• OVC Men’s Basketball Report – January 15 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Thursday, January 18
*UT Martin at Morehead State, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*SIUE at Lindenwood, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Little Rock at Southern Indiana, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Tennessee Tech at Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, January 20
*Tennessee State at Western Illinois, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Eastern Illinois at Lindenwood, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at Southern Indiana, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*SIUE at Southeast Missouri, 3:45 p.m. (ESPN+)
OVC Players of the Week
PLAYER
Keenon Cole, F • 6-7, 215, Sr. • Streamwood, Ill. • Lindenwood
Cole averaged 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals/game while hitting 50 percent (16-of-32) from the field and 87.1 percent (27-of-31) at the line in two games. Cole scored 42 points, the most by a Division I player in a game this season, in the team’s 74-68 win at Southeast Missouri. It also marked the most by a Lindenwood player in its Division I era and the most by an OVC player since February 2019. The senior added 11 rebounds and two steals as he hit 13-of-23 shots (3-of-6 3-pointers) and made 13-of-16 free throws, including scoring six points in the final minute to hold off the Redhawks comeback. He ended the week with 20 points, three rebounds, a block and assist at Tennessee State (hitting 14-of-15 free throws in the game. Among OVC players Cole ranks second in scoring (18.9/game) in all game and first in league-only games (23.0/game).
Others Nominated: Riley Minix, Morehead State; Josh Earley, Southeast Missouri; Damarco Minor, SIUE; AJ Smith, Southern Indiana; Jayvis Harvey, Tennessee Tech; Jacob Crews, UT Martin; Quinlan Bennett, Western Illinois.
NEWCOMER
Jacob Crews, G/F • 6-8, 210, Jr. • Hilliard, Fla. • UT Martin
In a pair of home games Crews averaged 28.0 points and 8.5 rebounds/game while hitting 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the field, 50 percent (7-of-14) from 3-point range and 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the free throw line. Crews scored a career-high 35 points in Saturday’s 77-72 victory over Little Rock. After the Trojans led by five points in the second half, Crews scored 10 points during a crucial 14-0 Skyhawk run that flipped the momentum. He also added seven rebounds in the win. He opened the week with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks against OVC leader Western Illinois. It marked his fifth double-double of the season. Among OVC players, Crews ranks second in 3-point percentage (43.6%) and 3-pointers made (2.8/game), third in scoring (18.1), fifth in field goal percentage (50.5%) and sixth in rebounding (8.2).
Others Nominated: Tiger Booker, Eastern Illinois; Darius Beane, Lindenwood; Riley Minix, Morehead State; Daniel Egbuniwe, Tennessee Tech; Drew Cisse, Western Illinois.
FRESHMAN
Jaylen Jones, G • 6-1, 160, Fr. • Nashville, Tenn. • Tennessee State
Jones came off the bench and finished with 12 points over 27 minutes of action to help Tennessee State to a 76-60 win over Lindenwood. The guard also added two five rebounds and two assists. His 12-point game marks his 13th double-digit scoring performance of the season. Jones has been named OVC Freshman of the Week four times this year.
Others Nominated: none
Other Notable Performances
Below are other notable performances from the past week.
•
Damarco Minor (G, Jr.), SIUE. Averaged 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists/game while hitting 13-of-14 free throws (92.9%) as SIUE won twice including knocking off league-leading Morehead State. Had 24 points and 13 rebounds (his sixth double-double of the year) against MSU.
•
Riley Minix (F, Grad.), Morehead State. In two road games he averaged 20.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals/game while hitting 60 percent (15-of-25) from the field. Had 27 points and seven rebounds in win at Eastern Illinois. He now shares the OVC lead with eight double-doubles this season.
•
AJ Smith (G/F, So.), Southern Indiana. In lone game of the week posted his eighth double-double of the year (tied for OVC lead) with 20 points and 12 rebounds against SIUE.
•
Josh Earley (F, Sr.), Southeast Missouri. In two games he averaged 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while hitting 65.2 percent (15-of-23) from the field. Had career-high 20 points at Tennessee Tech.
