Ohio Valley Conference primer
A team-by-team glance at the Ohio Valley heading into the 2008-09 season.
(In predicted order of finish)
1. Tennessee-Martin
Strengths: The Skyhawks will have the top backcourt in the OVC in senior Lester Hudson and sophomore Marquis Weddle. Hudson averaged 25.7 points a game last season, while Weddle averaged 17.1. Hudson is by far the best player in the OVC and could be an NBA Draft pick. Hudson not only led UTM in scoring and 3-pointers (124), but he also averaged 7.8 rebounds and led the Skyhawks with 148 assists and 94 steals.
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| Quick facts |
| Defending regular-season champion: Austin Peay |
| Defending tournament champion: Austin Peay |
| Top returning scorer: Lester Hudson (UT-Martin), 25.7 ppg |
| Top returning rebounder: Daniel Northern (Tennessee Tech), 9.3 rpg |
| Predicted Finish |
| 1. Tennessee Martin |
| 2. Murray State |
| 3. Morehead State |
| 4. Austin Peay |
| 5. Tennessee State |
| 6. Eastern Kentucky |
| 7. Tennessee Tech |
| 8. Jacksonville State |
| 9. Eastern Illinois |
| 10. SE Missouri State |
| |
| G - Lester Hudson, UT Martin |
| G - Mike Rose, Eastern Kentucky |
| G - Marquis Weddle, UT Martin |
| F - Drake Reed, Austin Peay |
| C - Daniel Northern, Tennessee Tech |
| season previews & primers |
Scouting the newcomers: Mpondo will give the Skyhawks a huge presence at 6-feet-10, 250 pounds. Freshman guard M.J. Brown is expected to see playing time despite the Skyhawks' having a very talented backcourt. Junior forward Eric Massey sat out last season after transferring from McNeese State and should provide depth inside.
2. Murray State
Strengths: Murray State has depth on its roster, but the Racers are also sleek and can run like deer. Coach Billy Kennedy uses that to his advantage to put astonishing defensive pressure on its opponent. Last season, the Racers led the Ohio Valley in field goal defense (.428). Nine players who saw significant action return. Danero Thomas is back on the wing after leading the team with 12.3 points a game. With some talented newcomers also in the mix, Murray State should be too able to run with any team in the league.
Weaknesses: Missing will be true point guard Scott Greenman, who ran the offense last year. Greenman averaged double figures in scoring and led the team in assists as a senior. Finding a suitable replacement for him was Kennedy's top priority. Size is also an issue; Murray State doesn't have a true post player. Only two players are taller than 6-7, but in the height-challenged Ohio Valley, that won't be as big an issue in league games. The lack of size will be most notable in the non-conference matchups.
Scouting the newcomers: Creighton transfer Isacc Miles is expected to make an immediate impact in the backcourt. True freshman Donte Poole, a hot-shooting guard out of Las Vegas, should also see early playing time. Ivan Aska, a 6-7 forward with a big body is also expected to help out on the front line as a true freshman.
3. Morehead State
Strengths: The Eagles certainly exceeded expectations last season, finishing third in the OVC after being picked 10th out of 11 teams. With a very solid group returning, coupled with a solid incoming class, Morehead is expected to be right in the mix. Morehead returns seven of its top nine players and should have a lot more depth in 2008-09. The Eagles have a very solid inside presence with center Kenneth Faried, who averaged 10.5 points and more than eight rebounds, as well as forward Leon Buchanan, who averaged 13.5 points and more than six rebounds. The backcourt also has a chance to be a strength, particularly if a couple of newcomers perform as expected. Morehead is a good rebounding team and a very solid half-court defensive team.
Weaknesses: The Eagles weren't a good shooting team, which coach Donnie Tyndall hopes isn't a problem this season. Point guard could be a concern considering the Eagles lost Nikola Stojakovic, who had 149 assists to just 71 turnovers. Morehead also has to become more consistent on the road if it hopes to be a factor in the OVC race.
Scouting the newcomers: Freshman shooting guard Terrance Hill should provide great depth in the backcourt. He has great range and was the Georgia state tournament MVP a year ago. Junior college transfer guard Brandon Shingles also has an opportunity to make an immediate impact on both ends of the court. Freshman wing Steve Peterson has great athleticism and overall skills. Tyndall expects him to make an immediate impact, particularly on defense.
