• OVC Men’s Basketball Report – February 24 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Tuesday, February 25
*Lindenwood at Western Illinois, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Thursday, February 27
*Little Rock at Eastern Illinois, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southeast Missouri at SIUE, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southern Indiana at UT Martin, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Western Illinois at Tennessee Tech, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, March 1
*Lindenwood at Tennessee Tech, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southeast Missouri at Eastern Illinois, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Little Rock at SIUE, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at UT Martin, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southern Indiana at Tennessee State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
OVC Players of the Week
PLAYER
Brendan Terry, F • 6-7, 215, Jr. • Santa Monica, Calif. • Southeast Missouri
Terry averaged 23.5 points and 7.0 rebounds/game while hitting 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the field as Southeast Missouri won two games to lock up at least a share of its first OVC Regular Season Championship in 25 years (1999-00). The transfer from Pensacola State College had a career-high 25 points to go along with nine rebounds in only 24 minutes against Western Illinois. He followed that with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting in a victory over Lindenwood. Terry added five rebounds and a steal against the Lions. His performance helped the Redhawks extend its winning streak to a NCAA Division I Era best nine games (which is tied for the fourth-longest active streak nationally).
Others Nominated: Nakyel Shelton, Eastern Illinois; Markeith Browning II, Lindenwood; Tuongthach Gatkek, Little Rock; Ray’Sean Taylor, SIUE; Jack Mielke, Southern Indiana; Rodney Johnson Jr., Tennessee Tech; Tarence Guinyard, UT Martin.
NEWCOMER
Brendan Terry, F • 6-7, 215, Jr. • Santa Monica, Calif. • Southeast Missouri
Terry averaged 23.5 points and 7.0 rebounds/game while hitting 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the field as Southeast Missouri won two games to lock up at least a share of its first OVC Regular Season Championship in 25 years (1999-00). The transfer from Pensacola State College had a career-high 25 points to go along with nine rebounds in only 24 minutes against Western Illinois. He followed that with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting in a victory over Lindenwood. Terry added five rebounds and a steal against the Lions. His performance helped the Redhawks extend its winning streak to a NCAA Division I Era best nine games (which is tied for the fourth-longest active streak nationally).
Others Nominated: Artese Stapleton, Eastern Illinois; Markeith Browning II, Lindenwood; Tuongthach Gatkek, Little Rock; Jayland Randall, Southern Indiana; Jaylon Johnson, Tennessee Tech; Tarence Guinyard, UT Martin.
FRESHMAN
Jadis Jones, G/F • 6-5, 200, Fr. • New Madrid, Mo. • Lindenwood
Jones averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals/game while hitting 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from the field in two games. It marks the 11th time this season he has been named OVC Freshman of the Week, which ties the all-time record held by EKU’s Matt Witt (2002-03). Overall Lindenwood has won 14 of the 15 freshmen awards this season, which is a new OVC single-season record. Jones had 18 points, three rebounds and two steals as Lindenwood knocked off Little Rock in overtime on Thursday. Jones followed that with 11 points, seven rebounds, a block and steal on Saturday at Southeast Missouri. He has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games.
Others Nominated: none
Other Notable Performances
Below are other notable performances from the past week.
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Ray’Sean Taylor (G, Grad.), SIUE. Averaged 25.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals/game in two road contests. He hit 55.6 percent from the field and 94.1 percent from the free throw line.
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Rodney Johnson Jr. (F, Sr.), Tennessee Tech. Led the Golden Eagles to a pair of wins by averaging 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals/game. Had 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists against Tennessee State.
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Nakyel Shelton (G, Sr.), Eastern Illinois. Helped EIU to a pair of wins by averaging 21.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals/game. He hit 48.3 percent from the field and 50 percent (5-of-10) from 3-point range. Had 25 points in win at Morehead State.
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Tuongthach Gatkek (F, Sr.), Little Rock. In two home contests he averaged 17.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks/game while hitting 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the field. Had 15 points and 12 rebounds vs. Western Illinois.
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Tarence Guinyard (G, Jr.), UT Martin. Averaged 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals/game while hitting 51.7 percent from the field and 84.6 percent from the line. Had 26 points and 12 rebounds in overtime loss to Tennessee Tech.
