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OVC Men’s Basketball Report – January 8 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Thursday, January 11
*Southern Indiana at SIUE, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at Eastern Illinois, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Western Illinois at UT Martin, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Lindenwood at Southeast Missouri, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, January 13
*Morehead State at SIUE, 11:00 a.m. (ESPNU)
*Southeast Missouri at Tennessee Tech, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Western Illinois at Eastern Illinois, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Lindenwood at Tennessee State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Little Rock at UT Martin, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
OVC Players of the Week
CO-PLAYER
Tiger Booker, G • 5-10, 190, Sr. • Chicago, Ill. • Eastern Illinois
In two road victories (the first of the year for EIU), Booker averaged 26.0 points, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 rebounds/game while hitting 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the field, 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) from the free throw line. He had a season-high 31 points on Saturday at Little Rock, scoring 17 of those points over the final 6:24 of the game as the Panthers overcame a second half double-digit deficit (including being down eight with 7:30 to play). Booker also hit six free throws in the final 30 seconds to ice the victory (he finished the game 10-of-10 at the line). He also had four steals in the win. In the Panthers victory over UT Martin on ESPNU on Thursday night, he was 8-of-14 from the field (including 3-of-6 from 3-point range) as he scored 21 points while also adding three assists and three rebounds. Booker committed just one turnover in 76 minutes of court time. He leads the OVC and ranks 15th nationally in steals (2.5/game).
CO-PLAYER
Jordan Lathon, G • 6-5, 195, Grad. • Grandview, Mo. • Morehead State
Lathon averaged 26.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 2.0 assists/game while hitting 44.1 percent (15-of-34) from the field and 18-of-18 at the free throw line at Morehead State won twice to improve to 3-0 in OVC play. On Saturday he scored a career-high 31 points in a 10-point win over Tennessee State. In that game he hit 10-of-20 field goals and was 10-of-10 at the free throw line (including six in the final 40 seconds to ice the game) while adding six rebounds, five steals, two assists and a block. Against Tennessee Tech the transfer from Milwaukee had 21 points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block in 30 minutes. Among OVC players Lathon ranks sixth in scoring (16.1 points/game), ninth in rebounding (6.4/game) and field goal percentage (46.1%) and seventh in 3-pointers made (2.2/game).
Others Nominated: KK Robinson, Little Rock; Josh Early, Southeast Missouri; Jeremiah Hernandez, Southern Indiana; David Early, Tennessee Tech; Jordan Sears, UT Martin; Jesiah West, Western Illinois.
CO-NEWCOMER
Tiger Booker, G • 5-10, 190, Sr. • Chicago, Ill. • Eastern Illinois
In two road victories (the first of the year for EIU), Booker averaged 26.0 points, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 rebounds/game while hitting 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the field, 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) from the free throw line. He had a season-high 31 points on Saturday at Little Rock, scoring 17 of those points over the final 6:24 of the game as the Panthers overcame a second half double-digit deficit (including being down eight with 7:30 to play). Booker also hit six free throws in the final 30 seconds to ice the victory (he finished the game 10-of-10 at the line). He also had four steals in the win. In the Panthers victory over UT Martin on ESPNU on Thursday night, he was 8-of-14 from the field (including 3-of-6 from 3-point range) as he scored 21 points while also adding three assists and three rebounds. Booker committed just one turnover in 76 minutes of court time. He leads the OVC and ranks 15th nationally in steals (2.5/game).
CO-NEWCOMER
Jordan Lathon, G • 6-5, 195, Grad. • Grandview, Mo. • Morehead State
Lathon averaged 26.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 2.0 assists/game while hitting 44.1 percent (15-of-34) from the field and 18-of-18 at the free throw line at Morehead State won twice to improve to 3-0 in OVC play. On Saturday he scored a career-high 31 points in a 10-point win over Tennessee State. In that game he hit 10-of-20 field goals and was 10-of-10 at the free throw line (including six in the final 40 seconds to ice the game) while adding six rebounds, five steals, two assists and a block. Against Tennessee Tech the transfer from Milwaukee had 21 points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block in 30 minutes. Among OVC players Lathon ranks sixth in scoring (16.1 points/game), ninth in rebounding (6.4/game) and field goal percentage (46.1%) and seventh in 3-pointers made (2.2/game).
