TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 215 Centerview Drive, Suite 115 Men’s Basketball Contacts ...... IFC Brentwood, TN 37027 Table of Contents ...... 1 Media Information ...... 2 Phone - (615) 371-1698 OVC Style Guide ...... 3 FAX - (615) 371-1788 Ohio Valley Conference ...... 4-5 OVC Honors and Awards ...... 6 www.OVCSports.com Ohio Valley Conference Staff...... 7-10 www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com Conference Alignments ...... 11 2014 NCAA Women’s Final Four ...... 12-13 OVC Basketball Venues ...... 14-15 OVC Digital Network ...... 16 STAFF Men’s Basketball Information Introduction Page ...... 17 Men’s Basketball Notes ...... 18-19 Beth DeBauche, Commissioner ESPN Sears BracketBusters ...... 20-21 E-mail: [email protected] Composite Schedule ...... 22-23 Austin Peay ...... 24-25 Belmont ...... 26-27 Brad Walker, Associate Commissioner for Operations/COO Eastern Illinois ...... 28-29 E-mail: [email protected] Eastern ...... 30-31 Jacksonville State ...... 32-33 Jennifer Gibbs, Assistant Commissioner for Championships/SWA Morehead State ...... 34-35 Murray State ...... 36-37 E-mail: [email protected] Southeast Missouri ...... 38-39 SIUE ...... 40-41 Kyle Schwartz, Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations Tennessee State ...... 42-43 Tennessee Tech ...... 44-45 E-mail: [email protected] UT Martin ...... 46-47 2011-12 All-OVC Teams ...... 48 Brian Pulley, Assistant Commissioner for External Affairs Superlatives, Players of the Week, NCAA Stats ...... 49 E-mail: [email protected] Overall Team Statistics ...... 50-51 Conference-Only Team Statistics ...... 52-53 Overall Individual Statistics ...... 54-55 Matthew Banker, Assistant Commissioner for Institutional Services Year-by-Year Final Standings ...... 56-57 E-mail: [email protected] Team Champions/Individuals Honors ...... 58-59 OVC Coaches of the Year ...... 60 All-Conference Teams ...... 61-63 Heather Brown, Director of Media Relations Record Book ...... 64-65 E-mail: [email protected] Career and Season Top 10’s ...... 66-67 Year-by-Year Statistical Leaders ...... 68-69 All-Time Players of the Week ...... 70-73 Jon Kuka, OVC IMG Sports Marketing All-Time OVC Preseason Polls ...... 74-75 E-mail: [email protected] OVC Tournament ...... 76-77 All-Time Tournament Results ...... 78-79 All-Time All-Tournament Teams ...... 80 Jenny Kulchar, Administrative Assistant Tournament Records ...... 81 Email: [email protected] Postseason History ...... 82-84 NCAA Bracket ...... 85 Curtis Shaw, Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Offi cials OVC Players in the NBA Draft ...... 86 OVC Teams All-Time in the AP Top 25 ...... 87 E-mail: [email protected] YP.com ...... 88 Women’s Basketball Information Introduction Page ...... 89 Sally Bell, Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Offi cials Women’s Basketball Notes ...... 90-91 E-mail: [email protected] Composite Schedule ...... 92-93 Austin Peay ...... 94-95 Belmont ...... 96-97 Eastern Illinois ...... 98-99 MEMBERSHIP Eastern Kentucky ...... 100-101 Jacksonville State ...... 102-103 Morehead State ...... 104-105 Austin Peay State University - Clarksville, Tenn. Murray State ...... 106-107 Member since 1962 Southeast Missouri ...... 108-109 SIUE ...... 110-111 - Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee State ...... 112-113 Tennessee Tech ...... 114-115 Member since 2012 UT Martin ...... 116-117 2011-12 All-OVC Teams ...... 118 Eastern Illinois University - Charleston, Ill. Superlatives, Players of the Week, NCAA Stats ...... 119 Member since 1996 Overall Team Statistics ...... 120-121 Conference-Only Team Statistics ...... 122-123 Eastern Kentucky University - Richmond, Ky. Overall Individual Statistics ...... 124-125 Year-by-Year Final Standings ...... 126-127 Member since 1948 Team Champions/Individual Honors ...... 128 All-Conference Teams ...... 129-131 Jacksonville State University - Jacksonville, Ala. Record Book ...... 132-133 Member since 2003 Career and Season Top 10’s ...... 134-135 Year-by-Year Statistical Leaders ...... 136-137 Morehead State University - Morehead, Ky. All-Time Players of the Week ...... 138-141 All-Time OVC Preseason Polls ...... 142-143 Member since 1948 OVC Tournament ...... 144-145 All-Time Tournament Results ...... 146-147 - Murray, Ky. All-Time All-Tournament Teams ...... 148 Member since 1948 Tournament Records ...... 149 Postseason History ...... 150-151 Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau, Mo. NCAA Bracket ...... 152 Member since 1991 CREDITS Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - Edwardsville, Ill. This 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide was written, designed Member since 2008 and edited by Kyle Schwartz, Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations, and Heather Brown, Director of Media Relations. Assistance provided by and a special Tennessee State University - Nashville, Tenn. thanks to the sports information directors at the 12 OVC member institutions for Member since 1986 providing content and assistance.

Tennessee Technological University - Cookeville, Tenn. The guide is available at OVCSports.com as a PDF download. Upon request it Member since 1949 is also available on CD. The CD also contains the PDF media guides of all 11 University of Tennessee at Martin - Martin, Tenn. OVC schools as well as a Logo/Headshot Library of the Conference offi ce and Member since 1992 member institutions. To request a copy, contact Kyle Schwartz or Heather Brown in the OVC offi ce.

