After an exciting 2017-18 season, OVC basketball is back with a wide-open race for the upcoming season.
Austin Peay
2017-18 Record: 19-15 (12-6 in the OVC)
Finish: Quarterfinal loss to UIC in the CIT
Leading Returning Scorer: Terry Taylor – 15.6
Top Non-conference Games: at Mississippi State, at South Florida, at Arkansas, vs Campbell
Austin Peay enters the season seemingly just outside the top-tier of a contender, but with 2018 freshman phenom Terry Taylor in tow, the Govs have a chance to jump into that group.
Belmont
2017-18 Record: 24-9 (15-3)
Finish: OVC Championship game loss to Murray State
Leading Returning Scorer: Dylan Windler – 17.3
Top Non-conference Games: at UCLA, at Purdue, vs Illinois State, vs Middle Tennessee, Home and Home with Lipscomb
The Bruins did not accept a postseason bid last season after losing to the Racers in the OVC title game. They were picked as the favorites in this year’s preseason poll, but Windler and Kevin McClain lead one of the more inexperienced Belmont squads in recent memory.
Eastern Illinois
2017-18 Record: 12-19 (7-11)
Finish: OVC quarterfinal loss to Austin Peay
Leading Returning Scorer: Mack Smith – 12.4
Top Non-conference Games: at Texas, at Iowa State, at Bradley
Terrell Smith’s return from injury after only playing eight games last season will be huge for a pretty middling EIU squad.
Eastern Kentucky
2017-18 Record: 11-20 (5-13)
Finish: No postseason
Leading Returning Scorer: Dylan Windler – 17.3
Top Non-conference Games:
Nick Mayo will be looking to earn his fourth-consecutive First-Team All-Conference honor this season, which will be the best way to catapult EKU from the bottom of the OVC standings where they finished last season.
Jacksonville State
2017-18 Record: 23-13 (11-7)
Finish: CBI semifinal loss to North Texas
Leading Returning Scorer: Jason Burnell – 11.2
Top Non-conference Games: at Penn State, at Wichita State, at West Virginia
The most likely team to disrupt Belmont and Murray’s two-man dance, the Gamecocks return four of last season’s starters, all of which are seniors. Expect this veteran-heavy squad to take a run at the conference crown.
Morehead State
2017-18 Record: 8-21 (4-14)
Finish: No postseason
Leading Returning Scorer: Jordan Walker – 12.2
Top Non-conference Games: at Connecticut, at Syracuse, at Marshall, at Missouri
The team’stop fourr leading scorers from last season all return, and all four scored in double figures, so an improvement on last season’s dead-last finish should be in order for the Eagles.