Ohio Valley Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25

No. 8 – Eastern Illinois Panthers

Marty Simmons has his most talented team since coming to Eastern Illinois. He returns three starters and two valuable rotational players from last season’s 14-win season. Two Division 1 transfers with a lot of experience round out the core.

But there is much more than that. Division 2 star Zion Fruster, talented freshmen and some junior college players will fill the gaps. 

Senior guard Nakyel Shelton (11.0 ppg), graduate forward Kooper Jacobi (10.5 and 7.7 rebounds) senior guard Corey Sawyer Jr (8.9) are proven scorers with great experience. Jacobi missed the final 15 games of last season and his primary replacement, Rodolfo Bolis is back for his senior season. 

UMKC transfer Artese Stapleton (4.1 ppg) and former Evansville forward Sekou Kalle (1.8) are two more veterans of the D1 wars. Isaiah Griffin’s (2.6) freshman season was ended six weeks early due to injury.

While Kalle is 6’10, there isn’t a true center on this team, but Simmons has waves of shooting guards and small forwards to employ. Shelton is a 6’3 wing, Sawyer is 6’4 and the 6’7 Jacobi is the prototypical OVC rebounding forward. 

Fruster averaged 18 points-per-game for Virginia Wise and is a proven three-point shooter. 

6’7 freshman Terry McMorris was the State of Oklahoma’s fourth rated player two seasons ago. After a year at Link Year Academy, he is now a Panther. Redshirt freshman Milik Olafioye appeared in nine games at UMKC before his season was ended by injury. The former number one player in the State of Michigan and a top-150 player nationally could be ready to explode on the college scene. 

Two redshirt juniors, 6’8 Lazar Grbovic and Obadiah Curtis have experience and high ceilings. Simmons’ deep and talented team could make real noise in the OVC race.