2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 1 SCHOOL WEBSITES Ohio Valley Conference ...... www.OVCSports.com MEDIA INFORMATION Austin Peay ...... www.LetsGoPeay.com OVC MEDIA RELATIONS ONLINE PRESS BOX Belmont ...... www.BelmontBruins.com Eastern Illinois ...... www.EIUpanthers.com For more information on the OVC during the The OVC Basketball Online Press Box is a one- Eastern Kentucky ...... www.EKUSports.com year, please contact the OVC Media Relations stop shop for gathering information about the Jacksonville State ...... www.JSUGamecockSports.com Department. Kyle Schwartz, Assistant Com- OVC and its member schools. Media can access Murray State ...... www.GoRacers.com missioner for Media Relations, serves as the it at www.OVCSports.com/basketballpressbox Southeast Missouri ...... www.GoSoutheast.com men’s basketball contact and can be reached at or via links on the Men’s or Women’s Basketball SIUE ...... www.siuecougars.com Tennessee State ...... www.TSUTigers.com (615) 690-6685 or [email protected]. Heather pages at OVCSports.com. There you will fi nd Tennessee Tech ...... www.TTUSports.com Brown, Director of Media Relations, serves as important related fi les and links for every OVC UT Martin ...... www.UTMSports.com the women’s basketball contact and can be school in one place. reached at (615) 690-6687 or [email protected]. OVC DIGITAL NETWORK OVC GAMES ON THE RADIO/INTERNET Austin Peay OVCSPORTS.COM In August 2012 the OVC rebranded its web- On the Radio ...... WVRY-FM 105.1 The offi cial Website of the Ohio Valley Confer- streaming platform as the OVC Digital Network On the Internet...... www.LetsGoPeay.com ence is OVCSports.com. The website is a direct (www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com). The OVCDN Talent ..Greg Walker, David Loos (m), Van Stokes (w) partnership with SIDEARM Sports. The Website is the exclusive home for live web streamed Belmont contains all the latest news on the conference athletic contests involving OVC schools. Over- On the Radio ...... 104.5 The Zone (m) including releases, statistics and standings. all this marks the seventh year the OVC has On the Internet...... www.BelmontBruins.com Talent ...... Kevin Ingram streamed live events, but this year is the fi rst Eastern Illinois OVC COACHES TELECONFERENCES the events have been offered free of charge and On the Radio ...... Hit Mix 88.9 (WEIU) During the regular season a monthly teleconfer- in an HD format that features improved quality. On the Internet...... www.weiuhitmix.net ence featuring the league’s basketball coaches Users will also fi nd it easier to log onto the site Talent ...... Mike Bradd (m), Ryan Piers (w) will be held on select Tuesday’s (men) and and access the streams, as they can do so with Eastern Kentucky On the Radio ...... WCYO-FM 100.7 (m) Wednesday’s (women). Men’s call dates are: no registration and can access the events from WEKY-AM 1340 (w) Jan. 8 and Feb. 5 while women’s call dates are any computer, tablet or smartphone without any On the Internet...... www.wcyofm.com (m) Jan. 16 and Feb. 13. special downloads or apps. www.wekyam.com (w) Talent ...... Greg Stotelmyer (m), Sean Hamilton (w) All eight men’s and women’s coaches that OVC AND SOCIAL MEDIA Jacksonville State On the Radio ...... WLJS-FM 91.9 make the OVC Tournament fi eld will have a joint Media and fans can get the latest updates on On the Internet...... www.jsu.edu/92j press conference on Monday, March 4 at 9 a.m. Ohio Valley Conference happenings by using Talent ...... Mike Parris Central time; a schedule of the teleconference the social media outlets including Twitter and Morehead State will be determined by seeding. Facebook. Followers and fans of the OVC on On the Radio ...... WIVY-FM (96.3) each application will get breaking news fi rst and On the Internet...... www.MSUEagles.com A schedule of what times coaches will appear is have the chance to access special content and Talent ...... Chuck Mraz, Jason Blanton (w) Murray State below. Following each teleconference, the audio receive special deals. The OVC can be found On the Radio ...... WFGE-FM 103.7 (m) will be cut-up and posted online at OVCSports. on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ovcsports WNBS 1340 (w) com for free access. If media members would and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ On the Internet...... www.GoRacers.com like .mp3 fi les of any of the coaches comments, ovcsports. The OVC also has a YouTube chan- Talent ...... Neal Bradley (m), Kyle Rogers (w) please contact the OVC offi ce. For information nel (http://www.YouTube.com/ohiovalleyconfer- Southeast Missouri On the Radio ...... K-103 FM 102.9 on how to access the call, please contact Kyle ence) for the latest videos and a blog located at On the Internet...... www.k103fm.com Schwartz in the OVC Offi ce. http://www.ovcinsider.blogspot.com. Talent ...... Erik Sean, Jess Bolen SIUE Men’s Coaches Schedule OVC TOURNAMENT CREDENTIALS On the Radio ...... WSIE FM 88.7 9:55 - Call Opens/Announcements The 2013 OVC Tournament will be held March On the Internet...... SIUECougars.com Talent ...... Joe Pott, Chris Bray 10:00 - Jay Spoonhour, Eastern Illinois 6-9 at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee State 10:05 - Lennox Forrester, SIUE The deadline to request credentials for the On the Radio ...... WVOL 1470 AM 10:10 - Jason James, UT Martin event is MONDAY, MARCH 4 AT 1 P.M. CT. For On the Internet...... www.wvol1470.com 10:15 - Sean Woods, Morehead State the fourth year in a row, ALL credentialling will Talent ...... Albert Dawson 10:20 - Dickey Nutt, Southeast Missouri be conducted online through Sport Systems. Tennessee Tech 10:25 - James Green, Jacksonville State Complete information on the process will be On the Radio ...... WHUB AM 1400 On the Internet...... www.TTUSports.com 10:30 - Steve Payne, Tennessee Tech available in January at OVCSports.com. NO Talent ...... Roger Ealey 10:35 - Dave Loos, Austin Peay credentials will be mailed; instead they can be UT Martin 10:40 - Rick Byrd, Belmont picked up in-person at the Municipal Auditorium On the Radio ...... WCMT-FM 101.3 10:45 - Travis Williams, Tennessee State Media Entrance, located at the back entrance of On the Internet...... www.UTMSports.com 10:50 - Steve Prohm, Murray State the arena, off of 5th Avenue (near Gay Street). Talent ...... Tom Britt, Chris Brinkley 10:55 - Jeff Neubauer, Eastern Kentucky Note: All above radio listings are Flagship stations only OVC TOURNAMENT/PARKING INFO and does not include radio network affi liates. Women’s Coaches Schedule Parking in downtown Nashville and at Municipal 9:55 - Call Opens/Announcements Auditorium is at a premium. There is very little 10:00 - Rob Cross, Murray State on-site parking for the OVC Tournament. Please OVC PRESS BOX PHONE NUMBERS Austin Peay ...... (931) 221-7155/7156 10:05 - Paula Buscher, SIUE visit the following Web site (http://www.parkit- Belmont ...... (615) 460-8554 10:10 - Brittney Ezell, Belmont downtown.com) to located parking garages and Eastern Illinois ...... (217) 581-5135 10:15 - Tom Hodges, Morehead State surface lots in downtown Nashville. Municipal Eastern Kentucky ...... (859) 622-5908 10:20 - Larry Joe Inman, Tennessee State Auditorium is located at 417 4th Avenue North, Jacksonville State ...... (256) 782-5583 10:25 - Carrie Daniels, Austin Peay with side streets being Gay (North), Charlotte Morehead State ...... (606) 783-2500 10:30 - Kevin McMillan, UT Martin (South), 5th (West) and James Robertson/4th Murray State ...... (270) 809-5551 Southeast Missouri ...... (573) 651-5014 10:35 - Jim Davis, Tennessee Tech Avenue (East). Members of the media are SIUE ...... (618) 650-2188 10:40 - Chrissy Roberts, Eastern Kentucky encouraged to make their own hotel accom- Tennessee State ...... (615) 963-7616 10:45 - Ty Margenthaler, Southeast Missouri modations; there is no offi cial media hotel for Tennessee Tech ...... (931) 372-6077/6078 10:50 - Annette Watts, Jacksonville State the OVC Tournament. UT Martin ...... (731) 881-7694 10:55 - Lee Buchanan, Eastern Illinois

2 • 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE STYLE GUIDE Offi cial Institution Name Preferred Athletics Unacceptable Usages PMS Colors “Nickname” Reference

Austin Peay State University Austin Peay, APSU Austin Peay State, AP 200 Red “Governors” or “Govs” (men’s teams) Lady Governors “Lady Govs” (women’s teams)

Belmont University Belmont Lady Bruins Red 186, Blue 281 “Bruins”

Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois, EIU Lady Panthers 2945 Blue, 422 Gray “Panthers” White

Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky, EKU --- 209 Maroon, 429 Gray “Colonels”, “Lady Colonels” (W-Basketball only) White

Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State, JSU Jacksonville, Jack State 186 Red, 122 Gold “Gamecocks” Jax State Lady Gamecocks

Morehead State University Morehead State, MSU Morehead 286 Blue, 116 Yellow “Eagles”

Murray State University Murray State, MSU Murray, Lady Racers 123 Gold, 289 Blue “Racers”, “Thoroughbreds” (baseball only)

Southeast Missouri State University Southeast Missouri State --- 186 Red, 05 Cool Grey “Redhawks” Southeast Missouri, Southeast Black

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville SIUE (preferred) Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 485 Red, 462 Dark Brown “Cougars” SIU Edwardsville SIU-E 7505 Brown, 465 Gold 7504 Light Brown

Tennessee State University Tennessee State, TSU --- Refl ex Blue “Tigers”, “Lady Tigers”, “Tigerbelles” (W-Track only)

Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Tech, TTU, Tech Tenn. Tech, TT 266 Purple, 109 Gold “Golden Eagles”

The University of Tennessee at Martin UT Martin, UTM Tennessee-Martin 289 Blue, 151 Orange “Skyhawks” UT-Martin, Martin

Ohio Valley Conference Ohio Valley, OVC Valley 194 Maroon, 874 Gold Black

Above are the primary logos for the Ohio Valley Conference member institutions. All logos are trademarks of their respective universities.

This reference is intended only for media-related, non-commercial use. For more information or to request access to logos, contact Kyle Schwartz, Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations, at the Ohio Valley Conference at (615) 690-6685 or [email protected].

