Ohio Valley Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25

No. 4 – Tennessee State Tigers

For an 18-win team, Tennessee State has the most significant turnover in a roster that you can imagine. Coach Brian ‘Penny’ Collins has brought in seven Division 1 transfers, two high school players and two from lower divisions. Yes, eleven new players join the Tigers this season. 

That is why some polls have them as low as ninth or tenth in the OVC rankings. 

But Collins’ teams have won 18 games in back-to-back seasons and OVC predictors ranked them more highly. Only Knute Wood, who scored 52 points all season returns. 

Collins was able to find veteran help and size in 7-foot center Josh Ogundele (Middle Tennessee) and 6’9 grad-transfer Ahmir Langlais. The USC Upstate forward averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds last year. Ogundele is a senior after also playing three seasons at Iowa. While just a sophomore, Ron Jessamy is a 6’8 forward from Mount St. Mary’s.

Another senior is Tulsa transfer Carlous Williams. The 6’5 guard averaged 5.1 points and 4.2 boards and redshirt junior Brandon Weston averaged 5.4 points at Rhode Island. 

Division 2 star Travis Harper II averaged 17.4 points at Clayton State and D3 (Worcester State) small forward Aaron Nkrumah averaged twenty. Both players are 6’6 and provide versatility in the Tiger lineup. 

Every new Tiger is 6’3 or taller, except UT Martin transfer Justus Jackson. After spending two seasons at Hawaii, the 6’1 Jackson averaged seven points per game in the OVC and has connected over 34 percent of his three-point attempts over the last two seasons. 

Local high school star (Franklin, Tennessee) Kavien Jones was a top twenty player in Tennessee. The 6’7, 230 pound freshman averaged 20.7 points and 8.6 boards at Battle Ground Academy.