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Ohio Valley Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Harry Schroeder

CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 15: Jake Wolfe #24 of the Morehead State Eagles the ball by Paul Scruggs #1 of the Xavier Musketeers during a college basketball game at the Cintas Center on December 15, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 15: Jake Wolfe #24 of the Morehead State Eagles the ball by Paul Scruggs #1 of the Xavier Musketeers during a college basketball game at the Cintas Center on December 15, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Ohio Valley Basketball Darrell Walker of the Little Rock Trojans (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Ohio Valley Basketball Darrell Walker of the Little Rock Trojans (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

6. Little Rock Trojans – Head coach Darrell Walker
 
2021-22 record: 9-19 overall, 3-11 in the Sun Belt

Head coach Darrell Walker is glad his fourth season at Little Rock is over. After losing 140-man games to injuries, the veteran coach used numerous lineups and last year’s team never found traction but Walker did find some emerging players.

The combination of talented players returning from injury and outstanding freshmen, this team could be sneaky good.

While the Trojans return just four players that played as many as 20 games, they bring back some serious contributors. Leading returning scorer Isaiah Pelermo does whatever it takes to contribute. The 6’6 senior averaged 10.8 points per game and Walker calls him a ‘junkyard dog’ of a competitor.

Guard Deantoni Gordon was averaging 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds when his season ended in early December. Forward Myron Gardner (10.1) and forward Jordan Jefferson (9.1) were injured early in the season and became big contributors during the season’s second half.

Guard Jovan Stulic was the only Trojan to play all 28 games and made 44% of his long-distance shots.

That solid nucleus is joined by two highly talented redshirt freshmen who missed all of last season with injuries. 6’4 guard Chris Walker, who Palermo calls a ‘sniper’ and 6’7 forward Ethan Speaker, the fourth-ranked recruit from Nevada, bring more depth and skill to the lineup. Walker says Speaker knows the interior game and has good size to play it.

Four-star recruit Jordan Shorter was a top-40 player in the State of Florida before transferring to the prestigious Scotland Prep in Pennsylvania. He is another bigger (6’4, 200) and more talented guard.

Walker says if his team can defend well, they will win a lot of games. He’s confident his offense will put points on the board.