2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 3 ow in its 65th year, the Ohio Valley Conference continues to build on the success Championship, the No. 13 seeded Eagles were shipped to Denver to play the in-state foe that has made it the nation’s eighth-oldest NCAA Division I conference. In May Cardinals. MSU jumped out to a 15-2 advantage but were down four points (61-57) with N2011 the Conference expanded for the second time in four years, adding Bel- just over a minute to play in regulation. After two free throws from two-time OVC Player of mont University which begins competition in the 2012-13 academic year. The addition the Year Kenneth Faried, the Eagles held for one fi nal shot attempt and senior Demonte of Belmont gives the OVC 12 members, the most the league has had at one time in its Harper pulled up off a cross-over dribble to nail a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left that gave illustrious history. The move added a second team in the city of Nashville and was the Morehead State a 62-61 lead. UofL had one last attempt but Faried blocked the Cardinals fi rst addition to the league since Southern Illinois University Edwardsville joined in 2008. last shot, giving MSU the win, its fi rst over Louisville since the 1956-57 season. The 2009-10 school year saw a change in leadership as Beth DeBauche was named In 2011-12 Murray State put together one of the greatest seasons in OVC history, the seventh full-time Commissioner in league history on July 28, 2009. She is currently beginning the year 23-0 (an all-time OVC best) and being ranked as high as No. 7 in the one of just fi ve females to be the head of a Division I conference, and one of just eight coaches poll on Feb. 6. The squad was the fi rst OVC team to be nationally-ranked since to lead a Division I conference all-time. The last three commissioners of the OVC have Murray State was ranked in 1997-98; in addition the top 10 ranking was the fi rst for an moved onto jobs as the commissioner of the Big Ten, Big 12 and the Mid-American Con- OVC team since the 1970-71 campaign (WKU). The Racers would top nationally-ranked ferences. Memphis and Saint Mary’s during the season and win the league’s regular season and The OVC’s proud history dates back to 1948, but seeds for the new league were tournament championships. MSU earned a No. 6 seed in NCAA Tournament, the highest- actually planted in 1941. It was then that Roy Stewart, the athletics director at Murray State, ever seed for an OVC team since the NCAA began seeding the fi eld in 1979. The Racers Charles “Turkey” Hughes, the athletics director at Eastern Kentucky, and Kelly Thompson, would top Colorado State 58-41 in the second round before falling to Marquette in the the public relations director at Western Kentucky, fi rst broached the idea of forming a new third round. Murray State would win 31 games overall, tying the OVC all-time record the conference. Discussions were put on hold by World War II, but reemerged Feb. 27-28, Racers set in 2009-10. 1948 at the Kentucky Hotel in Louisville as the three original institutions combined with The OVC has now won NCAA Tournament games in four-straight seasons, something Morehead State, Louisville and Evansville to form the OVC. that has never happened in league history (three-game winning streaks from 1960-62 and In the 1950s, the OVC became a pioneer on a much more signifi cant scale socially. 1987-89 had been the previous best streaks). Over that time period (2009-12) the OVC is During times of racial segregation, league member Morehead State became one of the one of just nine conferences nationally to win a NCAA Tournament game in each season fi rst non-traditionally black mid-southern institutions to accept a black student. In 1958, and one of only three non-BCS leagues (joining the Atlantic 10 and WCC) to do so. Marshall Banks earned athletically-related aid at Morehead, which signed a second black During the 2010-11 year Faried, the nation’s leading rebounder during the season, athlete, Howard Murphy, a year later. In 1961, Murphy earned all-conference recognition as became the NCAA’s Modern Era (since 1973) career rebounding leader, totaling 1,673 a halfback in football. With racial barriers broken, the rest of the institutions in the league rebounds which passed Tim Duncan for the record (he is 11th all-time in NCAA history). began to provide educational and athletic opportunities to African-Americans. Faried also fi nished his career with 86 double-doubles, second all-time to only Duncan. The fi rst Division I-AA/FCS football playoff was held in 1978 with only four teams, He is one of only six players in NCAA history to fi nish with 2,000-plus career points (2,009) which is the only year through present day that the OVC did not fi eld a playoff representa- and 1,600-plus career rebounds. Faried was drafted 22nd overall by the Denver Nuggets tive. In 1979, four of the nation’s top teams were invited to the playoffs, and two of them in the 2011 NBA Draft, becoming the fi rst OVC player selected in the fi rst round since - Eastern Kentucky and Murray State - were from the OVC. Eastern Kentucky would go Tennessee State’s Carlos Rogers 1994. on to win the national championship in each 1979 and 1982. Through its 64 years, 12 teams have won or shared the league’s regular season Football wasn’t the only sport in which the OVC was quickly gaining respect. In 1955, men’s basketball title. Murray State heads the list with a Conference-record 23 outright the OVC became only the second six-member league nationally to earn an automatic bid or shared basketball crowns. Other past champions include former member Western to the prestigious NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which, at that time, was limited Kentucky (19), Morehead State (9), Austin Peay (8), Eastern Kentucky (6), Tennessee to only 24 participants. The Conference quickly proved worthy of that bid, as Morehead Tech (5), former member Middle Tennessee (5), Tennessee State (2), former member State defeated Marshall (107-92) and Wayne State (95-84) in the 1956 tournament. East Tennessee State (2), Southeast Missouri State (1), UT Martin (who won its fi rst in Fifteen years later, former OVC member Western Kentucky became the fi rst and only 2008-09) and former member Akron (1). Conference team to reach the Final Four. The Hilltoppers defeated Jacksonville, Kentucky Among the coaching greats in men’s basketball have been Western Kentucky’s and Ohio State before losing to Villanova in double overtime in the national semifi nals. E.A. Diddle, who retired with 759 victories and 10 OVC titles; John Oldham, who was a WKU went on to fi nish in third place after beating Kansas 77-75 in the consolation game. member of the very fi rst All-OVC squad and went on to win seven OVC crowns during his Since that time, the OVC has recorded some of the biggest upsets in the history of coaching tenure at Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky; Paul McBrayer, who guided the NCAA Tournament. Perhaps the most famous moment came in 1987, when Austin Eastern Kentucky to 219 wins and three OVC crowns; and Cal Luther, who is the only Peay came from fourth place in the regular season to win the OVC Tournament and earn person in Conference history to win men’s basketball Coach of the Year honors at two the league’s automatic bid. The Governors drew powerful Illinois, and were such big league schools - Murray State and UT Martin. Current Austin Peay head coach Dave Loos underdogs, that ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale promised to stand on his head if APSU became the winningest coach in OVC history in 2009-10, netting his 319th victory and won the game. After a 68-67 victory over the Illini, and a narrow 90-87 overtime loss to passing Luther on the all-time list. Loos enters the 2012-13 season with 363 victories. eventual Final Four participant Providence in the second round, Vitale made good on his There have been an equal number of great players including Western Kentucky’s promise in a visit to Clarksville two months later. Clem Haskins, who is the only three-time OVC Player of the Year. Several players have Murray State added to the OVC’s string of upsets in 1988 when it knocked off won OVC Player of the Year honors twice: Western Kentucky’s Jim McDaniels (1969-70 and 14th-ranked North Carolina State, 78-75. The Racers’ M&M Boys - Jeff Martin and Don 1970-71), Murray State’s Les Taylor (1971-72, 1972-73), Jeff Martin (1987-88, 1988-89), Mann - combined for 39 points in the win. MSU nearly went on to the Sweet 16 that year, Popeye Jones (1989-90, 1990-91) and Marcus Brown (1994-95, 1995-96), Austin Peay’s losing to eventual national champion Kansas, 61-58. A bank shot by Mann that would’ve Otis Howard (1976-77, 1977-78), Middle Tennessee’s Jerry Beck (1980-81, 1981-82), given the Racers a one-point lead rolled off the rim with three seconds left. In 1990 as a Akron’s Joe Jakubick (1982-83, 1983-84), Tennessee State’s Carlos Rogers (1992-93, No. 16 seed, Murray State took No. 1 seed Michigan State into overtime before falling 1993-94), UT Martin’s Lester Hudson (2007-08, 2008-09) and Morehead State’s Kenneth 75-71; that game still marks the closest a No. 16 seed has come to knocking off a No. 1 Faried (2009-10, 2010-11). in men’s tournament action. More recently, Murray State has dominated the OVC Tourna- The OVC also has the honor of being the only conference to boast the nation’s ment, reaching the championship game every year in the 1990’s. The Racers’ 15 OVC leaders in scoring, rebounding and assists all in one season. That feat was accomplished Tournament Championships are the most among all OVC schools. in 1991-92 by Morehead State’s Brett Roberts (28.1 ppg), Murray State’s Popeye Jones After former member Middle Tennessee State won a fi rst round game in 1989, the (14.4 rpg) and Tennessee Tech’s Van Usher (8.8 apg). league had a drought as no other OVC team won a NCAA Tournament game for the next In 2007-08, UT Martin guard Lester Hudson became the fi rst men’s Division I player 19 years. But Morehead State, coming off a thrilling double overtime OVC Tournament to record a quadruple-double in a game, when he registered 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 victory over Austin Peay, topped Alabama State 58-43 in the Opening Round game at assists and 10 steals in a victory over Central Baptist College. Hudson, who ranked fourth Flyer Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The game was played in front of an Opening Round record in scoring nationally as a junior, returned for his senior season in 2008-09 and was second crowd of 11,346; that crowd included many MSU fans who made the three-hour drive nationally in scoring (behind Davidson’s Stephen Curry) at 27.5 points a contest. Hudson from Morehead for the game. The Eagles season would come to an end three days later earned numerous honors (including OVC Player of the Year and OVC Male Athlete of the when they lost to No. 1 overall seed Louisville, despite playing the Cardinals close for a Year in each 2008 and 2009 and All-American status from several outlets) before being majority of the game. drafted by the Boston Celtics with the No. 58 pick of the 2009 NBA Draft. In 2009-10, Murray State made OVC history by winning a record 31 games (31-5) on In the late 1970s, women’s athletics began somewhat of a rebirth on the national its way to the league’s regular season and tournament championships. In the fi rst round scene as the NCAA began sponsoring and marketing women’s sports. Recognizing the of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 13 seed Racers topped Vanderbilt in thrilling fashion need to provide increased opportunities for female athletes, the OVC established women’s when senior Danero Thomas hit a jumper as time expired to lift MSU to a 66-65 victory. It championships in the sports of basketball, tennis and track in 1977, with cross country marked the fi rst OVC team to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since and volleyball added over the next four years. Those sports were initially governed by 1989, and snapped a skid of 71-straight loses to foes (dating the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), but the overall strength back to 2000-01). In the second round the Racers pushed eventual national runner-up of women’s programs in the league was demonstrated by the automatic bids the OVC Butler to the brink before losing 54-52. instantly received when the NCAA became the governing body in 1982. In 2010-11 Morehead State would make it three NCAA Tournament wins in as many Women’s basketball in the OVC has been dominated by Tennessee Tech, which years for the league and got a bit of revenge for the 2009 tournament loss to Louisville in has won or shared 17 regular-season titles and owns nine OVC Tournament crowns. In the process. After fi nishing second in the regular season and winning the OVC Tournament fact, the Golden Eagles have reached the championship game of the OVC Tournament FORMER COMMISSIONERS OF THE OVC

Art Guepe Bob Vanatta Dan Beebe Dr. (1963-75) (1975-76) (1976-79) (1979-89) (1989-2003) (2003-09)