Notes From Around the League
OVC Overview/This Week’s Highlights: The eight teams who will participate in the OVC Tournament are locked in: Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri, SIUE, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin ... Southeast Missouri has clinched at least a share of the OVC Regular Season Championship, its first since 1999-00 ... SEMO has won nine-straight games, the longest win streak of its Division I Era (and currently the fourth-longest active streak nationally) ... SEMO’s 14 OVC wins are the most under fifth-year head coach Brad Korn and are the second-most in program history ... The SEMO team has a +10 increase in the win column (they were 9-22 last year, 19-10 this season), which matches the best one-year turnaround in program history (the 2015-16 team went from 5-24 to 15-18) ... SEMO finished the year 12-3 at home, its most home wins since 1999-00 (14-1) ... SIUE’s 12 OVC wins is the most in program history and the team has secured its first-ever winning season in OVC play; the team’s 19 overall wins are the most for the program at the Division I level ... Lindenwood has now set Division I era records for most wins (14) and OVC wins (9); overall its 14 wins are the most for the program since 2018-19 ... Desmond Polk has played in 139 games at SIUE, the most of any current OVC with one team ... UT Martin has played six overtime contests in 2024-25 (five in OVC play), which is tied for the most in program history (along with the 1998-99 team) ... Through last Thursday (Feb. 20), the Skyhawks lead NCAA Division I men’s basketball in one-possession or overtime games (13), one-possession or overtime losses (nine) and conference games lost by either one point or in overtime (seven) ... UTM’s Vladimer Salaridze is the only NCAA Division I men’s basketball player to accumulate at least 300 points, 200 rebounds, 70 assists, 50 steals and 25 made three-pointers in 2024-25 ... As of February 24 only one OVC player has made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season is Tennessee Tech’s Jaylon Johnson ... On January 15 the NCAA Division I Council adopted a proposal that requires schools moving into Division I to meet objective measures that focus on the student-athlete experience and support a school’s successful transition to Division I and would change the timeline from four to three years; current reclassifying teams Lindenwood and Southern Indiana can use the new timeline
IF they meet all other criteria and could potentially be eligible for NCAA postseason play next year.
OVC Basketball Tournament Scenarios: The eight teams who will compete in the OVC Tournament have been decided (Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri, SIUE, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin). Southeast Missouri will be either the No. 1 or 2 seed (will lock up the No. 1 seed with one more win), SIUE has locked up a Top 3 seed and Little Rock can be as high as No. 1 and as low as No. 4.
Southeast Missouri Clinches Share of OVC Regular Season Championship: With a 14-4 record entering the final week of the regular season, Southeast Missouri has clinched at least a share of 2024-25 OVC Regular Season Championship. It is the second overall title and first for the Redhawks since 1999-00 (they shared that crown with Murray State). SEMO can win its first outright regular season crown with one win this week. If SIUE or Little Rock win twice this week and SEMO loses out, they would share the title with the Redhawks. Little Rock won a share of the OVC Championship last season, while SIUE has never won an OVC title.
Winning Streaks: As of February 23, Southeast Missouri has won nine-straight games, the longest winning streak of its Division I Era. It currently is tied for the fourth-longest active streak nationally.
12 - Yale
10 - High Point, Central Connecticut State
9 - Southeast Missouri, UC San Diego, Chattanooga, Montana
OVC Basketball Championships Held at Ford Center in Evansville For Eighth Consecutive Year: The OVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships presented by United Fidelity Bank will be held March 5-8 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. It marks the eighth-straight season the event will be held in the building. 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. It was announced in March 2023 the event was extended through 2026 with an option for 2027.
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 14th 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 three times, the No. 4 seed once, the No. 5 seed once and the No. 8 seed once (Austin Peay in 2016).
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.
Recent Postseason Success: Following the 2023-24 season, OVC teams have won at least one national postseason game in 13 of the past 15 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 in 2022 Murray State won in the NCAA Tournament, followed by Morehead State winning in the NIT in 2023. No OVC team won a game in 2024.
