OVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2023-24 season

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: Head coach Preston Spradlin of the Morehead State Eagles speaks with Mark Freeman #0 in the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on November 07, 2022 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

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OVC Basketball Head coach Marty Simmons of the Eastern Illinois Panthers talks with Sincere Malone (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

11. Eastern Illinois Panthers – Head Coach Marty Simmons

2022-23 record: 9-22 overall, 5-13 in the OVC

Marty Simmons’ first two years at Eastern Illinois have been a struggle and after some massive portal transfer losses, the veteran coach has rebuilt his roster in a bigger and more athletic image.

Leading scorer Kinyon Hodges transferred to in conference foe Tennessee State and OVC ‘Freshman of the Year’ Cameron Haffner left for Evansville and 6’10 sophomore Kyle Thomas departed for Bradley. It wasn’t easy Spring for Simmons. In addition to losing those players, Simmons is breaking in three first year assistant coaches.

But Simmons is no novice. A winner of nearly 300 games, the 19-year veteran coach worked the portal and junior college ranks and has assembled a roster that could eclipse last year’s record. Highly regarded junior college transfers are everywhere on this roster.

Returners Sincere Malone, Caleb Donaldson and Jermaine Hamlin had their moments last season and will be counted on to contribute this year too. Malone led the OVC in steals and the 6’8 guard set the EIU freshman steals mark with 62. While not an outside threat, he scores (6.7 ppg) and rebounds (4.9). Donaldson is the team’s leading returning scorer (8.5 ppg) and can handle the ball. Hamlin played sparingly but at 6’10 is an adequate rim protector.

When Simmons went looking at juco players, he found several players with Chicago roots. Panola College’s Kyndall Davis is one of the nation’s top 75 junior college players. Nakyel Shelton was a Division 2 junior college all-American at South Suburban Community College. Other signees Jordan Booker and Jaylin Gibson are from the Windy City region.

Corey Sawyer is a 6’4 wing who can get to the basket, score in traffic and make’s his free throws. He averaged nearly 17 points per game at Cloud County Community College.

The Panthers will have more size, strength and speed, than last season, but past history tells us this team is weak from long distance. If that stays true, EIU will struggle in the high-scoring Ohio Valley Conference.

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