4 • 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide 21 times in the past 31 years. Although Tennessee Tech remains the standard-bearer, fi ve sented yearly to male and female athletes, while others are commended for their academic other teams have won 13 of the last 19 OVC Tournaments. UT Martin became the latest success by being Medal of Honor recipients or earning a spot on the Commissioner’s Honor program to add its name to the list, capturing its fi rst OVC Tournament title in 2011 and Roll. Additionally, the league annually presents one institutional Academic Achievement repeating as champions in 2012. Austin Peay leads the group with seven crowns includ- Award, as well as separate team awards in each Conference-sponsored sport. Since the ing four-straight from 2000-03 and back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, while Tennessee College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America program State, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State and Southeast Missouri each have won titles during began, the Ohio Valley Conference has had 211 student-athletes honored with the award, that span. including 32 over the last three years (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12). Several coaches have made their mark in the relatively short history of OVC women’s Through the early years of the league, administrators wrestled with fan behavior basketball. Former Tennessee Tech coach Marynell Meadors posted an amazing 363- due to the close proximity of the Conference members and the intense rivalries which 139 (72.3%) record at Tech, becoming the fi rst woman in NCAA or AIAW history to win developed. Just as it did decades ago, the OVC took the leadership role on what has 300 games at the same institution, while former Tennessee State skipper Teresa Phillips become a national issue. In 1995, the OVC implemented a fi rst-of-its-kind “Sportsmanship earned National Coach of the Year honors from USA Today in 1990 for turning around Statement,” a policy which promotes principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect the Lady Tigers’ program before going on to lead TSU to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 for one’s opponent. The statement has become a model for others to follow across the and 1995. Tennessee Tech coach Bill Worrell capped a stellar 20-year career in 2005-06 nation, and has answered the challenge of the NCAA Presidents Commission to improve and was inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame in 2007; he compiled a 408-190 record while sportsmanship in collegiate athletics. leading the Golden Eagles to an unprecedented 16 OVC regular-season titles and eight Additionally, the OVC annually presents the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, NCAA Tournament appearances, including fi ve straight from 1989-93. Larry Joe Inman, in honor of the former Morehead State student-athlete, coach and athletics director, to a who retired at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season and was inducted into the OVC junior or senior student-athlete with signifi cant athletic contributions who best exempli- Hall of Fame in 2009, won more than 100 games at both Middle Tennessee and Eastern fi es the characteristics of sportsmanship and citizenship. Most recently, the Conference Kentucky, and earned OVC Coach of the Year honors a record eight times - fi ve times at has also implemented the OVC Institutional and Team Sportsmanship Awards, which are EKU and three at MTSU. Inman came out of retirement to take the Tennessee State job presented to one institution and 18 sport-specifi c teams voted by their peers to have best and will be in his fi rst year with the TSU program in 2012-13. exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical conduct as outlined by the OVC and Many great players have graced the hardwood over the years, including former NCAA. OVC Players of the Year Brooke Armistead and Gerlonda Hardin from Austin Peay, Pam The vision of leadership demonstrated by the Founding Fathers in 1948 remains Chambers, Jerilynn Harper, Cheryl Taylor, Angela Moorehead, Roschelle Vaughn, Diane alive today as the Ohio Valley Conference prepares for the future. One example is in Seng, Janet Holt and Emily Christian from Tennessee Tech; Morehead State’s Donna regard to the current trend in collegiate athletics administration for increased involve- Murphy, Priscilla Blackford and Chynna Bozeman; Eastern Kentucky’s Kim Mays; Southeast ment of university presidents in setting policies and making rules. The presidents of OVC Missouri’s Gray C. Harris; and Murray State’s Ashley Hayes. institutions, however, have always governed the Conference, long before presidential Bozeman fi nished her collegiate career in 2010-11 by winning her second consecutive governance became a national theme. OVC Player of the Year award. Her 2,170 points ranks her eighth all-time in OVC history, The Ohio Valley Conference sponsors the following sports: baseball, basketball, her 377 made career 3-pointers is fi rst in OVC history and sixth in NCAA history and her cross country, football, golf, tennis and track for men, and basketball, cross country, golf, 1,096 career 3-point attempts ranks fi rst in OVC history and second in NCAA history. soccer, softball, tennis, track and volleyball for women. In addition, the OVC also sponsors The league also had another historical moment in November 2008 when the NCAA the combined men’s and women’s sport of rifl e. awarded Nashville the 2014 NCAA Women’s Division I Final Four. The OVC will serve as Now in its seventh decade of competition, the Ohio Valley Conference has grown the host of the prestigious event, which is one of the biggest sporting events the city of signifi cantly from its humble beginnings while increasing the number of athletics oppor- Nashville can host. The event will be held at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. tunities it provides for students. Current league representatives include charter members Over its 64 years, OVC teams have garnered national championships and bowl Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University and Murray State University, games in football, along with national team or individual titles in the sports of rifl e, cross along with Austin Peay State University, Belmont University, Eastern Illinois University, country, track and golf. Jacksonville State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois Uni- The playing fi eld is not the only place where OVC athletes are working hard. The versity Edwardsville, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and league also recognizes excellence in the classroom. Six Scholar-Athlete Awards are pre- the University of Tennessee at Martin. A LOOK AT THE OVC

2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 5 OVC HONORS AND AWARDS The Ohio Valley Conference implemented a fi rst-of-its-kind “Sportsman- established the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, presented annually ship Statement,” a policy promoting fair play, ethical conduct and respect for to a male or female junior or senior student-athlete who best exemplifi es one’s opponent in 1995. The statement answered a challenge of the NCAA the characteristics of the former Morehead State student-athlete, coach and Presidents Commission to improve sportsmanship in college athletics, and administrator. Hamilton is the only individual to have ever played in a NCAA has become a model for others to follow across the nation. Basketball Championship, a Major League Baseball World Series (New York The development of the OVC sportsmanship statement began in June Yankees) and a National Basketball Association Championship Series (Min- 1993 at the direction of the league’s presidents. A committee made up of nesota Lakers). athletics directors and faculty representatives drafted the initial statement, In 2003-04 the League began awarding the Institutional Sportsmanship and all coaches and other administrators had the opportunity for input. The Award, given to the OVC member institution selected by its peers to have best statement sets forth expectations for spirit groups, offi cials and fans, as well exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical conduct as outlined by as the student-athletes and coaches. Here is a brief synopsis of each group’s the OVC and NCAA. In 2005-06 the League expanded the sportsmanship expectations within the sportsmanship statement. award program by adding the Team Sportsmanship Award. An award is given Administrators: Institutional administrators will create an environment of to each sport sponsored by the OVC and is voted on by the student-athletes hospitality for visiting teams, particularly for those individuals at Conference and coaches of the respective sports. institutions. Administrators will treat the visiting teams and its fans in the same manner that they would want their teams to be treated. Coaches: Coaches have the greatest amount of infl uence over whether OVC SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES young people in their programs are taught and follow the high principles of Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award Winners sportsmanship. The OVC has been benefi ted by coaches who have risked 1998-99 Julie Virta (women’s basketball), Austin Peay losing a contest by removing student-athletes who have demonstrated dis- 1999-00 Michael Turner (men’s basketball), Murray State respect for their opponents. This discipline measure educates that individual 2000-01 Kelly Pendleton (women’s basketball), Tennessee-Martin about the importance of sportsmanship over participation and winning, and 2001-02 Grant Swallows (football), Tennessee Tech helps counteract the constant messages received from many professional 2002-03 Brooke Armistead (women’s basketball), Austin Peay athletes who demonstrate a lack of respect for opponents. 2003-04 Kandi Brown (women’s basketball), Morehead State Student-Athletes: Student-athletes at OVC institutions will be expected 2004-05 Cassandra Peek (women’s basketball), Austin Peay to treat opponents with sportsmanship, and there will be no tolerance for 2005-06 Zac Schlader (men’s basketball), Austin Peay taunting and baiting of opponents. OVC student-athletes must understand 2006-07 Adonia Bivins (women’s soccer), Austin Peay that they are perhaps the most visible representatives of their institutions 2007-08 Beth Boden (softball), Tennessee Tech and their behavior is observed and emulated by many who are younger. 2008-09 Carrie Burggraf (track & fi eld), Austin Peay OVC student-athletes must honor the responsibilities that accompany the 2009-10 Carrie Burggraf (track & fi eld), Austin Peay privilege of representing our schools by behaving with dignity and class on 2010-11 Abby O’Connor (volleyball), Eastern Kentucky and off the fi eld. 2011-12 Jon Clinard (baseball), Austin Peay Spirit Groups: Like our student-athletes, spirit groups are visible repre- Institutional Sportsmanship Award Winners sentatives of our universities, and they are expected to show decent behavior. 2003-04 Southeast Missouri State University Cheerleaders, bands and other spirit groups are admitted to contests to 2004-05 Samford University support their teams and assist in creating a fun atmosphere, but they will 2005-06 Samford University not be allowed to disrupt or confront opposing teams. 2006-07 Morehead State University Offi cials: Offi cials will enforce the rules regarding sportsmanship without 2007-08 Austin Peay State University tolerance for abuse. Players and coaches will receive their only warning prior 2008-09 Eastern Kentucky University to the contest, and once the contest begins, penalties will be assessed for 2009-10 Eastern Kentucky University violations of unsportsmanlike conduct. 2010-11 Southeast Missouri State University Fans: We know all fans are embarrassed by the inappropriate behavior 2011-12 Tennessee Technological Universitiy of a few who may engage in confrontational and threatening actions towards offi cials, visiting fans, players or coaches. Those individuals may be dismissed Basketball Team Sportsmanship Award Winners to provide a better environment for others. 2005-06 Samford (men and women) The Conference believes that the effort to meet the expectations outlined in 2006-07 Eastern Kentucky (m), Morehead State (w) the sportsmanship statement will increase the attractiveness at our athletics 2007-08 Austin Peay (m), Samford (w) events by creating a healthy environment for competition. A complete copy 2008-09 Austin Peay (m), Murray State (w) of the sportsmanship statement can be obtained by calling the OVC offi ce 2009-10 Murray State (m), Southeast Missouri (w) at (615) 371-1698. 2010-11 UT Martin (m), UT Martin (w) The OVC has a variety of awards to recognize sportsmanship by its 2011-12 SIUE (men and women) student-athletes, coaches, administrators and teams. In 1998, the OVC OVC HALL OF FAME The Ohio Valley Conference organized a Hall of Fame in 1977. Membership is limited to coaches, administrators, faculty and staff members who have been associated with the OVC for at least fi ve (5) years and have had extensive outstanding service to the Conference. Unless a tie in the selection procedure occurs, there shall be no more than three (3) inductees annually. Voting for the award is done in the spring and the induction takes place at the OVC Honors Luncheon, which is held annually at the end of May. Following the 2012 ceremony, the Hall of Fame now has 70 members. Dr. Joe Morgan, APSU (1977) Mr. P.V. Overall, TTU (1981) Mr. Edward S. Temple, TSU (1995) Mr. Karl Park, EKU (2005) Mr. Charles Hughes, EKU (1977) Mr. Arthur L. Guepe, OVC (1982) Mr. John Ogles, APSU (1996) Dr. Geri Polvino, EKU (2005) Dr. Robert Martin, EKU (1977) Mr. Charles M. Murphy, MTSU (1982) Dr. Guy Penny, MOR (1996) Mr. Dan Beebe, OVC (2006) Dr. Adron Doran, MOR (1977) Mr. Malcolm P. Quillen, TTU (1984) Dr. Arliss Roaden, TTU (1996) Mr. Paul McBrayer, EKU (2006) Mr. Roy Stewart, MUR (1977) Mr. Ellis T. Johnson, MOR (1985) Mr. John Stanford, MTSU (1997) Mr. Don Wade, TTU (2006) Dr. W.E. Derryberry, TTU (1977) Mr. John “Sonny” Allen, MOR (1987) Dr. Kala Stroup, MUR / SEMO (1997) Dr. Thurston Banks, TTU (2007) Mr. Hooper Eblen, TTU (1997) Mr. Wilburn Tucker, TTU (1987) Dr. Margaret N. Perry, UTM (1998) Mr. Steve Newton, MUR (2007) Dr. Kelly Thompson, WKU (1977) Mr. Johnny Reagan, MUR (1988) Dr. Leon Bibb, APSU (1999) Mr. Bill Worrell, TTU (2007) Mr. Ed Diddle, Sr., WKU (1977) Dr. George Fisher, APSU (1988) Mr. Cal Luther, MUR / UTM (2000) Mr. Elvis Green, MUR (2008) Mr. L.T. Smith, WKU (1977) Mr. John Oldham, WKU / TTU (1989) Mr. R.L. “Buddy” Patey, OVC (2000) Mr. Joey Haines, SEMO/AP (2009) Dr. Dave Aaron, APSU (1978) Mr. Jimmy Earle, MTSU (1989) Dr. Nolan Fowler, MOR / TTU (2001) Mr. Larry Inman, EKU/MTSU (2009) Mr. Bob Laughlin, MOR (1978) Dr. Sam Ingram, MTSU (1990) Dr. Angelo Volpe, TTU (2001) Mr. Chuck Kimmel, APSU (2010) Mr. Ted Hornback, WKU (1978) Mr. Bennie Purcell, MUR (1990) Mr. Jim Ward, EKU (2002) Mr. David Mays, TTU (2010) Dr. Quill E. Cope, MTSU (1978) Mr. Donald G. Combs, EKU (1991) Mr. Roy Kidd, EKU (2003) Mr. Ron English, OVC (2011) Mr. J.D. Rayburn, MUR (1979) Mr. Steve Hamilton, MOR (1991) Dr. Bobby Barton, EKU (2004) Mr. Bobby Nichols, TTU (2011) Mr. Nick Denes, WKU (1979) Mr. James E. Delany, OVC (1992) Mr. Wayne Martin, MOR (2004) Mr. Bob Spoo, EIU (2012) Mr. Raymond H. Brown, TTU (1980) Mr. E.K. Patty, MTSU (1993) Mr. Bill Cornell, MUR (2005) Dr. Dero G. Downing, WKU (1980) Ms. Marynell Meadors, TTU (1993) Dr. David Larimore, TTU (2005)

