Lou Henson Award will be presented at the College Insider awards event in April at the site of the men’s division I national championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Belmont’s Windler Named to Julius Erving Award Watch List: Belmont senior
Dylan Windler has been named to the 2019 Julius Erving Award Watch List by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The award is named after the Hall of Famer and 11-time NBA All-Star and given annually to the top small forward in Division I men’s basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Julius Erving Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019.
Windler Named to NCAA Men’s Basketball Competition Committee: Belmont senior
Dylan Windler will serve as the lone student-athlete representative on the 2018-19 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Competition Committee. The 12-member committee comprised of athletic administrators, head coaches, and contributors to the game will have regular communication with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee and will review student-athlete health and safety, sportsmanship and integrity, game operations and presentation, technology, and statistical trends. The group will develop strategic principles in these areas, subject to the approval of the Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee. Windler is just the second student-athlete ever to serve on the committee, succeeding outgoing Nicholas Norton of UAB.
Recent Postseason Success: OVC teams have won at least one game in each postseason for 10-straight years, the longest stretch in league history. Morehead State won a NCAA game in 2009, Murray State won in the NCAA Tournament in 2010, Morehead State won in the NCAA’s in 2011, Murray State won in the NCAA’s in 2012, Eastern Kentucky won in the CIT in 2013, Belmont (NIT) and Murray State (CIT) won games in 2014, Eastern Illinois (CIT), Eastern Kentucky (CIT), Murray State (NIT) and UT Martin (CIT) scored victories in 2015 (the four different teams to record a victory in the single postseason was an OVC record), Morehead State (CBI) and UT Martin (CIT) won in 2016, Belmont (NIT) and UT Martin (CIT) scored wins in 2017 and Austin Peay (CIT) and Jacksonville State (CBI) won in 2018.
OVC to Produce 10-Game Linear Television Package: The OVC will produce a national television package in 2018-19 that will include nine men’s basketball games and one women’s basketball contest that will air on the ESPN Family of Networks. Five of the seven regular season games will air on ESPNU, with two additional games airing on either ESPNU or ESPNEWS. The OVC Men’s Tournament semifinals will air on ESPNU while the Men’s Championship game will air on ESPN2.
Byrd Ranks 5th Among Active NCAA Coaches: Belmont head coach
Rick Byrd (who is in his seventh year in the OVC and 33rd overall at Belmont) has 793 career victories, which ranks fifth among active Division I head coaches (and 12th all-time). Byrd is one of just five active Division I coaches to have coached at the same school for 30 or more years (the others are Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Oakland’s Greg Kampe and Davidson’s Bob McKillop). In December it was announced Byrd is an eligible candidate for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
EIU’s Lewis Joins 1000-Point, 500-Assist Club: On December 6, 2017, Eastern Illinois guard
Terrell Lewis became the ninth all-time member of the OVC’s 1,000-Point, 500-Assist Club. He later suffered and injury and received a medical redshirt and is playing his redshirt senior season in 2018-19. Lewis currently has 1,011 points and 506 assists for his career. The other eight members of the club are: Kerron Johnson (Belmont), Bruce Jones (Eastern Kentucky), Matt Witt (Eastern Kentucky), Walker Russell (Jacksonville State); Don Mann (Murray State); Patrick Miller (Tennessee State); Anthony Avery (Tennessee Tech), Van Usher (Tennessee Tech).
OVC Players in the NBA: Five former OVC players had NBA contracts to begin the 2018-19 season, while four are now currently on rosters. The players currently on rosters include former Morehead State All-American
Kenneth Faried (who begins his eighth season in the NBA and joined the Houston Rockets in January after beginning the year with his hometown team the Brooklyn Nets), former Tennessee State standout
Robert Covington (who begins his sixth season in the league and first with the Minnesota Timberwolves after being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers near the beginning of the season) and former Belmont All-American
Ian Clark (who is in his sixth overall season and who won a NBA Championship with Golden State in 2017 before joining the New Orleans Hornets in 2017-18). Former Murray State All-American
Cameron Payne began his fourth year in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls (after being a lottery pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder) before being waived at the beginning of January; he has since signed a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavs. Former Murray State All-American
Isaiah Canaan began his sixth NBA season with the Phoenix Suns but was waived at the end of November. Another player,
Alonzo McKinnie of the Golden State Warriors, played two seasons at Eastern Illinois (2010-12) before finishing his career at Green Bay. Two other players, Southeast Missouri’s
Antonius Cleveland and last year’s OVC Player of the Year, former Murray State standout
Jonathan Stark, where in NBA training camps but waived the weekend before the season started and are currently playing in the G League.
Murray Windler Tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year: The 2018-19 OVC Preseason Men’s Basketball team was headlined by Belmont senior
Dylan Windler who was named the OVC Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches and SID’s. Overall, nine different schools were represented on the team with Belmont, Jacksonville State and Murray State leading the way with two selections apiece. Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri and UT Martin had one pick apiece. The squad featured four players who were first-team All-OVC selections a year ago and was comprised of nine seniors and three sophomores. In addition to Windler, the others named to the team included Belmont’s
Kevin McClain, Murray State’s
Ja Morant and
Shaq Buchanan, Jacksonville State’s
Jason Burnell and
Christian Cunningham, Austin Peay’s
Terry Taylor, Eastern Illinois’
Terrell Lewis, Eastern Kentucky’s
Nick Mayo, Morehead State’s
Lamontray Harris, Southeast Missouri’s
Ledarrius Brewer and UT Martin’s
Fatood Lewis.
Belmont Picked as OVC Preseason Favorite: In a vote of OVC head men’s basketball coaches and communication directors, Belmont was picked the preseason favorite for the 2018-19 season. It marked the fourth-straight year the Bruins have been tabbed preseason favorites. Belmont, who has won four of the past six OVC regular season championships, picked up eight first-place votes, to edge last year’s regular season and tournament champions Murray State by six points (227 to 221). The Racers led the way with nine first-place votes while Jacksonville State, the 2017 OVC Tournament champions, picked up the other seven first-place votes and 211 total points in being picked third. Austin Peay was picked fourth (188) and followed by Tennessee Tech (135), Eastern Kentucky (118), Eastern Illinois (116), Tennessee State (101), Southeast Missouri (82), Morehead State (78), UT Martin (77) and SIUE (30).
The 2018-19 Season: The 2018-19 season marks the 71st of competition in the OVC. Over the previous 70 years, 13 different teams have claimed an OVC regular season championship.
ESPN+: The OVC has announced an extension of its media rights deal with ESPN that makes ESPN+, the first multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer & International segment, the exclusive home of regular season and OVC Championship broadcasts. This season 209 men’s and women’s basketball regular season Conference games and approximately 110 non-conference games will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year). ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App and also available on the web, iPhone, iPad, tvOS, Android Handset, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast and FireTV. More information can be found at
www.OVCSports.com/ESPN.