The Ohio Valley conference has been largely UT-Martin’s conference this season behind an all-time year from the Skyhawks that has seen them take down UNLV and Bradley on the road in nonconference play while jumping off to an early 11-2 record in OVC play. But, since losing four of their last five, Jeremy Shulman’s team looks to rebound from a rough stretch.
The main issue during this streak has been the inability to put points on the board. Shulman’s team has been ravaged by injuries this season, with second-leading scorer Dragos Lungu falling earlier this season, and many players finding their ways into and out of the lineup this season. Other than that, the Skyhawks are running into the common problem that many OVC contenders find themselves in, which is an elite defense that cannot finish games. Out of the past four losses, three of them have come by one or in overtime.
Only two home battles remain on the year for the team, with Tennessee State standing by as the final game on the season.
SEMO is back at the right time
We all knew that when Brad Korn welcomed back three starters from last year’s OVC regular-season championship team, the RedHawks would be a favorite in the league, but for the majority of the conference season, SEMO had been overshadowed by a plethora of different teams.
While many were anticipating Troy Cole Jr, Braxton Stacker, or Brendan Terry to be a highlight of this squad this year, no one expected Luke Almodovar, a transfer from St. Francis (Ind.), to lead this team to a top seed in the conference with just three games to go. Once again, it’s the defense that Korn sports that has them tied for a top spot. The RedHawks have the third-best defense in the conference according to KenPom, allowing the lowest offensive rebound rate to opposing teams (27.4%).
With a trip to Little Rock on the docket this weekend and a home stand against Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State still remaining, still much could happen before seeds are finalized for Evansville.
Nolan Smith has the Tigers cooking
Tennessee State is doing what is very hard to do in a conference like the OVC: win games with offense. The Tigers lead the conference in team offense, averaging 81.9 points per outing in conference games, and have the only top-200 KenPom offense in the league.
Led by Travis Harper II and Aaron Nkrumah, Smith’s squad sits tied for first with their incredible efficiency and offensive prowess. With the 31st-nationally ranked tempo (second in the conference), the Tigers are a squad that gets quickly up-and-down the court and scores at a high rate. Every win has been a race to 85 for the Tigers, and with a defense-heavy philosophy in the league, it’s always fun to see success come in a different form.
With three top-five OVC teams standing by to finish the regular season, it’ll be a gauntlet for TSU if they look to finish the regular season as the OVC kings.
Death, taxes, and Morehead State being at the top of the OVC…
Well, you had to assume they’d be back in some form under head coach Johnathan Mattox, and back they are. The Eagles have won eight of their last 10 behind a potent, balanced offense that has methodically probed its opponents.
Opposite of the fast-paced approach of the Tigers, Mattox’s team slows the pace down and wins in the halfcourt. Led by George Marshall and Jon Carroll, the Eagles play largely inside the paint with an emphasis on getting second-chance points and offensive rebound.
Now with three games remaining in conference play, Mattox’s team faces two road bouts with a pit stop at home for a contest with USI. Out of all of the top teams in the OVC, it’s Morehead with the easiest remaining schedule, and many expert’s favorite to finish with the one seed.