Division I Council Adopts New Reclassification Criteria: On January 15 the NCAA Division I Council adopted a proposal that requires schools moving into Division I to meet objective measures that focus on the student-athlete experience and support a school’s successful transition to Division I. The change reduces the reclassification period from four to three years for Division II schools and four years for Division III schools. Members currently in the reclassification process (Lindenwood and Southern Indiana) can use the new timeline
IF they meet all other criteria. Progression through the process is dependent upon meeting each year’s benchmarks. If the benchmarks are met, teams would be eligible for NCAA postseason events in the 2025-26 school year.
WIU’s Smith Records 25th and 26th Triple-Double in OVC History: Western Illinois senior guard
Sean Smith recorded the 25th triple-double in OVC history on December 4 against St. Ambrose. Smith had 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory. Two days later in a victory over East-West University, Smith had another triple-double, this time with 10 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He is only the third player in OVC history to have multiple triple-doubles in the same season (UT Martin’s Lester Hudson and Murray State’s Ja Morant are the others) and the first to do it in back-to-back games. Nationally, there are six players to have a triple-double this season and Smith is the only one with two. There has been at least one triple-double by an OVC player in each of the past five seasons.
Guinyard Named National Player of the Week (December 17): UT Martin junior guard Tarence Guinyard was named one of five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week award winners by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on December 17. He averaged 31.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists/game while hitting 65.6 percent (21-of-32) from the field, 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from 3-point range and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) at the free throw line in a pair of games. At Alabama State, he helped UT Martin overcome a 23-point deficit with 6:59 to go in regulation to force overtime, scoring 29 of the Skyhawks’ final 52 points over a stretch of 17:57. In that game he added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench. Four days later against Champion Christian, he delivered career-highs in points (31), rebounds (8) and assists (5) in just 22 minutes of playing time. In that game he hit 11-of-15 field goals (including 4-of-4 3-pointers) and was 5-of-5 at the free throw line.
Smith Named National Player of the Week (December 10): Western Illinois senior guard
Sean Smith was named one of five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week award winners by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on December 10. Smith recorded two triple-doubles during the week, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 rebounds against St. Ambrose and 10 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over East-West University. For the week he averaged 17.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 10.0 assists/game while hitting 52 percent (13-of-25) from the field, 40 percent (4-of-10) from 3-point range and 100 percent (4-of-4) at the free throw line.
Foreign Connections: Every single OVC men’s basketball program has at least one player who lists their hometown in a foreign country. Overall there are 33 players on OVC men’s basketball rosters who list their hometown as not from the United States.
OVC Players in the NBA: Four former OVC men’s basketball players were on National Basketball Association (NBA) Opening Night rosters for 2024-25. 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). Riley Minix, the 2023-24 Player of the Year and OVC Male Athlete of the Year, is a rookie with the Spurs this season.
• Riley Minix, San Antonio Spurs (Morehead State)
• Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (Murray State)
• Cameron Payne, New York Knicks (Murray State)
• Ben Sheppard, Indiana Pacers (Belmont)
OVC to Produce 9-Game Linear Television Package and Use “Wild Card” Selections: The OVC will once again produce a national television package in 2024-25 that will include eight 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.
Little Rock Picked as OVC Preseason Favorites: In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men’s basketball coaches and communication directors, Little Rock was picked as the preseason favorites. The Trojans, who were one of three teams who shared last year’s regular season championship (along with Morehead State and UT Martin), picked up 20 of 22 first-place votes (teams could not vote for themselves) to receive 200 total points. Western Illinois was picked second (receiving 172 points) while SIUE picked up the other two first-place votes and 151 points in being picked third. Tennessee State was tabbed fourth (134 points) and followed by Morehead State (131), Eastern Illinois (87), Southeast Missouri (86), Southern Indiana (79), Lindenwood (67), UT Martin (52) and Tennessee Tech (51).
The 2024-25 Season: The 2024-25 season marks the 77th year of competition in the OVC. Over the previous 76 years, 14 different teams have claimed an OVC regular season championship.
ESPN+: The OVC has a 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 $11.99 a month (or $119.99 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($16.99/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.