6 • 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide Beth DeBauche - Commissioner Elizabeth (Beth) DeBauche was named Commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference on July 29, 2009 and began her duties with the league in September 2009. DeBauche (pronounced De-BUSH) is the seventh full-time Commissioner in the 63-year history of the OVC. She follows (1963-75), Paul Dietzel (1975-76), Bob Vanatta (1976-79), Jim Delany (1979-89), Dan Beebe (1989-2003) and Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher (2003-09). DeBauche is one of just fi ve females to be the head of a Division I Conference in 2012-13, and one of just eight to lead a Division I Conference all-time. In May 2011 the league announced the addition of Belmont University to the OVC beginning in the 2012-13 season. The addition of Belmont brings the OVC to 12 teams, the largest membership total the league has had in its history. In her three years with the league the OVC has seen postseason success men’s basketball as Murray State topped Vanderbilt in the fi rst round of the NCAA Tournament in 2010, Morehead State beat Louisville in the second round in 2011 and Murray State bested Colorado State in the second round in 2012. Overall the league has won NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games in four-straight years for the fi rst-time in league history. Overall the OVC is one of only nine conferences nationally (and one of three non-BCS leagues) to achieve that success. Under DeBauche the league has started an extensive strategic planning initiative. In addition student-athletes in the OVC have also continued to achieve high levels of success not only on the fi eld but also in the classroom. In 2010-11 the league had an all-time high number of honorees on the OVC Medal of Honor list. During the past three years 32 OVC student-athletes have been named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. During her fi rst year with the OVC the league announced a change in format and new venue for its men’s and women’s basketball championships. The event now spans four days and is held at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville (previously only the semifi nals and fi nals were played in Nashville), and brings eight men’s and eight women’s teams to Music City for the championship. The format also changed to a merit-based system where the No. 3 and 4 seeds receive a bye to the quarterfi nals and the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will receive double byes to the semifi nals. DeBauche currently serves on the NCAA Committee on Athletic Certifi cation, the NCAA Division I Leadership Council and the NCAA Rules Work- ing Group. From August 2002 through August 2009 DeBauche, along with the vice-president of Division I, was responsible for coordinating Division I initiatives through the NCAA governance structure, as well as helping to manage the Division I agenda. Her duties included developing agendas and providing leadership for the Division I Board of Directors, Presidential Advisory Group and the Leadership Council. DeBauche has overseen the entire Division I governance structure and worked directly with the Legislative Council, the six cabinets and the supporting communications and coordination committee. She was also a liaison to governance representatives, external constituent groups and NCAA staff regarding legislative and governance activities. That role required DeBauche to have regular interaction with the Collegiate Commissioner’s Association (CCA), the CCA Compliance Coordinators, the Division I-A Athletics Directors Association, the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) and the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA). DeBauche also served as a liaison to the Women’s Basketball Issues Committee, the Presidential Oversight and Monitoring Group, the Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group, the Presidential Task Force on Commercial Activity in Intercollegiate Athletics and the Two-Year College Relations Panel. In 2008, DeBauche was named the NACWAA Conference/Organization Administrator of the Year. Prior to her work at the NCAA, DeBauche worked at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) from November 1996 through August 2002. As an as- sistant and later associate commissioner, she managed all aspects of the SEC’s rules compliance program. DeBauche provided NCAA and SEC rules interpretations, developing rules education materials and programming, conducting compliance reviews and assisting member institutions with the NCAA certifi cation program. At times during her tenure, she also served as the league’s liaison to the faculty athletics representatives, the compliance coordinators, directors of academic support and Student-Athletes Advisory Committee (SAAC) as well as the sports liaison to the leagues women’s golf, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball coaches. From 1996 to 1998 DeBauche was the Director of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) Program for the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA). In that role she was the administrator in charge of issuing all NLI rules interpreta- tions, creating rules education materials and providing NLI rules education presentations as well as being the primary information resource for parents, student-athletes and the media. DeBauche got her start in collegiate athletics at Vanderbilt University where she was the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance from August 1994 to November 1996. DeBauche received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and government from Saint Mary’s College (Ind.) and earned her Master’s Degree in communications from Notre Dame. After completing the Concannon Program of International Law in London, England, DeBauche received her Juris Doctorate from the Notre Dame School of Law. A member of the Illinois, Wisconsin and Georgia Bar, following law school graduation DeBauche worked as an attorney in each Green Bay, Atlanta and Marietta, as well as serving as a Judicial Clerk to P. Harris Hines, who is currently serving on the Georgia Superior Court. DeBauche has been a member of the Notre Dame Club of Indianapolis Board of Directors, as well as a gradu- ate of the Sports Management Institute and a participant in DeBauche speaks at a press conference on May 13, 2011 announcing that Belmont University the Division I-A Athletic Directors Institute. She is a board would become the 12th member of the Conference beginning in the 2012-13 season. member with the Nashville Sports Council and active in the Nashville Rotary. 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 7 Brad Walker - Associate Commissioner/Operations Prior to joining the Predators, Gibbs was a championships assistant with Brad Walker was named Associate Com- the Sun Belt Conference, where she was involved in all facets of coordinating missioner for Operations/Chief Operating the league’s championship events. Offi cer at the Ohio Valley Conference on A native of Port Edwards, Wis., Gibbs received her post-secondary Oct. 19, 2007 and began his duties at the and graduate education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where OVC in Nov. 2007. she was awarded an undergraduate degree in sport management and Entering his sixth year at the OVC in a master’s degree in sport administration. While attending the master’s 2012-13, Walker served as the League’s program at Wisconsin-La Crosse, Gibbs served as a graduate assis- Interim Commissioner from May until mid- tant in the athletics department, assisting with event management. She September 2009. He was also a member of the Division I Championships/Sports also spent seven years as the aquatics coordinator for the city of La Management Cabinet from 2009-11. Crosse, managing the day-to-day operations for fi ve aquatic facilities. In September 2012 Walker begins a fi ve- Jennifer and her husband Matt were married in August 2008. year term on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, where he will help Kyle Schwartz - Asst. Commissioner/Media Relations administer the women’s basketball championship. Walker’s responsibilities at the OVC include the day-to-day operations of Kyle Schwartz joined the Ohio Valley the Conference offi ce, including fi nancial operations, as well as developing Conference as Assistant Commissioner schedules and providing oversight for football and men’s basketball, serving for Media Relations in Nov. 2006. He is in as a liaison with offi ciating coordinators and coaching groups, overseeing charge of publicity efforts for the Conference bidding for and directing of NCAA championship events (including the 2012 and is the primary contact for football, men’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship 2nd/3rd Rounds which the OVC basketball, baseball, men’s and women’s hosted in Nashville), coordination of the Conference television properties cross country and men’s and women’s golf and serving as the director of the men’s and women’s basketball tournament among other duties. He also serves as the among other things. media coordinator for the OVC’s annual Walker joined the OVC after seven-plus years at the West Coast Con- ference (WCC), which is headquartered just south of San Francisco. He basketball and baseball tournaments and joined the WCC in Oct. 2001 as Director of Communications and was later is also in charge of coordinating special promoted to Assistant Commissioner and Associate Commissioner. He was events for the Conference, including the responsible for coordinating the marketing efforts for the WCC’s 13 sports, Honors Luncheon and Hall of Fame. as well as handling all aspects of television, including contract negotiations. Schwartz served as a timeout coordinator for the 2009, 2010, 2011 and That included taking the lead role in negotiating the WCC’s largest television 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments and worked with the ConSIDA contract in league history, a fi ve-year agreement with ESPN. He also worked group at the Final Fours in Detroit, Indianapolis, Houston and New Orleans. closely with the league’s corporate partner program, producing conference In 2012 he served as the Media Coordinator for the NCAA Men’s Basketball schedules for the six round-robin sports, including basketball, as well as Second/Third Rounds that the OVC hosted in Nashville. handling championship management duties. Schwartz came to the OVC after spending four and a half years at the Walker previous worked at the Mid-Continent Conference as Assistant University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo. There he served as the Director of Media Relations and at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass. Assistant Director of Media Relations for two years, was promoted to Media He completed his degree in marketing at Bentley College (Waltham, Mass.) Relations Coordinator in July 2004 and served as Director of Media Rela- in May 1996. He was an all-conference basketball player at Bentley, serving tions in his fi nal year. as team captain his senior season. The Milwaukee, Wis. native is a 2004 graduate of the NCAA Leadership At Northern Colorado, Schwartz helped coordinate the media efforts of Institute for Ethnic Minority Males. Walker and his wife Sonya were married two NCAA, two conference and six independent championships, including in December 2010. four during the 2005-06 school year. Schwartz was honored by Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU.com) with the fi rst annual RESPecting Volleyball Jennifer Gibbs - Asst. Commissioner/Championships (Recognition for Excellence in Supporting and Promoting Volleyball) Award in 2005 and was ranked the No. 3 soccer SID in the country by Soccer Buzz Jennifer Gibbs joined the Ohio Valley magazine in 2004. The 2003 Northern Colorado volleyball guide he wrote, Conference staff in October 2006 as as- designed and edited won third place honors nationally in the CoSIDA publica- sistant commissioner for championships. In tions contest. addition to overseeing the administration of Schwartz also spent two years as a graduate assistant in the Southeast the OVC’s 18 championship sports, Gibbs Missouri State sports information department (2000-02). It was at SEMO that also serves as the Conference Senior Schwartz received his master’s degree in athletic administration, graduating Woman Administrator, as well as the staff with honors. Schwartz received his bachelor’s degree in business adminis- liaison to select coaching groups and offi - tration from the University of Kentucky in May 2000, graduating cum laude. ciating coordinators. She also coordinates As an undergraduate, he interned with the Host Communications publishing the league’s Student-Athlete Advisory group and also worked with the Kentucky Thoroughblades minor league Committee and the OVC’s merchandise hockey team. and awards programs. Schwartz, a native of Flemingsburg, Ky., is a member of the Col- Gibbs was a staff member on Nashville’s lege Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and has served Bid Committee that successfully landed the Division I NCAA Women’s Final on CoSIDA’s Academic All-American committee as a district coordinator Four for the city in 2014. She has also served as a timeout coordinator for since June 2003. He also serves on the NCAA Statistics and Records Ad- the Men’s and Women’s Division I NCAA Basketball Tournament. In 2012 visory Board. Schwartz and his wife, Angella, were married in June 2004. she served as the assistant tournament manager for the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship 2nd/3rd Rounds held in Nashville. Gibbs joined the OVC after serving as sales coordinator for the Nash- ville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). In that role, she was charged with preparing corporate sponsorship proposals, tracking weekly sales activity and identifying new business prospects.

