MEN’S BASKETBALL SECTION Corey Walden was named MVP of the 2014 OVC Basketball Championship after leading the Colonels to its sixth overall tournament title and fi rst since the 2007 season. 2014-15 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide • 17 PRESEASON ALL-OVC SELECTIONS 2014-15 OVC MEN’S NOTES/PREVIEW Predicted Order of Finish East The Season is Here: The 2014-15 season marks the 67th of competition for the Ohio 1. Belmont (16 fi rst-place votes) 125 Valley Conference. Over the previous 66 years, 13 different teams have claimed an 2. Morehead State (4) 103 3. Eastern Kentucky (4) 102 OVC regular season championship. Last season Belmont won its second-straight OVC 4. Tennessee Tech 71 Championship. 5. Jacksonville State 52 6. Tennessee State 40 Wins in Six-Straight Postseasons: After both Belmont and Murray State recorded West wins in the postseason last year, OVC teams have now at least won one game in each 1. Murray State (22 fi rst-place votes) 132 2. Southeast Missouri (2) 109 postseason for six-straight years, the longest stretch in league history. Morehead 3. SIUE 77 State won a NCAA game in 2009, Murray State won in the NCAA Tournament in 2010, 4. Austin Peay 70 5. Eastern Illinois 64 Morehead State won in the NCAA’s in 2011, Murray State won in the NCAA’s in 2012, 6. UT Martin 40 Eastern Kentucky won in the CIT in 2013, while Murray State won the CIT Champion- ship in 2014 and Belmont advanced to the NIT Quarterfi nals. Overall Champion: Murray State (15 fi rst-place votes) In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball coaches and sports Multiple Postseason Victories: For the second time in fi ve years OVC teams won information directors, Murray State has been picked the favorites in the OVC for 2014-15. The Racers were also picked the favorites in the West multiple postseason games in 2013-14 as Belmont and Murray State each advanced in Division as well, while Belmont was picked the favorite in the East. the postseason (overall OVC teams were 7-3 in postseason play in 2014). The seven Overall Murray State picked up 15 of the 24 fi rst-place votes for the overall total wins are the most for the OVC in one postseason (topping the four wins in the 1971 OVC Championship. Belmont (7), Eastern Kentucky (1) and Morehead season). The last time multiple teams won games was in 2010 when Murray State won State (1) picked up the other fi rst-place votes for overall champion. Bel- in the NCAA Tournament and Morehead State won in the CBI. Overall the OVC had mont has won each of the last two regular season championship since the league expanded to 12 teams. four men’s basketball teams selected for postseason play in 2013-14 (1 NCAA, 1 NIT, 1 CIT, 1 CBI), matching an all-time high for a single season, tying the mark set in 2011. Since Murray State was picked as the overall champion, they were also an overwhelming favorite to take fi rst place in its own division, picking up In addition Murray State became the fi rst-ever OVC men’s team to play in the month of 22 of 24 fi rst-place votes and 132 total points (schools were not allowed to April on its way to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) Championship. vote for themselves). The Racers were followed by Southeast Missouri (who picked up the other 2 fi rst-place votes and 109 points), SIUE (77), Austin Peay (70), Eastern Illinois (64) and UT Martin (40). OVC to Produce 14-Game National Television Package: The OVC will produce the largest national television package in its history in 2014-15 as 14 Conference games will Belmont picked up 16 of the 24 fi rst-place votes and 125 points in be- ing picked the East Division favorite while Morehead State (103) and air on either the ESPN Family of Networks or the CBS Sports Network. The Conference Eastern Kentucky (102) each picked up four fi rst-place votes. The East will once again have seven games on the ESPN Family of Networks, including four was rounded out by Tennessee Tech (71), Jacksonville State (52) and Tennessee State (40). regular season games as well as the OVC Tournament semifi nals and championship game. The OVC will also have a seven-game package on CBS Sports Network, up Preseason All-OVC Team from just four games on the network a season ago. The 14-game package ensures that G/F Jarekious Bradley, Southeast Missouri Sr. G Craig Bradshaw, Belmont Jr. every member institution is on national television at least once this year. G Reece Chamberlain, Belmont Sr. C Chris Horton, Austin Peay Jr. G Cameron Payne, Murray State So. OVC Men’s Hoops in Third Year of Divisional Play: For