Notes From Around the League
OVC Overview/This Week’s Highlights: Western Illinois has now won nine-straight games and are the only undefeated team in Conference play (5-0); WIU’s winning streak is tied for the sixth-longest nationally entering the week ... The winning streak is the longest for the Leathernecks since an 11-game streak in 2012-13, while the start to the league play is the best for the program since starting 6-0 in 2012-13 ... Morehead State, who had won 9 of 10 overall and nine-straight OVC regular season games dating back to last season, is now one game back (4-1) after its loss at SIUE ... The Eagles still have the top NET (118) in the OVC entering the week; MSU has won 14-straight home games, which is the sixth-longest streak nationally ... SIUE and UT Martin both sit at 3-2 entering the week with five other teams are 2-3 in a jumbled race ... Lindenwood’s Keenon Cole scored 42 points on January 11 at Southeast Missouri, the most points by a Division I player this season; it marked the first 40-point game by an OVC player since February 28, 2023 (40 by TSU’s Jr. Clay) and the most overall points by an OVC player since Austin Peay’s Terry Taylor scored 42 points against Morehead State on February 16, 2019 ... SIUE earned consecutive wins for the first time since late November with wins over Southern Indiana and Morehead State last week; the Cougars held MSU to 48 points (the lowest output by MSU this season) ... Nationally, Western Illinois ranks second in rebounds/game (44.5), fifth in blocks/game (6.4), sixth in rebounding margin (+11.2) and seventh in offensive rebounding (15.11), while Morehead State ranks fifth in rebounding margin (+11.9), sixth in field defense (37.8%) and ninth in scoring defense (62.6 points/game) and UT Martin is first in defensive rebounding (31.78/game) ... Individually, WIU’s Drew Cisse is first in total rebounds (22) and offensive rebounds/game (4.7), third in total rebounding (12.2/game) and 10th in blocks/game (2.5) while teammate Ryan Myers is eighth in 3-point percentage (46.8%) ... MSU’s Riley Minix is 14th in double-doubles (8) while teammate Drew Thelwell is 16th in assists (6.2/game) while UTM’s Jordan Sears is 36th in scoring (19.5 points/game).
Overall Win Streaks: Entering this week Western Illinois has won nine-straight games which as of Monday (Jan. 15) is tied for the sixth longest streak nationally.
15 - Samford, Utah State
13 - Grand Canyon
10 - Memphis, Dayton
9 -
Western Illinois, Auburn, Charleston, Western Carolina, Tx. Tech, McNeese
Home Winning Streaks: As of Monday (Jan. 15), Morehead State has won 14-straight home games, tied for the sixth-longest streak nationally.
22 - Boise State
19 - Virginia
17 - Cleveland State
16 - North Texas
15 - Towson
14 -
Morehead State, Kansas, Houston, Drake, San Diego State
Triple-Doubles: Little Rock senior guard
KK Robinson recorded the 24th all-time triple-double in OVC history on January 4 against SIUE. He tallied 18 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the home court victory. There has been at least one triple-double in the OVC in seven of the eight seasons (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24).
Minix Named to Lou Henson Watch List: Morehead State forward
Riley Minix has been named to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List by CollegeInsider.com. The award honors the top Mid-Major Player nationally and is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of CollegeInsider.com.
Recent Postseason Success: Following the 2022-23 season, OVC teams have won at least one national postseason game in 13 of the past 14 postseasons. 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, Austin Peay (CIT) and Jacksonville State (CBI) won in 2018 and Belmont and Murray State in 2019 (NCAA) before no postseason was held in 2020. A streak of 11-straight years ended in 2021 (when only one team made the reduced postseason), and the OVC began a new streak with Murray State winning in the NCAA Tournament in 2022, while Morehead State added to that with a NIT win in 2023.
OVC Basketball Championships To Be Held at Ford Center in Evansville For Seventh 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 seventh-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 and the Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Ford Center also serves as host to numerous sporting events and concerts on an annual basis. In September 2019, the OVC signed a three-year extension to keep the event at the venue through 2023, with an option for a fourth-year (2024), which was exercised in fall 2022. It was announced in March 2023 the event was extended through 2026 with an option for 2027.
All Teams Eligible for OVC Tournament: Both reclassifying teams, Lindenwood and Southern Indiana, were eligible to compete and win the OVC Tournament Championship this season. Should a transitioning school win an OVC Tournament Championship, the AQ shall be awarded to the tournament runner-up. Should the tournament runner-up also be a transitioning school, the AQ representative shall be semifinalist that had the highest remaining seed going into the tournament.