4. Austin Peay
Strengths: Austin Peay is well coached and has a winning mindset. Despite losing three players from last year's NCAA team, expectations are still high. The Governors should be a very solid team offensively inside, and they feature a great home-court advantage. They also should be a good 3-point shooting team. Senior forward Drake Reed is the top returner, averaging 14.4 points a game last season. Polished around the paint, Reed will certainly be the team's go-to player.
Weaknesses: The Governors took a big hit to graduation. They lost guard Todd Babbington, who hit a team-high 126 3-pointers, as well as guard Derek Wright, who averaged more than 11 points a game. Power forward Fernandez Lockett (10.7 ppg, 6.7 reb.) also graduated. Peay has a solid group of returners but must rely on the newcomers to be in the OVC hunt. Rebounding could be a problem, and it remains to be seen who effective Austin Peay is on defense after giving up more than 76 points a game last season.
Scouting the newcomers: Freshman guard Tyrone Caldwell should give the Governors immediate help in the backcourt. He is a hometown product with excellent skills and quickness. Freshman guard James Harris, from Kalamazoo, Mich., also will provide help in the backcourt and has good range. Freshman Anthony Campbell is a combo forward/guard who should provide depth.
5. Tennessee State
Strengths: The Tigers' strength will undoubtedly be the duo of sophomore guard Gerald Robinson and senior forward Jerrell Houston. Robinson averaged more than 17 points as a freshman and could exceed those numbers in 2008-09. Junior college transfer Lonnie Funderburke should provide immediate help in the paint along with Darius Cox and Stephen Evans.
Weaknesses: The Tigers lost three outstanding backcourt players in Bruce Price, LaDarious Weaver and Reiley Ervin. They combined for 164 3-pointers and 297 assists last season. While Robinson is an outstanding guard, he is going to need more help. TSU also needs to overcome inconsistency, play better defense and rebound better.
Scouting the newcomers: Funderburke should give TSU a big boost inside with his talent and experience. Junior college transfer point guard Jeremiah Crutcher also could make an immediate impact. Guards Parker Smith and Derek Shoecraft are the only two freshmen on the roster. It remains to be seen how much they can contribute.
6. Eastern Kentucky
Strengths: Shooting will be a strength. From senior Mike Rose to freshman Joshua Jones, everyone on the team will be expected to shoot and shoot well from the perimeter. Coach Jeff Neubauer has installed what he called a "John Beilein type offense." The expectation is that everyone on the team will be cranking up 3-pointers. The long caroms from missed shots will even be an advantage, since no one in the Ohio Valley will have a taller backcourt. Ryan Wiersma is back in the post, and the senior has decent size at 6-6, 225 pounds.
Weaknesses: Rose, at 6-3, is the top returning rebounder on a squad that is lacking in size and strength inside. Only one player stands taller than 6-7, 6-9 freshman forward Cordaro Ellis, who has grown an inch and added 46 pounds since he signed out of Lynchburg, Va. Of the projected starters, the tallest are 6-7 Justin Stommes, who is projected as the shooting guard or small forward, and forward Josh Taylor, also 6-7, but with a more powerful build at 245 pounds. Finding a rebounder will be big to Eastern Kentucky's success.
Scouting the newcomers: With fast-paced, quick-shooting offense, Neubauer brought in players he said brought "athleticism, ball-handling and shooting to the table." Ellis could be a valuable addition inside if he develops as a freshman. Guard Joshua Jones, one of Indiana's better high school players last season, will be expected to contribute immediately from the perimeter.
7. Tennessee Tech
Strengths: It starts with coaching -- Mike Sutton is one of the best in the league. TTU returns preseason all-league center Daniel Northern, who averaged 12.8 points and 9.3 rebounds a game last season, and a polished guard in junior Frank Davis. TTU will rely heavily on those two as well as returning guard Zach Barnes and forward RaShun Bryant.
Weaknesses: The Golden Eagles took a major hit in the backcourt, losing all-conference guard Anthony Fisher, who averaged more than 17 points a game and led the Golden Eagles in scoring 20 times last season. TTU returns some experience in the backcourt, but no one as explosive as Fisher. The frontcourt has experience, but losing all-conference forward Amadi McKenzie will be felt in many ways. TTU's rebounding will certainly be a question mark as well as the scoring inside, with the exception of center Daniel Northern. Team defense also is a question mark.
