Ohio Valley Conference At the Quarter Pole

Three Tiers of Competition

(St. Louis, MO) – We are at the quarter pole of the Ohio Valley Conference season and the three tiered race is alive and well. There are three races going on. One for the top two spots in the race, one in the middle and one to qualify.

We’ll outline all three and list our favorites for end-of-season honors.

With three-quarters of the season left, we know that virtually everything could change. Injuries are already mounting up for some teams, and while the league plays a true, round-robin schedule, when those games were or will be played is also a factor.

Expected Top Tier Teams at the Quarter Pole

Four of the eleven Ohio Valley Conference teams are currently tied for first place with 4-1 records. Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee Martin and Tennessee State have broken from the pack. SEMO was picked second and Tennessee State fourth in the league’s preseason poll.

The Redhawks played a difficult non-conference schedule and were learning to play with a revamped backcourt, but seem to have found themselves in league action. During OVC play, Brad Korn’s team leads all OVC teams in rebound margin (+5.2), field goal percentage (.493), defensive field goal percentage (.395) and blocked shots (4.8).

B.J. Ward and Luke Almodovar are the new-look backcourt. They are each top ten scorers and Ward leads the conference free throw percentage while dishing out 3.8 assists per game. Brendan Terry exploded for thirty points Thursday night. If he begins to produce like many thought he would, this is a team that will stay in the top tier.

TSU is the league’s best offensive team. Nolan Smith’s team leads the OVC in scoring (84.4 ppg), three point percentage (.424) and they are second in steals. Three Tigers are averaging double digits in league play.

League leader Travis Harper II (22.4), Aaron Nkrumah (14.8) and Antoine Lorick III (12.8) aren’t the only gunners on this team, but all three also rank in the conference’s top ten in field goal percentage.

Harper almost never misses a free throw and Nkrumah is the league’s top theft (3.2 steals per game).

Surprise Top Tier Contenders

Lindenwood (79.2) is second to TSU in scoring and are guarding the three point line. The Lions are yielding a measly .286 success rate to their opponents’ long range attempts. Kyle Gerdeman’s team is the best offensive rebounding team (13.6 per game) and they play unselfish basketball, while leading the league in assists.

While Lindenwood went 2-0 with Jadis Jones out sick, the 6’6 sophomore is a top contender for the OVC’s Most Valuable Player award. Because he missed those two games, he isn’t listed in the ‘official’ league statistic package yet, but for overall season, the reigning ‘Freshman of the Year’ is fourth in scoring (16.5), second in rebounding (8.2) and first in field goal percentage (.648).

Mekhi Cooper and Clayton Jackson are providing the best point guard play in Lindenwood’s short Division 1 history. Lindenwood is yet to play any of the other top tier teams.

UT Martin is fun to watch. Coach Jeremy Shulman wears a coat and tie to the games, all of their contests are close and his players play extremely hard. The Skyhawks aren’t overly talented offensively, but they defend, rebound and make key shots.

They lead the OVC in scoring defense (65.8) and are second in defensive field goal percentage (.402).

The OVC Freshman of the Year will be UTM’s Matas Deniusas and teammate Andirja Bukumirovic is making a strong case as an all-OVC performer. Deniusas is averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds. Bukumirovic is tallying 15.6 and grabbing 7.4.

This top tier is loaded with star power and they are playing their best basketball right now.

Lindenwood hasn’t faced any of the other top tier teams. SEMO defeated Tennessee Tate and the Tigers lost to UT Martin.

OVC’s Middle Tier

This is a surprising and not surprising group. Morehead State and Little Rock are 3-2 and Southern Illinois Edwardsville is 2-3. While the Trojans (1) and Cougars (3) were picked to finish near the top of the league race, both have been side-tracked with injuries.

Before the season even started, Darrell Walker’s team lost preseason player of the year KK Robinson to a knee injury. Neither of his brothers are playing this year. They’ve been playing catchup ever since.

SIUE’s injuries came later. Preseason all-conference wing Ring Malith injured his knee last week and is done for the season. Power forward Myles Thompson had been battling a shoulder problem for weeks and last week he, too, got shut down for the rest of the year. In one official announcement, 27 points-per-game were taken from the Cougar attack.

Little Rock still has all-league guard Jonathan Lawson and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Tuongthach Gatkek. Those two, by themselves, make the Trojans a threat to sneak into the upper tier.

SIUE is seeking to rebuild its offensive identity around a number of players that are used to playing ‘support roles’. Darrion Baker, Jo Valrie, Tyler King and Kyle Thomas are now the players that point guard Jack Campion (leader in assists) will be looking to feed.

Morehead State coach Jonathan Mattox is coaxing his team into a very solid mid-tier team. When you look at the Eagles, nothing jumps out at you and makes you say ‘wow’. Mattox is building a ‘team’ and their identity is coming along slowly but successfully.

The Eagles are third in rebound margin and second in assists. George Marshall has started to emerge as a ‘go to guy’ on the offensive end and Jon Carroll leads the OVC in rebounds.

Trying To Qualify

With just eight of eleven teams qualifying for the OVC Championships in Evansville, currently there are three teams attempting to be that eighth team. Currently Eastern Illinois (2-3) has the edge over winless Western Illinois and Southern Indiana. Technically, EIU is in front of SIUE. Each team is 2-3 and the Panthers own a head-to-head win over the Cougars.

WIU and USI are the two poorest scoring teams in the league. EIU isn’t much better, but the Panthers play the determined defense demanded by head coach Marty Simmons. In numerous league-wide statistical categories, these are three of the bottom four teams.

One bright spot has been the three-point production at Southern Indiana. The Screaming Eagles are tied with SIUE for the league lead. USI makes eight per game. Cardell Bailey and Ismail Habib are dangerous deep threats.

Western Illinois’ Lucas Lorenzen is amongst the league leaders in scoring (17.4) and rebounds (5.2).

Meechie White is scoring (13.2), distributing (2.6) and providing thievery (3 steals per game) for Eastern Illinois where Kooper Jacobi continues to be a rebounding mainstay (8 per game).

Any one of these teams could get hot and force their way into that middle tier and drive past the injury-riddled Trojans and Cougars.

There are 15 games yet to play.

Quarter Pole Honors

It appears that Travis Harper II, Jadis Jones, Jonathan Lawson, Aaron Nkrumah and Andrija Bukumirovic would have the inside track on all-conference honors. SEMO’s Ward, Little Rock’s Gatkek and USI’s Habib may be able to make a case for themselves.

At the quarter poll, this looks to be a three horse race for ‘Player of the Year‘ honors.Harper, Jones and Lawson are the favorites. However, Little Rock would have to contend for Lawson to be pushed across the finish line. Nkrumah has to be in the conversation.

Do Good

 

Editor: Cover photo of Travis Harper II, courtesy of tsutigers.com.