• OVC Men's Basketball Report - March 16 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
2026 NCAA Division I Championship
Friday, March 20 - First Round (Midwest Region - St. Louis, Mo.)
#15 Tennessee State (23-9) vs. #2 Iowa State (27-7), 1:50 p.m. CT (TBS)
Sunday, March 22 - Second Round (Midwest Region - St. Louis, Mo.)
Tennessee State/Iowa State vs. Kentucky/Santa Clara, TBD
Notes From Around the League
OVC Overview/This Week’s Highlights: Tennessee State, under the direction of first-year head coach Nolan Smith, finished OVC play 15-5, sharing the regular season title with Morehead State (led by second year head coach Jonathan Mattox) ... It was the third overall title for the Tigers and first since the 1994-95 season ... It was the 12th overall title for MSU and third in the past four seasons ... After a tiebreaker, TSU earned the No. 1 seed for the OVC Tournament and won a pair of games to claim its third OVC Tournament crown (1993, 1994, 2026) and first in 32 years ... TSU scored 93 points in the title game victory over Morehead State, the most in OVC Final history, and won the game by 26 points, the biggest margin of victory in tournament title game history ... TSU enters the NCAA Tournament with 23 overall victories, the most of its Division I era ... Since its last NCAA Tournament appearance (1994), TSU has three times (2012, 2013, 2016) competed in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) ... For the second time in three years, four OVC teams reached the 20-win plateau with Tennessee State (23), UT Martin (22), Morehead State (20) and Southeast Missouri (20) ... Three players finished within 12 points of each other in the League scoring race; Lindenwood’s Anias Futrell led the category after the regular season (17.87 points/game), but following the OVC Tournament (17.41 ppg) fell behind TSU’s Aaron Nkrumah (17.59) while TSU’s Travis Harper II ranked third (17.25 ppg).
OVC Teams in the NCAA Tournament: Entering the postseason OVC teams are 27-76 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, having won at least one game in two of the past six tournaments (2019, 2022). After going 20 years (1990-2008) without a win, OVC teams won games in four-straight year from 2009-12 (the longest stretch in league history) and in 2019 the OVC not only put two teams in the field (for the second time ever) but also won two games (the first time two different teams had won NCAA games in the same postseason). In 2022, Murray State topped San Francisco in the First Round.
Tennessee State Wins 2026 OVC Tournament: No. 1 seed Tennessee State won a pair of games in winning the 2026 OVC Tournament Championship, its third overall title and first since 1994 (the other came in 1993). TSU topped Morehead State 93-67 in the title game. The 93 points were the most scored by an OVC team in the tournament finale, while the 26-point victory was the most-ever in the tournament championship game. With the win TSU earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will be the third appearance in the event for the Tigers.
Morehead State and Tennessee State Share OVC Regular Season Title: Morehead State and Tennessee State finished OVC play with 15-5 records and each claimed a share of the OVC crown. It is the 12th regular season title for the Eagles (1956, 1957, 1961, 1963, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1984, 2003, 2023, 2024, 2026) and third in the past four years. It was the third overall title for the Tigers and first since the 1994-95 season.
OVC Award Winners: Tennessee State senior guard
Aaron Nkrumah was named 2025-26 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year while his coach,
Nolan Smith, was named OVC Co-Coach of the Year, sharing the award with Morehead State’s
Jonathan Mattox. SIUE senior center
Arnas Sakenis earned OVC Defensive Player of the Year while UT Martin’s
Matas Deniusas was tabbed OVC Freshman of the Year in voting by league head coaches and communications directors. This year’s first and second-team All-OVC squads included 16 players from eight different OVC schools. Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri and Tennessee State had three selections apiece while Morehead State and UT Martin had two honorees.
OVC Basketball Championships Held at Ford Center in Evansville For Ninth Consecutive Year: The OVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships was held March 4-7 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. It marked the ninth-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. In October 2025 an agreement was reached to extend the partnership through the 2032 Championship.
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.
All Teams Eligible for Postseason Play: Lindenwood and Southern Indiana have completed their reclassification to Division I and are now eligible to earn to compete in NCAA sanctioned postseason play (NCAA and NIT Tournaments).
Recent Postseason Success: OVC teams have won at least one national postseason game in 13 of the past 16 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), but a new streak began with Murray State winning a NCAA Tournament game in 2022 and continued with Morehead State winning a NIT game in 2023.
Lawson Records 27th Triple-Double in OVC History: Little Rock senior guard
Johnathan Lawson recorded the 27th triple-double in OVC history on February 12 when he had 13 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Western Illinois. It was the first triple-double by an OVC player since December 2024 when WIU’s Sean Smith had two in the same week (December 4 and December 6). There has been at least one triple-double by an OVC player in each of the past six seasons.
