It’s Still Belmont In the OVC

Editor: The following is part of a press release from ovcsports.com.

(Brentwood, TN) – For the fifth year in a row the Ohio Valley Conference has conducted a Preseason Men’s and Women’s Media Poll prior to the start of the season. In total 12 voters from around the league cast a ballot on whom they thought would be the 2018-19 basketball favorites and preseason players of the year.

The OVC will release its preseason poll and All-OVC team, as voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors, on Tuesday, October 23 during the league’s annual Media Day in Evansville.

The media panel picked the Belmont men’s and women’s teams as the preseason favorites. Belmont seniors Dylan Windler and Darby Maggard were tabbed the OVC Preseason Players of the Year.

In the men’s voting, Belmont was one of three teams to pick up first-place votes, picking up six first-place votes and 137 total points in being tabbed the preseason favorites. They narrowly edged out defending OVC regular season and tournament champion Murray State, who received five first-place votes and 135 points in being picked second. Jacksonville State, the 2017 OVC Tournament Champions, picked up the other first-place vote in being tabbed third (118 points). The poll was rounded out by Austin Peay (110), Tennessee Tech (75), Tennessee State (71), Eastern Illinois (66), Eastern Kentucky (62), Southeast Missouri (54), Morehead State (41), UT Martin (41) and SIUE (25).

Pollsters for the 2018-19 OVC Media Poll included: Bob Belvin, OVC TV analyst; Mike Bradd, Eastern Illinois Radio; Neal Bradley, Murray State Radio; Edward Marlowe, Paducah Sun; Mike Organ, The Tennessean; Justin Rust, Journal Gazette/Times-Courier; Harry Schroeder, ValleyHoopsInsider.com; Greg Stotelmyer, Eastern Kentucky Sports Network.

(PS. I was the one vote for Jacksonville State)