(St. Louis, MO) – As much as things change, they stay the same. Belmont wins conference titles and tournament championships and then they left the NAIA and they won conference titles and tournament championships. Then they left the Atlantic Sun Conference and now they are winning conference titles and tournament championships.
Head Coach Rick Byrd’s Bruins have won TWELVE such titles since 2006 (regular season and tournament). Last year, Belmont’s Ian Clark was the Ohio Valley Conference ‘Player of the Year’. Clark is gone and two time tournament MVP Kerron Johnson is gone and here are the Bruins leading the OVC once again.
The question today is, ‘can anyone derail J.J. Mann’s candidacy as this year’s POY?’ Mann is the best player on the best team in the OVC and has just been named the ‘player of the week’ for the fourth time this season and the second time in the last three weeks. Mann’s drive to the finish line has been impressive.
But his start wasn’t too bad either. The 6’6” Georgia native was named ‘national player of the week’ award in mid November for his 28 point performance during the Bruins’ win over North Carolina. Mann is a finalist for the CLASS award. He is an academic-all district player.
Mann currently is fifth in the OVC scoring, first in free throw percentage, first in steals, fourth in three point baskets and fourth in minutes played. In a word there is no better guard or wing player in the OVC.
You can make an argument for SEMO cousins Tyler Stone and Jarekious Bradley who are both scoring at a higher clip than Mann and are both strong rebounders. Even Eastern Kentucky’s Glenn Cosey deserves consideration. Cosey is third in the league in scoring, seventh in assists, first in three point baskets and third in assist/turnover ratio.
What separates Mann from the pack? Two major differences for the Bruin star. First, HIS TEAM IS WINNING THE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP, and he’s at his best when the game is on the line. The OVC’s best team turns to Mann during crunch time.
He hit the winning shot against North Carolina and in one of last week’s wins Mann made 11 of 12 free throws in the final 95 seconds in a three point victory for Belmont.
Weigh in! I believe Mann will be the OVC player of the year. What do you think?
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