8 • 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide Brian Pulley - Asst. Commissioner/External Aff airs team which included day-to-day management of the law school operations, Brian Pulley was named Assistant Com- strategic planning and executing the mission and goals of the school and missioner for External Affairs on August serving on the law school’s ABA self study committee. 7, 2007 and enters his sixth year with the Prior to working at the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, Conference in 2012-13. Banker worked at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from With the OVC Pulley oversees the league’s 2002 to 2008, fi rst as the Associate Director of Membership Services and web streaming efforts, which included an later at the NCAA Eligibility Center as the Associate Director of Academic overhaul to a non-subscription based model Review. His responsibilities with the NCAA included serving on the national with improved quality beginning in Fall 2012. offi ce legislative team which oversaw the drafting of NCAA legislation and He is also the liaison for the Conference’s interpretations for all three divisions. That role included drafting and publishing multimedia rights holder, IMG College. rules and interpretations for the Legislative Services Database (LSDBi), the Pulley helped develop and executive a NCAA Manuals and NCAA Convention offi cial notices. Banker also served comprehensive marketing plan for the OVC as staff liaison to NCAA committees and councils tied to legislation and inter- Basketball Championship as the event ex- pretations, fi nancial aid, recruiting and playing and practice seasons. From panded and moved to Municipal Auditorium spring 2007 to July 2008 he managed the day-to-day operations of the NCAA in Nashville prior to the 2010-11 season. The 2012 OVC Basketball Tournament Eligibility Center academic review team which oversaw the administration of saw the second-highest attendance at a neutral site in the event’s history. initial eligibility waivers and prospective student-athlete reviews for Division Pulley brought over fi ve years of sales experience to his current position, I and Division II institutions. including completing an internship with the Conference in 2005-06. He has Banker received his bachelor of arts degree in print journalism from the cultivated relationships for an array of business types and brings a comprehen- University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. in December 1997. A member sive knowledge of game day operations as it applies to corporate activation. of the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, Banker was a three-time letter Pulley came to the OVC after being an account executive with ISP winner for the Tommies football team. Banker received his Juris Doctorate Sports in Atlanta, Ga., where he was responsible for soliciting and cultivat- from the Marquette University Law School in May 2001. At Marquette he was ing corporate partners for Georgia Tech Athletics. He also helped develop the president of the St. Thomas More Society and a member of the Sports and implement promotions for Georgia Tech football, baseball and men’s basketball as well as being responsible for managing advertising inventory Law Society. for Georgia Tech. Banker has been an active member and volunteer with the Boys & Girls Pulley, a native of Springfi eld, Tenn., received his bachelor’s degree in Club and volunteers as a big brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program public relations from Middle Tennessee State University in December 1998. of Middle Tennessee. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar Association, He completed his master’s of science degree in sports administration from the National Association of Academic Advisors (N4A), the National Association Belmont University in May 2006. for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) and the National Association of Collegiate It was during graduate school that he served as an intern with the Ohio Directors of Athletics (NACDA). He also serves as an adjunct professor with Valley Conference, helping establish a group sales base, formulating a Belmont University’s Masters in Sports Administration program. marketing plan and assisting with the OVC Basketball Championship among Banker is a native of Wauwatosa, Wis. other duties. Pulley is active with the Big Brother Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. Heather Brown - Director of Media Relations He and his wife Ashley were married in April 2011. Heather Brown is in her ninth year with the Ohio Valley Conference in 2012-13. After Matt Banker - Asst. Commissioner/Institutional Services the completion of a 10-month internship with the OVC, she served in the position Matthew Banker was named Assistant of Assistant Director for Media Relations Commissioner for Institutional Services on until her promotion of Director of Media Dec. 11, 2009 and began his duties with the Relations in Dec. 2006. OVC on Jan. 4, 2010. At the OVC, Banker oversees the confer- Brown, the longest tenured member of ence’s compliance operations and NCAA the OVC staff, is the primary contact for rules education programming to OVC soccer, volleyball, women’s basketball, member institutions. In conjunction with the softball, men’s and women’s track and NCAA Division I legislative cycle, Banker fi eld, men’s and women’s rifl e and men’s leads the conference’s review of legislative and women’s tennis. proposals annually including coordination Brown has done extensive work with NCAA Championships, fi rst serving of the OVC’s position on each proposal. as the assistant media relations coordinator for the fi rst and second rounds Banker also conducts NCAA compliance of the 2005 NNCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and the reviews for OVC member institutions. As Second and Third Rounds of the 2012 Championship in Nashville. She has part of the OVC governance structure, Banker serves as liaison to the OVC’s also worked the fi rst and second round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament Board of Faculty Athletics Representatives, the academic services directors in each 2004, 2006 and 2007 and the Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2008 and the institutional athletics compliance staff. Banker currently serves as the and 2011. OVC’s representative on the NCAA Division I Legislative Council and also Brown was instrumental in getting the OVC started in the social network/ manages the National Letter of Intent (NLI) program for the OVC. Banker currently serves on the Division I Subcommittee on Legislative new media phenomenon, starting both Facebook and Twitter accounts for Relief, is the chair of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) the league. Goverance Subcommittee and was selected to serve as vice-chair of the Prior to working with the Conference, the West Liberty, Ohio, native Division I Legislative Council for the 2012-13 academic year. served a three-month internship in the sports information offi ce at The Ohio Banker joined the OVC staff after serving as the Assistant Dean for State University after a one-year stint as a student assistant in the Bowling Student Affairs at the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, Ind. Green State University sports information offi ce. from 2008-09. Banker, while at IU School of Law, managed a variety of student A 2003 graduate of BGSU, Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in sports services and administration functions including counseling law students on management with an emphasis in sports information. She is a member of personal and curricular matters, advising law student organizations, orga- the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). nizing new student orientation and spring commencement, managing the annual budget, coordinating the administration of fi nal exams and oversight of the student handbook. Banker also served on the Dean’s senior leadership

