Ohio Valley basketball: 2018 Conference tournament preview
By Logan Butts
Belmont and Murray State have been the top two teams in the OVC all season long. Who has the best chance of knocking them off in the conference tournament?
The Ohio Valley Conference has put together a strong resume league-wide over the past several seasons. With a pair of top-notch mid-major programs and a fairly deep group of teams, the 2018 OVC Conference Tournament should provide for some entertainment.
Belmont and Murray State have been the top two teams in the league this season. The Racers finished on top at 24-5 overall and 16-2 conference play, while the Bruins was not far behind at 23-8 and 15-3.
Prior to the conference consolidating down from two divisions to one overall standing this season, Belmont had won the east division for all five of their seasons in the OVC. Murray has won at least a share of the regular season OVC crown seven out of the last nine seasons.
Jacksonville State (20-11, 11-7) made a surprise run through the OVC Tournament last season, securing their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. They could be a dark horse pick to repeat.
Austin Peay (17-13, 12-6) made a similarly surprising run in 2016 on the back of a legendary performance form Chris Horton. Maybe one of the current players can help recreate that run.
Tennessee Tech (18-13, 10-8) and Tennessee State (15-14, 10-8) are each good enough to pull off an upset and reach the final.