Ohio Valley Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2020-21 season

DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 19: Kevin McClain #11 of the Belmont Bruins celebrates with teammates 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 23: Ja Morant #12, Tevin Brown #10 and Shaq Buchanan #11 of the Murray State Racers (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

2. Murray State Racers

2019-20 record: 23-9 (15-3 in OVC)

Whether it is Ja Morant or the players that have come before him, the road to an Ohio Valley championship, regular season or tournament has gone through Murray, Kentucky over the last 11 seasons.

With four titles and either being the No. 1 seed or reaching the tournament finals in all but three other seasons, the Racers have been the program by which all other OVC teams are measured, and coming off back-to-back titles a three-peat is not out of the question for head coach Matt McMahon.

The Racers do lose three key contributors to graduation, but everyone else of consequence returns including all-everything and the next great guard in the long lineage of Murray State guards, Tevin Brown. The 6’5 junior from Alabama averaged 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41% from deep and just under 45% overall as a sophomore.

Brown’s classmate, 6’10 KJ Williams also returns after notching 12.7 points and grabbing over seven rebounds per game last season. Guards DaQuan Smith and Chico Carter, Jr. could take a step forward with increased roles after combining for 13.5 points as freshmen. Forward Demond Robinson also had a solid first year in limited minutes with 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds.

McMahon welcomes three freshmen in his recruiting class. Dionte Bostick could be the next in line to take the point guard torch from Brown. The 6’3 Bostick played at East Lake High School in Florida, scoring 24 points, five rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.6 steals as a senior.

Joining him is another point guard, this one from the junior college ranks, Justice Hill was a first-team NJCAA All-American at Salt Lake Community College last season where he averaged 13.9 points and 4.3 assists per game. Lastly, Ja’Queze Kirby is an athletic 6’6 wing player who absolutely stuffed the stat sheet as a senior at Jeff Davis High School in Georgia.

Not only did Kirby average a double-double with 19.4 points and 11.6 rebounds, but he also blocked nearly five shots per game, dished out four assists, and swiped 2.9 steals. If any combination of returning players and newcomers can fill the graduation void and supplement Brown and Williams, the road to OVC glory will be a familiar one, it’ll be the one going through Murray, Kentucky again.