2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 9 Jon Kuka - OVC IMG Sports Marketing Curtis Shaw - Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Offi cials Curtis Shaw is the coordinator of Men’s Jon Kuka joined the Ohio Valley Con- Basketball Offi cials for the Ohio Valley ference staff in April 2010 as the General Conference. Manager for OVC IMG Sports Marketing. Shaw was annually been recognized as Kuka brought over 10 years in sales and one of the top offi cials in the nation, having sports marketing experience to the position. worked six NCAA Final Fours, including He joined the Conference staff as part the 2009 NCAA Championship game. He of the OVC’s agreement with IMG College was selected to offi ciate NCAA Tournament which was signed in February 2008. With games for 18 consecutive years, including the deal, IMG represents the OVC through regional games from 2004 through 2010. category exclusive corporate partnership After working the 2010 Final Four, Shaw sales, as well as radio broadcast production retired from active offi ciating duty to work and distribution for the men’s basketball full-time as an offi cials coordinator. It was championship and other championship events. announced in May 2010 that Shaw would head a consortium for men’s offi ciat- In 2011 Kuka was the recipient of the prestigious IMG Chairman’s Cup ing with the OVC, Big 12, Conference USA and the Southland Conferences. Award. Shaw served as the OVC’s Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Offi cials Prior to joining the OVC Kuka was the Director of Sales for Nelligan from 2001-02 through the 2010-11 season before relinquishing those duties Sports Marketing at Middle Tennessee State University for two years. In to concentrate on the men’s offi ciating program. that position he managed corporate sponsorships and initiated multimedia A fi xture at numerous postseason conference tournaments and league marketing rights for the Blue Raiders athletic department. championship games, Shaw worked the NIT Season Tipoff and postseason From 2001-07 Kuka worked in Knoxville with the Tennessee Smokies NIT. During the course of his career, he has offi ciated games in the Big 12, baseball club, the AA affi liate of the Chicago Cubs. He began as a group sales Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Southeastern, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, representative and was promoted to Director of Group Sales and eventually Sun Belt, Atlantic Sun, Southland, Southern and Western Athletic conferences. Director of Sales. As the Director of Sales, Kuka oversaw ticket sales and He also saw action in Conference USA, the and Colonial corporate sponsorships sales. Athletic Association. Kuka received his bachelor’s degree in sports administration from the He earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Exercise Health and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2000. While in school Kuka interned Leisure Science (Sport Administration concentration) from the University of with the Chattanooga Sports & Events Committee that assisted in marketing Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2008. Born in Paducah, Ky. on May 31, 1960, the city for attracting events such as the NCAA Division I Football National he currently resides in Indianapolis, Ind. and has two children. Championship. He was also a member of the university cycling club and a participant in the 1999 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. Kuka completed his MBA from Ohio Valley Conference member Ten- nessee Tech University in 2009. A native of Chattanooga, Kuka resides with his wife, Alicia, daughter, Leah, and son, Andrew, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Sally Bell - Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Offi cials Sally Bell was named Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Offi cials for the Ohio Jenny Kulchar - Administrative Assistant Valley Conference in March 2011. The newest addition to the Ohio Valley Bell, who has over 30 years of college Conference, joining the Conference in women’s basketball offi ciating experience, February 2010, Jenny Kulchar serves as will be responsible for the recruiting, train- the Administrative Assistant to the Com- ing, assigning and evaluating of women’s missioner and OVC staff. basketball offi cials for the league. She also Prior to joining the OVC, Kulchar spent works with the Atlantic Sun, Southeastern, a year and a half with Dye, Van Mol & Law- Southland, Southwestern Athletic and Sun rence, a public relations fi rm in downtown Belt Conferences. Nashville, as a receptionist where she Bell began offi ciating high school bas- performed administrative duties for the ac- ketball in 1975, moved on to NAIA and counting department and worked on various NJCAA games in 1979, and fi rst offi ciated Division I and II games in 1981. client accounts including Bridgestone and She offi ciated 15 Women’s Final Fours, including 13 straight from 1993-2005 Jack Daniels. and in 1991 was named the Naismith College Women’s Basketball Offi cial Kulchar moved to Nashville in January 2007 to complete her degree of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. with an internship in the publicity department at Provident Label Group. After The Dublin, Ga. native received a bachelor’s degree from the University graduating she gained temporary employment at L.A.B. Media as the PR of Georgia in 1975 and a master’s degree from North Georgia College in Coordinator. 1981. Her international offi ciating experience includes the 2000 Olympic She continued her administrative and public relations career as the Offi ce Exhibition in Honolulu, Hawaii; 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Manager for New Business Development in addition to being the Business 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia; 1993 World University and PR Liaison for Make It Beautiful, a nonprofi t organization. Games in Buffalo, New York; and 1990 World Championships in Malaysia. Kulchar, a 2007 graduate of Central Michigan University, earned her She also served as a member of the U.S. Olympic Selection Committee for bachelors in Integrative Public Relations minoring in Interpersonal and Public offi cials from 1996-2004. Communication with a concentration in the area of event planning. Bell and her husband, Jack, reside in Dahlonega, Ga.

10 • 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide NCAA DIVISION I CONFERENCE ALIGNMENTS AMERICA EAST (9) BIG SOUTH (12) HORIZON (9) NORTHEAST (12) SOUTHLAND (10) Albany (N.Y.) NORTH Cleveland State Bryant Central Arkansas Binghamton Campbell Detroit Central Connecticut State Lamar Boston University High Point Green Bay Fairleigh Dickinson McNeese State Hartford Liberty Illinois-Chicago Long Island Nicholls State Maine Longwood Loyola (Ill.) Monmouth Northwestern State UMBC Radford Milwaukee Mt. St. Mary’s Oral Roberts New Hampshire VMI Valparaiso Quinnipiac Sam Houston State Stony Brook Wright State Robert Morris Southeastern Louisiana Vermont SOUTH Youngstown State Sacred Heart Stephen F. Austin Charleston Southern St. Francis (N.Y.) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ATLANTIC COAST (12) Coastal Carolina IVY (8) St. Francis (Pa.) Boston College Gardner-Webb Brown Wagner SOUTHWESTERN (10) Clemson UNC Asheville Columbia Alabama A&M Duke Presbyterian Cornell OHIO VALLEY (12) Alabama State Florida State Winthrop Dartmouth EAST Alcorn State Georgia Tech Harvard Belmont Arkansas-Pine Bluff Maryland BIG TEN (12) Penn Eastern Kentucky Grambling Miami (Fla.) Illinois Princeton Jacksonville State Jackson State North Carolina Indiana Yale Morehead State Mississippi Valley State North Carolina State Iowa Tennessee State Prairie View Virginia Michigan METRO ATLANTIC (10) Tennessee Tech Southern University Virginia Tech Michigan State Canisius Texas Southern Wake Forest Minnesota Fairfi eld WEST Nebraska Iona Austin Peay SUMMIT (9) ATLANTIC SUN (10) Northwestern Loyola (Md.) Eastern Illinois IPFW East Tennessee State Ohio State Manhattan Murray State IUPUI Florida Gulf Coast Penn State Marist Southeast Missouri State UMKC Jacksonville Purdue Niagara SIUE #Nebraska-Omaha (2016) Kennesaw State Wisconsin Rider UT Martin North Dakota State Lipscomb St. Peter’s Oakland Mercer BIG 12 (10) Siena PAC-12 (12) Oral Roberts #Northern Kentucky (2017) Baylor Arizona South Dakota North Florida Iowa State MID-AMERICAN (12) Arizona State South Dakota State S.C. Upstate Kansas EAST California Western Illinois Stetson Kansas State Akron Colorado Oklahoma Bowling Green Oregon SUN BELT (11) ATLANTIC 10 (16) Oklahoma State Buffalo Oregon State EAST Butler TCU Kent State Southern California Florida Atlantic Charlotte Texas Miami (Ohio) Stanford FIU Dayton Texas Tech Ohio UCLA Middle Tennessee Duquesne West Virginia Utah South Alabama Fordham WEST Washington Troy George Washington BIG WEST (10) Ball State Washington State Western Kentucky La Salle UC Davis Central Michigan Massachusetts UC Irvine Eastern Michigan PATRIOT (8) WEST Rhode Island UC Riverside Northern Illinois American UALR Richmond UC Santa Barbara Toledo Army Arkansas State St. Bonaventure Cal Poly Western Michigan Bucknell Louisiana-Lafayette St. Joseph’s Cal State Fullerton Colgate Louisiana-Monroe Saint Louis Cal State Northridge MID-EASTERN (13) Holy Cross North Texas Temple Hawaii Bethune-Cookman Lafayette VCU Long Beach State Coppin State Lehigh WEST COAST (9) Xavier Pacifi c Delaware State Navy BYU Florida A&M Gonzaga BIG EAST (15) COLONIAL (11) Hampton SOUTHEASTERN (14) Loyola Marymount Cincinnati Delaware Howard Alabama Pepperdine Connecticut Drexel Maryland-East. Shore Arkansas Portland DePaul George Mason Morgan State Auburn St. Mary’s (Calif.) Georgetown Georgia State Norfolk State Florida San Diego Louisville Hofstra North Carolina A&T Georgia San Francisco Marquette James Madison North Carolina Central Kentucky Santa Clara Notre Dame UNC Wilmington Savannah State LSU Pittsburgh Northeastern South Carolina State Mississippi WESTERN ATHLETIC (10) Providence Old Dominion Mississippi State Denver Rutgers Towson MISSOURI VALLEY (10) Missouri Idaho St. John’s (N.Y.) William & Mary Bradley South Carolina Louisiana Tech Seton Hall Creighton Tennessee New Mexico State South Florida CONFERENCE USA (12) Drake Texas A&M San Jose State Syracuse UAB Evansville Vanderbilt Seattle Villanova UCF Illinois State Texas-Arlington East Carolina Indiana State SOUTHERN (12) UTSA BIG SKY (11) Houston Missouri State NORTH Texas State Eastern Washington Marshall UNI Appalachian State Utah State Idaho State Memphis Southern Illinois Chattanooga Montana Rice Wichita State Elon INDEPENDENTS (2) Montana State SMU UNC Greensboro Cal St. Bakersfi eld North Dakota Southern Mississippi MOUNTAIN WEST (9) Samford New Orleans Northern Arizona Tulane Air Force Western Carolina Northern Colorado Tulsa Boise State #RECLASSIFYING (2) Portland State UTEP Colorado State SOUTH Nebraska-Omaha (2015-16) Sacramento State Fresno State College of Charleston Northern Kentucky (2016-17) Southern Utah GREAT WEST (5) Nevada Citadel Weber State Chicago State UNLV Davidson Houston Baptist New Mexico Furman NJIT San Diego State Georgia Southern Texas-Pan American Wyoming Wofford Utah Valley