Others Nominated: KK Robinson, Little Rock; Rob Martin, Southeast Missouri; David Early, Tennessee Tech; Drew Cisse, Western Illinois.
FRESHMAN
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, F • 6-8, 230, Fr. • San Antonio, Texas • Little Rock
Crocker-Johnson earned the award for the fourth time in five weeks after averaging 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocks/game. In Thursday’s win over SIUE he scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting (1-of-2 3-pointers) and added five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 27 minutes. Crocker-Johnson was limited to just 17 minutes against Eastern Illinois, finishing the contest with six points, two rebounds and two assists.
Others Nominated: Jaylen Jones, Tennessee State
Other Notable Performances
Below are other notable performances from the past week.
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KK Robinson (G, Sr.), Little Rock. Robinson recorded the 24th triple-double in OVC history against SIUE, tallying 18 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. For the week he averaged 18.0 points, 9.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds/game.
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Jeremiah Hernandez (G, Jr.), Southern Indiana. Hernandez averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 steals, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists/game while hitting 54.2 percent from the field and 83.3 percent at the line. He tallied 20 points in a win over Tennessee State.
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Drew Cisse (C, Sr.), Western Illinois. Cisse averaged 7.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals/game in two victories. He had 14 rebounds and six blocks against SEMO and 17 rebounds and five assists vs. Lindenwood.
Notes From Around the League
OVC Overview/This Week’s Highlights: After two weeks of League play, Morehead State and Western Illinois are on top of the standings with 3-0 records ... Those two teams will play first on January 27 in Morehead ... UT Martin and Eastern Illinois are one game back in the standings at 2-1 ... WIU is 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 2012-13; the team’s seven-game winning streak is tied for the 12th-longest streak nationally ... Morehead State has won nine of its last 10 games, with the only loss during that period coming by one point at Indiana; the Eagles are the highest ranked OVC team in the NET (111 as of January 8) ... Saturday’s ESPNU game (Morehead State at SIUE) is the first time the OVC has had a Saturday linear TV regular season game since 2013 (traditionally the ESPNU games have taken place on Thursday’s) ... Little Rock’s KK Robinson recorded the 24th triple-double in OVC history last week; he is one of 17 players at the Division I level with a triple-double this season ... WIU’s Drew Cisse had 17 rebounds in a game last week, marking the fourth time this season he has had 17 or more rebounds in a game (20, 18, 17, 17); he is one of three players nationally to do that four or more times this year joining Aboubacar Traore of Long Beach State and Enrique Freeman of Akron ... Cisse ranks first nationally in total rebounds (196), fourth in rebounds/game (12.2) and 12th in blocks/game (2.38) ... MSU’s Drew Thelwell is ninth in assists (6.1/game) while teammate Riley Minix is 15th in double-doubles (7) ... UTM’s Jordan Sears is eighth in total points (324) and 20th in scoring average (20.2 points/game) and EIU’s Tiger Booker is 15th in steals/game (2.5) ... Nationally, Western Illinois ranks second in rebounds/game (44.94), sixth in blocks/game (6.1), seventh in offensive rebounds/game (15.44) and 10th in rebounding margin (+10.9) while UT Martin is first in defensive rebounds/game (32.25), 14th in fastbreak points (16.5) and 24th in scoring offense (84.4 points/game) and Morehead State is fourth in rebounding margin (+12.3), seventh in field goal defense (37.8%), 22nd in scoring defense (63.3 points/game allowed) and 28th in scoring margin (+15.2/game).
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 past seven eight seasons (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24).
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, Cleveland Cavaliers (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.