Scouting the newcomers: Junior college guard Elijah Cunningham-Muhammad will have to provide immediate help in the backcourt if the Golden Eagles are going to have any success this season. Freshman guard Zach Bailey isn't expected to be a starter, but he should add to TTU's depth in the backcourt. Freshman forward Kevin Murphy should provide depth but will need to get stronger.
8. Jacksonville State
Strengths: Six true freshmen dot the roster, but every player has to learn what new coach James Green expects. Green liked what he saw from his team after running them through the first practice. Nick Murphy returns for his sophomore season after leading the team in scoring last season (13 ppg). Junior Amadou Mbodji is a returning starter, and at 6-11, he gives Jacksonville State one of the league's few true post players.
Weaknesses: Green has the task of changing the direction of a program that has grown accustomed to losing. The Gamecocks won five conference games last season, and just seven overall. This is not what the program was used to when it played in the Gulf South Conference (Division II). Jacksonville State was widely regarded as one of the top programs at the small college level. Success hasn't followed with the move to Division I. On the other hand, Green did get his former school, Mississippi Valley State, to the NCAA tournament last season and a coach who can win in Itta Bena can win at Jacksonville State.
Scouting the newcomers: Green has six true freshmen and one redshirt freshman to work with. Brylle Kamen, a 6-7 forward, is from Paris, France. The Bronx connection held up as Geddes Robinson comes in after a redshirt year as a 6-5, 230-pound forward. Robinson came in with sophomore Nick Murphy. John Barnes is a 6-foot guard out of Florida, while Brandon Crawford (6-6), Stephen Hall (6-6) and Keynan Jackson (5-7) are all from Alabama.
9. Eastern Illinois
Strengths: Coach Mike Miller thinks his team's strength is its depth. Now in his third year, Miller really only had limitations with his reserves last season. When a player went down with an injury -- like leading scorer Romain Martin -- there were not a lot of options behind him. This season Eastern Illinois can go two to three deep at each position with several newcomers appearing to be quality pieces of the puzzle. Martin was the conference's freshman of the year when he led the team in scoring. But the 6-3 guard tore up a knee last season and was out for the year. Martin, now a junior, said his knee has recovered. Eastern Illinois' other top returner is Ousmane Cisse, a 6-8 center, who was the team's leading rebounder with 5.8 boards a game last season.
Weaknesses: The biggest weakness on the team might be inexperience. With so many new players coming in, creating effective chemistry between veteran and rookie can be a challenge. Eastern Illinois added eight new faces and, while the level of players coming in is better than it has been in the past couple of years, they lack the cohesion of the OVC's best teams. Youth is also a concern; the team has only one senior.
Scouting the newcomers: Eastern Illinois went the junior college route by adding wings T.J. Marion, Jay Smith and Edin Suljic, who can all drive to the basket and shoot. High school players James Hollowell and Zavier Sanders are probably the most ready to play this season.
10. Southeast Missouri State
Strengths: Well-traveled Jaycen Herring is a player to build a team around. Herring, a senior forward, led the team in scoring last season with 13 points a game and also pulled down 3.6 rebounds. This is Herring's third school in four years, and 6-9 forward Calvin Williams, a junior in his second season at the school after transferring from Colorado, has promise. Williams averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds last season.
Weaknesses: Southeast Missouri isn't quite scraping the bottom of the barrel just yet, but the Redhawks have the potential to be among the worst teams in Division I. They ended last season on a 1-14 slide after then-senior Brandon Foust went down with an injury. Just before the start of fall practice, the school fired athletics director Don Kaverman and placed men's basketball coach Scott Edgar on administrative leave amid notification from the NCAA that possible "major violations" had taken place. Missing in action will be Will Bogan, a massive 6-10, 300-pound center who was academically ineligible. Plus, the team's two top recruits aren't enrolled since they failed to meet minimum academic requirements. The missing players, the national headlines over the possible violations and an extremely challenging early season schedule have the potential to combine and spell doom for the Redhawks.
Scouting the newcomers: Junior college transfer Bijon Jones, a quick point guard, led his high school team to a Tennessee state championship and could grab a leadership role immediately, especially with the loss of guard Hank Harris to a season-ending injury in a pickup game. Martin Dames, a freshman guard from Bell City, Mo., could be thrown into the fire early as well since guards will be hard to come by.
