Busting Brackets
Fansided

OVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2019-20 season

By Logan Butts

DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 19: The Belmont Bruins bench reacts during the second half against the Temple Owls in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 19: The Belmont Bruins bench reacts during the second half against the Temple Owls in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: The Murray State Racers celebrate defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles 83-64 after their first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: The Murray State Racers celebrate defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles 83-64 after their first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Where do the teams in OVC Basketball stack up heading into the new season? Here is a power ranking of the programs involved.

2018-19 was a season to remember for the Ohio Valley Conference. OVC Basketball was in the national spotlight nearly all season long.

Ja Morant, the eventual number two pick in the NBA draft, was on the public radar from the season’s opening tip, building his legend by the day in front of our eyes. Morant finished the year as a consensus First-Team All-American, the NCAA assists leader, of the Lute Olson and Bob Cousy awards, and the OVC regular season and tournament MVP.

In the NCAA Tournament, with all eyes finally on him for an actual game, Morant more than lived up to the hype. He posted a 17-11-16 triple-double in leading  Murray State to the 12-5 blowout “upset” over Marquette.

Although Murray State fell to Florida State in the second round, Morant had already made his mark on March Madness. Meanwhile, the Racers weren’t the only OVC squad to win a game in the Big Dance.

#TwoBidOVC went from a fan dream to reality as the selection committee included Belmont in the NCAA Tournament field for the first at-large bid in program history. And the Bruins repaid that gesture with a performance to remember.

Belmont defeated Temple with ease in the play-in game, 81-70, and they were one miscue away from pulling off the 11-6 upset over Maryland in the first round. Despite 35 and 11 from future NBA first-round draft pick Dyland Windler, the Bruins fell short 79-77.

It will be hard to top a season that headline-grabbing, but the OVC returns this year with several quality squads and a lot of talent. Let’s take a look at the preseason power rankings.