2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 11 OVC TO HOST 2014 NCAA WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR On Nov. 14, 2008 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) informed representatives from the Ohio Valley Con- ference and the Nashville Sports Council that the City of Nashville has been awarded the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four. The event will take place at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. In conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four, Nashville will also host the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Convention. The WBCA is the national association of approximately 5,000 basketball coaches representing all levels of the game, including junior high, AAU, high school, college and professional. Nashville was one of fi ve cities awarded the Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four’s between the years of 2012 and 2016. Other cities selected to host the Final Four during that time period include (with arena and host institution):

• 2013: New Orleans, New Orleans Arena, University of New Orleans • 2014: Nashville, Bridgestone Arena, Ohio Valley Conference • 2015: Tampa Bay, St. Pete Times Forum, University of South Florida • 2016: Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium, Butler University/IUPUI/Horizon League

The process to secure the Division I Women’s Final Four began in January 2008 with an initial meeting of the Music City Bid Committee, co-chaired by Vice-Mayor Diane Neighbors and Margaret Behm. The OVC and Nashville Sports Council submitted an offi cial bid to the NCAA in June 2008 and were announced as one of the eight fi nalists in August 2008. The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and NCAA staff made a two-day visit to Nashville in mid-October 2008 and Nashville’s local bid committee made a fi nal presentation to the NCAA in Indianapolis on Nov. 12, 2008. “This is great news for Nashville”, said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. “I applaud the Sports Council, the Ohio Valley Con- ference and the bid committee for all the work they put into making this happen, specifi cally Vice-Mayor Diane Neighbors and Margaret Behm. This news speaks to what a great destination Nashville is for large events and their participants, and it helps validate the need for a new, much larger convention center downtown. This event is only possible because by 2014 the Music City Center will be open and fully operational. I look forward to Nashville hosting this event and to showing the Women’s Final Four participants all that Music City has to offer.” “This is a great day for Music City,” said Nashville Vice-Mayor and Music City Bid Committee Co-Chair Diane Neighbors. “The Nashville team worked very hard and produced a fantastic proposal. Over the next six years we will be putting together a Final Four that players, coaches, and fans won’t forget. Congratulations Nashville!” “The community wide support we have received throughout the bid process has been phenomenal,” said Music City Bid Committee Co-Chair Margaret Behm. “That broad ranging support coupled with Middle Tennessee’s long tradition of celebrating women’s basketball makes Nashville the perfect host site for the 2014 Women’s Final Four.” “This is a phenominal event to celebrate coming to Nashville,” said Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “The Women’s Basketball Committee having faith in the OVC and Nashville Sports Council to serve as hosts is a tribute to our organizations. It will be a fun ride to exceed their expectations and make 2014 the best Women’s Final Four ever.” “We are pleased that the NCAA has awarded the 2014 Women’s Final Four to Nashville,” said Nashville Sports Council President & CEO Scott Ramsey. “This event is one of the most high profi le annual events on the national sports calendar and will bring tremendous national exposure, prestige and economic impact to our community. We look forward to beginning the planning and preparation to host an unforgettable experience for the student-athletes, fans and everyone associated with the Women’s Final Four.” When evaluating prospective host cities, the committee reviewed each city’s competition venue, convention center, hotel community, transportation plans, legacy programs and fi nancial commitment, as well as the com- munity’s and prospective host institution/ conference’s overall commitment to the event. “The women’s basketball committee invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in the Women’s Final Four site selection process,” said Jacki Silar, chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basket- ball Committee and associate director of athletics at Duke University. “It was a very diffi cult and important decision and it was

12 • 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide Bridgestone Arena, the home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, has hosted numerous basketball tournaments, including the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball 2nd/3rd Rounds, an event which the Ohio Valley Conference served as hosts. the committee’s charge to determine which of the cities would best serve as future host sites for the pinnacle of women’s basketball – the Women’s Final Four. The committee appreciated the work and effort of each of the cities that participated in this bid selection process. Committee members evaluated each prospective host city based on many criteria, weighing each element’s importance and what is critical to successfully host a Women’s Final Four.” “We would like to express our appreciation to the prospective host cities and bid committees that participated in the bid process for the 2012-16 Women’s Final Four,” said NCAA Executive Vice President Tom Jernstedt. “The time, effort and enthusiasm in each of their bids were noteworthy and because of this kind of commitment and engagement, the Women’s Final Four will continue to be the outstanding ’celebration’ of women’s basketball that it has become. This was a diffi cult decision by the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, and I applaud their efforts in determining the fi ve cities that will serve as the future host cities for the pinnacle event in women’s basketball.” “The selection of Nashville and the Ohio Valley Conference to host the NCAA Final Four is an example of the quality work this conference does on behalf of the student-athletes that call the OVC home,” said Rob Cross, Murray State University head women’s basketball coach. “As a conference we certainly value the opportunity to host such a tremendous event in the home of our own tournament championship. We look forward to the rest of the nation seeing what we already know...that the people of this area are extremely passionate about basketball. As the excitement builds for the Final Four in Nashville it will certainly help build upon the reputation the OVC enjoys as an exciting basketball league.” “Having Nashville host the Women’s Final Four is beyond exciting,” said Tracee Wells, Tennessee State University head women’s basketball coach. “Nashville is a great city that has many things for visitors to get involved in like music, theatre, sports and history to name a few. Music City will more than welcome the thousands of fans who travel to support women’s basketball. Both the OVC and the WBCA are always looking for ways to grow the women’s game; Nashville will be a great atmosphere to showcase great basketball while showing great fans a great time in a great city!”

2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 13 OVC BASKETBALL VENUES

AUSTIN PEAY EASTERN KENTUCKY /Dave Aaron Arena/Dave Loos Court (7,875) Alumni Coliseum/Paul S. McBrayer Arena (6,500) Opened: 1975 Opened: 1963 Press Row Phone: (931) 221-7155 Press Row Phone: (859) 622-5908

BELMONT JACKSONVILLE STATE (5,000) (5,500) Opened: 2003 Opened: 1974 Press Row Phone: (615) 460-8554 Press Row Phone: (256) 782-5583

EASTERN ILLINOIS MOREHEAD STATE (5,300) Ellis T. Johnson Arena (6,500) Opened: 1966 Opened: 1981 Press Row Phone: (217) 581-5135 Press Row Phone: (606) 783-2500

14 • 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide MURRAY STATE TENNESSEE STATE CFSB Center (8,600) Gentry Center/John B. McClendon Court (10,500) Opened: 1998 Opened: 1981 Press Row Phone: (270) 809-5551 Press Row Phone: (615) 963-7616

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE TENNESSEE TECH (7,000) (9,280) Opened: 1987 Opened: 1977 Press Row Phone: (573) 651-5014 Press Row Phone: (931) 372-6077

SIUE UT MARTIN Sam M. (4,000) Tom and Kathleen Elam Center/Skyhawk Arena (5,000) Opened: 1984 Opened: 1975 (fi rst game 1978) Press Row Phone: (618) 650-2188 Press Row Phone: (731) 881-7694

2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 15 LIVE EVENTS STREAMED FREE WATCH YOUR FAVORITE OVC TEAMS FREE ON YOUR COMPUTER, TABLET OR SMARTPHONE