Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: Predicting all 32 regular-season conference champions for 2018-19

By Tristan Freeman

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate their overtime win over the Providence Friars during the championship game of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate their overtime win over the Providence Friars during the championship game of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 20: The cheerleaders of the Belmont Bruins watch on against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Bob Leverone/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 20: The cheerleaders of the Belmont Bruins watch on against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Bob Leverone/Getty Images) /

Ohio Valley Conference

2017-18 regular season champ: Murray State

2018-19 favorite: Belmont – Biggest threats: Austin Peay and Murray State

It was a two-team race for the OVC title between Murray State and Belmont, with the Racers closely pulling ahead. With their two best players gone in Jonathan Stark (21.4 ppg) and Terrell Miller (15.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg), Murray State will rely on sophomore guard Ja Morant to provide as much production as possible to stay in contention.

Belmont has been right at the top of the OVC since arriving in 2012 and that looks to continue next season. Leading scorer and rebounder Dylan Windler will be back for his senior year and should be considered the frontrunner for Player of the Year. Although leading passer Austin Luke has moved on, the Bruins still has plenty of talent left to make another run towards the top.

When it comes to finding new contenders for the usual suspects of Belmont and Murray State, Austin Peay brings back Dayton Gumm and Terry Taylor, who each had great freshman campaigns. The absence of leading scorer Averyl Ugba hurts the Governors but there’s enough leftover to at least make a top-4 run.

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