Ohio Valley Conference Preview

The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.   Blue Ribbon Forecast No. Team  '01-02 Conf. Rec. (Overall) 1. Murray State  10-6 (19-12)  2. Tennessee Tech  15-1 (24-6)  3. Morehead State  7-9 (17-11)  4. Austin Peay  11-5 (18-11)  5. Eastern Illinois  7-9 (15-16)  6. Southeast Missouri  4-12 (6-22)  7. Tenneessee State  7-9 (11-17)  8. Eastern Kentucky  3-13 (7-20)  9. Tenneessee-Martin  7-9 (15-14)  All-Conference Team Did You Know? G: Cameron Crisp JR, Tennessee Tech G: Ricky Minard JR, Morehead State F: Henry Domercant SR, Eastern Illinois F: James Singleton SR, Murray State C: Damien Kinloch SR, Tennessee Tech Player of the Year Ricky Minard JR, Morehead State Newcomer of the Year Rick Jones JR, Murray State Top Backcourts 1. Tennessee Tech 2. Morehead State 3. Austin Peay Top Frontcourts 1. Murray State 2. Tennessee Tech 3. Southeast Missouri 2002-03 Conference Tournament March 4, top four seeds host first round at campus sites. March 7-8, Gaylord Entertainment Center, Nashville, TN 2001-02 Champions Tennessee Tech (Reg. season) Murray State (Conf. tournament) 2001-02 NCAA Tournament Postseason Record 3-2 (.600) NCAA Murray State NIT Tennessee Tech (quarterfinals) The 2003 OVC Tournament moves back to Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center for the semifinals and championship game this year after being played at the International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky., in 2002. First-round tournament games will be played at campus sites. Tennessee Tech's 27-7 record was the best in school history and its three victories in the NIT were the most ever for an OVC team in that tournament. The three wins were also the most in postseason by an OVC team since Western Kentucky went to the Final Four in 1971. Murray State's OVC Tournament title was its ninth in the last 15 seasons. The Racers have played in all but one conference title game in the last 13 years and have won or shared the regular-season title in 12 of the last 15 seasons. Morehead State led the nation in free-throw shooting (78.4 percent) last season. Eastern Illinois' Henry Domercant, the OVC Player of the Year, was second in the nation in scoring (26.4 ppg) last season. He became Eastern Illinois' first honorable mention All-American in 13 years, chosen by The Associated Press. He needs only 135 points to become the school's scoring leader. Morehead State's Ricky Minard finished in the top 15 in every statistical category in the OVC and was a unanimous All-OVC first-team selection as a sophomore last season. The former OVC Freshman of the Year finished third in the conference and 10th nationally in scoring with a 22.3-point average. He led the league in steals (2.52 per game). Six of the OVC's top 10 scorers return in Domercant, Minard, Eastern Kentucky guard Shawn Fields (16.4), Tennessee Tech center Damien Kinloch (16.2), Southeast Missouri guard Derek Winans (14.9) and Tennessee State guard Garrett Richardson (14.1). Ten of the 16 players earning all-conference honors last season return.

 

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