Tier Two
No. 7 – Tennessee State Tigers – (3-7)
The Tigers were picked fourth in the OVC’s official preseason poll. Two of their three wins are against sub-D1 teams and their only D1 victory is over, arguably one of the worst Division 1 teams (Alabama A&M 357 at KenPom).
So, it is difficult to rank the Tigers very high in this power ranking. Conversely, TSU has played a demanding schedule. While Penny Collins’ team hasn’t played a ‘power conference’ team, five of their seven losses have come at the hands of top-200 teams.
The Tigers are the OVC’s highest scoring team (81.3) and simultaneously its worst three-pointing shooting team (.275). TSU boasts of the OVC’s best rebounding margin (+9.3), but they yield the second most points (78.4). The Tigers are a confusing team.
Guard Brandon Weston is third in the OVC in both scoring (17.5 ppg) and free throw percentage (.823).
No. 6 – Southeast Missouri Redhawks – (3-6)
During Southeast Missouri’s only ‘money conference’ game, they gave Vanderbilt plenty of trouble and they have two Division 1 wins. SEMO has played just three home games. While crunching kenpom.com, barttorvik.com, the NET and BPI numbers, the Redhawks would be the OVC’s fourth best team, but a sluggish offense and a struggle to rebound places them sixth.
They were picked seventh in the preseason poll.
Teddy Washington Jr is one of those players in the top nine in both scoring (16.3) and rebounding (6.1). Junior point guard, Rob Martin is seventh in assists (3.4) and second in assist/turnover ratio (3.4).
Martin (10.3 ppg) fellow St. Louisian BJ Ward (11.3) join Washington as Redhawk, double-digit scorers. Brad Korn is just getting junior Braxton Stacker back from injury and he should bolster the SEMO attack.
No. 5 – Morehead State Eagles – (3-6)
First year coach Jonathan Mattox is getting players back at the right time too. Guard Steven Clay and forward Khouri Carvey are playing themselves into shape over the past few games. The Eagles will be better than they’ve been.
MSU has played just two home games and lost to Louisville and Cincinnati during the season’s first week. The Eagles have struggled to score. They average a league-worst 67.6 points per game, but have exceeded that number in every game since the return of Clay and Carvey.
Tennessee Tech transfer Kenny White Jr leads the team in scoring (14.7) and rebounds (5.4). The versatile senior is playing for his fourth program and third in the OVC. He is fourth in field goal percentage and ninth from the free throw line.
No. 4 – Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles – (4-5)
USI has won three of its last four games with the lone loss coming at Southern Illinois (Carbondale) by just three points. Stan Gouard’s team knocked off a different Missouri Valley team (Indiana State) earlier in the season. The Screaming Eagles dropped the first two games of the season, each in overtime.
The OVC’s best three-point-shooting team (.409) and second best offensive squad (78.7) is led by junior Jayland Randall. The 6’5 guard has topped the twenty-point mark four times and is the OVC’s fifth highest scoring player (16.9).
6’8 sophomore Stephen Olowoniyi is the OVC’s most accurate shooter (.648), ninth leading scorer (15.2) and seventh best rebounder (6.3). Point guard Jack Campion is tied with SIUE’s Ray’Sean Taylor for the top OVC assist mark (5.5).