Four Top Contenders

(St. Louis, MO) – Never has a ‘Player of the Year’ race been this crowded. The Ohio Valley Conference has four top contenders and those four players are head and shoulders ahead of everyone else.

The preseason all conference team contained twelve players including three-time all league performer Nick Mayo (Eastern Kentucky), reigning ‘Freshman of the Year’ Terry Taylor (Austin Peay), Murray State’s Ja Morant and preseason ‘Player of the Year’ Dylan Windler. Those four top contenders are blowing away the competition.

Mayo, Morant, Windler and Taylor are the OVC’s top scorers. Windler and Mayo are the most prolific rebounders (Taylor is sixth) and Morant leads the league in assists. These four rank in league’s top six in minutes played.

And they are winning games.

Belmont (9-1), Murray State (8-2) and Austin Peay (8-4) have the best records in the conference and Eastern Kentucky (6-6) already has one more win than all of last season.

Triple and Double-Doubles

Morant has recorded six double-doubles. Windler, Morehead State’s Lamontray Harris and Taylor are tied with five. One of Morant’s was a triple-double against Missouri State. Windler notched 15 doubles last season. Mayo has recorded four double-doubles including his 40-point/12 rebound performance against Chattanooga.

That 40-point performance is one of 11 such performances of 30 points or better by OVC players. Windler recorded three of them, Mayo two, Taylor two and Morant’s one 38-point achievement against Alabama.

 

Record Breakers

Mayo has become the EKU all-time leading scorer with 1,869 points. He is closing in on becoming the first OVC player to reach 2,000 career points since 2012. Morant’s 9.3 assists per game is the nation’s best rate.

Windler’s 1,177 points are fifteenth on the Belmont list as he had to wait his turn to shine in the Bruin talent production line. Playing with and behind the likes of all-time leading scorer Evan Bradds (1,921), Craig Bradshaw (1,698) and Amanze Egekeze (1,350).

Taylor’s freshman rebounding total (291) was an Austin Peay freshman record and his 530 points were the second most by a Governor rookie.

Transformative Players

Each of these four top contenders are transformative players.

Windler’s starting lineup at Belmont includes fellow preseason all-conference nominee Kevin McClain and three freshmen, yet Rick Byrd’s team hasn’t missed a beat. Windler demands so much attention that the baby Bruins have room to grow up. They’re growing up quickly.

Murray State has sent players to the NBA before, but Morant is drawing national attention unlike any player in recent history. Rarely has an OVC player been rumored to be an NBA lottery pick after his sophomore year. High level high school recruits are noticing.

Mayo and head coach A.W. Hamilton are changing the perception of EKU basketball. NBA scouts believe Mayo has ‘NBA game’ and he too, could be drafted next summer.

Austin Peay’s last winning season was 2011 until last year’s 19-15 finish with Taylor and then first-year coach Matt Figger at the helm and the Govs are off to an 8-4 start this season. Transformative players, change programs.

These top four contenders will be knocking on the ‘Player of the Year‘ door all season and it will be fun to watch.

Do Good