Smith Named Finalist for Joe B. Hall and Hugh Durham Awards: Tennessee State head men’s basketball coach
Nolan Smith has been named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award and the Hugh Durham Award by CollegeInsider.com. The Joe B. Hall Award is presented annually to the top first-time head coach in division I college basketball while the Hugh Durham Award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball. In his debut season, Smith directed Tennessee State to a share of the OVC regular-season title and the program’s first OVC Tournament Championship in 32 years.
Mattox and Smith Named Finalists for Ben Jobe Award: Morehead State’s
Jonathan Mattox and Tennessee State’s
Nolan Smith have each been named finalists for the Ben Jobe Award by CollegeInsider.com. The award is presented annually to the top minority head coach in division I college basketball. The Ben Jobe Award is named in honor of one of the most iconic coaches in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Both coaches led their respective teams to 15-5 OVC records and a share of the OVC Regular Season Championship.
Harris Named Finalist for Riley Wallace Award: Tennessee State point guard
Dante Harris has been named a finalist for the 2025-26 Riley Wallace Award by CollegeInsider.com. The award is presented annually to the most impactful transfer in division I college basketball. After transferring from Memphis, Harris helped guide Tennessee State to the OVC Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
Gerdeman Named Finalist for Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award: Lindenwood head coach
Kyle Gerdeman has been named a finalist for the 2025-26 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award by CollegeInsider.com. The award is presented annually to the Division I coach who wins with integrity on and off the court. The Skip Prosser Man of the Year award honors those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who displays moral integrity on and off it as well.
OVC Players in the NBA: Seven former OVC players started the 2025-26 season on NBA rosters (an eighth, Cam Payne, joined the group in February). That included three players who were drafted last year, Johni Broome (Morehead State), Will Richard (Belmont) and Taelon Peter (Tennessee Tech). 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).
• Johni Broome, Philadelphia 76ers (Morehead State)
• Myron Gardner, Miami Heat (Little Rock)
• Riley Minix, Cleveland Cavaliers (Morehead State)
• Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (Murray State)
• Cam Payne, Philadelphia 76ers (Murray State)
• Taelon Peter, Indiana Pacers (Tennessee Tech)
• Will Richard, Golden State Warriors (Belmont)
• Ben Sheppard, Indiana Pacers (Belmont)
Three in 2025 NBA Draft: Three players who played in the OVC were selected in the 2025 NBA Draft. That included Johni Broome (Morehead State/Auburn - Philadelphia 76ers), Taelon Peter (Tennessee Tech/Liberty - Indiana Pacers) and Will Richard (Belmont/Florida - Golden State Warriors). It marked the first time since 1987 that three OVC players were selected in the Draft, and first time since 1971 that three players were selected in the first two rounds of the Draft.
OVC to Produce Linear Television Package with ESPN: As part of its newly signed multi-year media deal with ESPN, the OVC will once again produce a national television package in 2025-26 that will include eight men’s basketball games that will air on the ESPN Family of Networks. The regular season games and the men’s tournament semifinals will air on ESPNU; 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.
Select OVC Games to Simulcast on Gray Media Stations: As part of the Conference’s new multi-year contract with ESPN, this season select men’s and women’s basketball games will simulcast in 20 Gray Media TV markets in five states (in addition to airing on ESPN+). That includes markets in Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Peoria, Quincy, Rockford, Evansville, Ft. Wayne, South Bend and Lexington. Prior to each game a listing of the stations that will broadcast each game will be made available at OVCSports.com.
Little Rock Picked as OVC Preseason Favorites: In a vote of OVC head men’s basketball coaches and communication directors, Little Rock was picked the preseason favorites for the 2025-26 season. It marks the second-straight year the Trojans have been tabbed the favorites. The Trojans picked up 12 of 22 first-place votes to receive 188 points. Southeast Missouri, last year’s regular season champions, picked up six first-place votes and 177 points, while SIUE (163 points) and Tennessee State (135 points) each picked up a first-place point and were tabbed third and fourth respectively. Lindenwood and Morehead State (100 points) tied for fifth place, Tennessee Tech (80) was seventh, UT Martin (79) eighth and Southern Indiana (67) received the other two first-place votes and were picked ninth. The poll was rounded out by Eastern Illinois (63) and Western Illinois (57).
The Season is Here: The 2025-26 season marks the 78th of competition for the Ohio Valley Conference. Over the previous 77 years, 14 different teams have claimed an OVC regular season championship.
ESPN+/ESPN Unlimited: The OVC signed a new multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN ahead of the season that continues the long-standing partnership to air games on the Family of Networks. 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). For the first time ever, ESPN now offers its full suite of 12 networks and services directly to fans within an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options, a synchronized two-screen experience, a vertical video feature called Verts and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a special offer at launch for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months.