OVC Tournament Championship Format: Once again the OVC Tournament will include a merit-based format. The format, which began in 2011, has the top eight men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the tournament. The No. 1 and 2 seeds will receive two byes to the semifinals while the No. 3 and 4 seeds will receive one bye into the quarterfinals. The first round will include the No. 5 seed against the No. 8 seed and the No. 6 seed against the No. 7 seed. The women’s bracket also uses a merit-based bracket. This marks the 13th year the format has been used (it was not used in 2021), and teams with a double bye (e.g. No. 1 or 2 seed) have won the tournament seven times. The No. 1 seed has won five times, the No. 2 seed twice, the No. 3 seed twice, the No. 4 seed once, the No. 5 seed once (SEMO last year) and the No. 8 seed once (Austin Peay in 2016).
New Team: After welcoming three new teams last year, the OVC welcomes another new program in 2023-23. Western Illinois joined the OVC on July 1 after previously being in the Summit League. They are just the 25th full-time member in the 76-year history of the OVC.
OVC Players in the NBA: Six former OVC men’s basketball players were on National Basketball Association (NBA) Opening Night rosters for 2023-24. In 2021, Cameron Payne helped Phoenix advance to the NBA Finals. In 2020 Ja Morant was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, making him one of three players from a non-Power 5 Conference to win the award since 1983-84 (joining Damian Lilliard of Weber State in 2012-13 and Larry Johnson of UNLV in 1991-92).
• Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers (Tennessee State)
• Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (Murray State)
• Cameron Payne, Milwaukee Bucks (Murray State)
• Ben Sheppard, Indiana Pacers (Belmont)
• Terry Taylor, Chicago Bulls (Austin Peay)
• Dylan Windler, Los Angeles Lakers (Belmont)
OVC to Produce 10-Game Linear Television Package and Use “Wild Card” Selections: The OVC will once again produce a national television package in 2023-24 that will include nine men’s basketball games and one women’s basketball contest that will air on the ESPN Family of Networks. The regular season games will all air on ESPNU, as will the OVC Tournament semifinals. The Men’s Championship game will air on ESPN2. Each of the regular season games will be “wild card selections” with the matchup picked approximately two weeks ahead of the game.
Freeman Named Preseason Player of the Year: The 2023-24 OVC Preseason Men’s Basketball Team was headlined by Morehead State senior guard
Mark Freeman, who was the 2022-23 OVC Player of the Year. Last year he averaged 15.0 points and 3.7 assists/game in leading the Eagles to the OVC Regular Season Championship and a NIT victory over Clemson. Overall seven different schools were represented on the Preseason All-OVC Team which included 12 individuals. The others included Lindenwood’s
Keenon Cole, Little Rock’s
DeAntoni Gordon, Morehead State’s
Drew Thelwell, SIUE’s
Damarco Minor,
Ray’Sean Taylor and
Shamar Wright, Tennessee State’s
Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. and
Kinyon Hodges, Tennessee Tech’s
Jayvis Harvey and UT Martin’s
Jordan Sears and
KK Curry.
Morehead State Picked as OVC Preseason Favorites: In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men’s basketball coaches and communication directors, Morehead State has been picked the preseason favorites for the 2023-24 season. It marks the second-straight year the Eagles have been tabbed the favorites. The Eagles picked up 20 of 22 first-place votes (teams could not vote for themselves); Tennessee State picked up the other votes. MSU tallied 200 points and was followed by SIUE (162), who was picked second. Tennessee State (153) was picked third and followed by UT Martin (149), Southeast Missouri (124), Tennessee Tech (120), Little Rock (85), Western Illinois (80), Southern Indiana (63), Lindenwood (40) and Eastern Illinois (34).
Men’s Basketball Experimental Rules for Second Half Media Timeouts in Conference Play: For the second-straight year in Conference men’s basketball games, the OVC will participate with a NCAA Experimental Rule which establishes a standard media timeout format for the second half of all OVC men’s basketball regular season and conference tournament games (the experimental rule does not pertain to non-conference games). The rule establishes the standard media timeout format for all OVC games which requires electronic media timeout marks that occur after the first stoppage of play following the 17-, 14-. 11-, 8- and 4- minute marks in the second half. The experimental rule, which was approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, is designed to help standardize the traditional “floater” media mark in the second half. The Experimental Rule will also be used in the NIT this season.
The 2023-24 Season: The 2023-24 season marks the 76th year of competition in the OVC. Over the previous 75 years, 13 different teams have claimed an OVC regular season championship.
ESPN+: This year marks the sixth of the OVC’s media rights deal with ESPN to air games on ESPN+, the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer & International segment. This season over 200 men’s and women’s basketball regular season Conference games and non-conference games will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $10.99 a month (or $109.99 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($15.99/month). ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices). More information can be found at
www.OVCSports.com/ESPN.