Busting Brackets
Fansided

Morehead State Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Eagles

By Harry Schroeder

CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 15: Head coach Preston Spradlin of the Morehead State Eagles looks on during a college basketball game against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center on December 15, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 15: Head coach Preston Spradlin of the Morehead State Eagles looks on during a college basketball game against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center on December 15, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Jalen Hood-Schifino #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers looks to pass while guarded by Mark Freeman #0 of the Morehead State Eagles (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Jalen Hood-Schifino #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers looks to pass while guarded by Mark Freeman #0 of the Morehead State Eagles (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Morehead State basketball has become the big dog in the Ohio Valley Conference. Over the past three years the Eagles have won 68 games, one regular season title and one tournament title. The Eagles have earned a .786 winning percentage in OVC games and are the preseason favorites to repeat this season and the voting wasn’t close.

Before you chalk up Morehead success to the OVC departures of Belmont and Murray State, remember the Eagles won six of their final eleven games with the former league titans.

Things are not perfect in Morehead, Kentucky, but they’re pretty good. We released the biggest offseason news when preseason player of the year Mark Freeman was declared out for the season. An offseason wrist injury will shelve the reigning ‘Player of the Year’.

OVC Defensive Player of the Year, Alex Gross has used up his eligibility and outstanding guard Jake Wolfe has transferred to Indiana State. So, head coach Preston Spradlin had to give his team a face-lift and Freeman’s injury means the team’s starting lineup will not resemble last season’s team.

The style of play will likely be very similar. Spradlin’s teams play disciplined, fundamental basketball. They were the league’s best defensive team, allowing just 66.6 points per game and defending the three-point line.

Morehead is consistently one of the nation’s most efficient offensive teams and the Eagles led the OVC in ‘assist-turnover-ratio’.

Spradlin landed three significant Division 1 transfers, one star junior college player and two high-level freshmen. They’ll join preseason all-conference guard Drew Thelwell and three-point marksman Kalil Thomas with the goal of repeating as the Ohio Valley Conference champion.

Home/Mid Major Conferences