the third year the OVC will G T.J. Sapp, Murray State Sr. use divisional play for men’s basketball (the OVC women’s teams are not using divisional F Myles Taylor, UT Martin Sr. play this year). The addition of Belmont University on July 1, 2012 gave the OVC 12 G Corey Walden, Eastern Kentucky Sr. G Angelo Warner, Morehead State Sr. member institutions, the largest the Conference has been since it was formed in 1948 F Jarvis Williams, Murray State Sr. (the OVC is currently the nation’s eighth-oldest Division I conference). The East Division Preseason Player of the Year includes Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Morehead State, Tennessee Cameron Payne, Murray State State and Tennessee Tech. The West Division includes Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, The 2014-15 OVC Preseason Men’s Basketball team is headlined by Murray State, Southeast Missouri State, SIUE and UT Martin. Murray State sophomore guard Cameron Payne who was named the OVC Preseason Player of the Year. OVC Tournament Format and Home Enters Year No. 5: After debuting a new format Payne is the fi rst sophomore to be named Preseason Player of the Year and home for the OVC Tournament in 2011, the tournament will once again return to since the award was fi rst handed out in 1993-94. Municipal Auditorium in Nashville this year. Once again the top eight men’s and women’s Overall seven different schools were represented on the team with teams will qualify for the tournament and advance to play in Nashville (as opposed to Murray State having the most selections (3) and Belmont (2) also playing fi rst round games in campus sites) under a merit-based format. On the men’s having multiple picks. Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri and UT Martin had one selection apiece. The squad side the No. 1 and 2 seeds will receive two byes to the semifi nals while the No. 3 and features fi ve players who were either fi rst or second-team selections last 4 seeds will receive one bye into the quarterfi nals. The fi rst round will include the No. season and three players who were selected to the 2013-14 OVC All- 5 seed against the No. 8 seed and the No. 6 seed against the No. 7 seed. Now that Newcomer Team. The team is comprised of seven seniors, two juniors and a sophomore. divisional play is used, the winner of each division is guaranteed one of the top two seeds while seeds 3-8 will be based on overall conference record regardless of divi- Payne was named both a fi rst-team All-OVC selection and OVC Freshman of the Year after averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 assists, 3.6 sion. The OVC women’s teams are using the traditional 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc. bracket rebounds and 1.7 steals/game and leading Murray State to the beginning with the 2014-15 season. CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) Championship (where he was named MVP). OVC Players in the NBA: OVC players are fi lling out NBA rosters to begin the 2014-15 In addition to Payne the other players named to the All-OVC Team last season. Five former OVC players have guaranteed or partially-guaranteed contracts year were Southeast Missouri State senior guard Jarekious Bradley (19.0 points, 6.3 rebounds/game), Belmont junior guard Craig Bradshaw to begin the year, the most former OVC players to start a season in a recent memory. (15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists/game), Morehead State senior Those players included former Morehead State All-American Kenneth Faried (who guard Angelo Warner (17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals/ game) and Murray State senior forward Jarvis Williams (14.9 points, begins his fourth season with the Denver Nuggets and who recently signed a $60 million 9.9 rebounds/game and 64.8 FG%). contract), former Murray State All-American Isaiah Canaan (who begins his second season in the league after being drafted by the Houston Rockets), former Belmont All- The Preseason All-OVC Team is rounded out by Belmont senior guard Reece Chamberlain (10.9 points, 5.5 assists/game), Austin Peay junior American Ian Clark (who begins his second season with the Utah Jazz) and former center Chris Horton (13.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks/game), Tennessee State standout Robert Covington (who begins his second season with the Murray State senior guard T.J. Sapp (13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds/game), UT Martin senior forward Myles Taylor (14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds/ Houston Rockets).