Murray State University Athletics
The Municipal Auditorium is the host of the OVC Championship March 2-5 in Nashville, Tenn. The court for the tournament was on display during Monday's OVC Media Day Acitivites.
Photo by: Murray State Sports Information
MSU Men's Basketball Voted 1st In OVC Preseason Poll
10/25/2010 10:56:53 AM | Men's Basketball
The Murray State men's basketball team was selected as the top pick in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll in voting conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
The poll was released during the OVC's annual media day at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.
The Racers, who are favorites for the third straight season, totaled 162 points in the poll on the strength of a possible 18 first-place votes.
Morehead State, the team that finished second to the Racers in both the OVC regular season and tournament, was second in the voting with two first place votes and 146 points. Eastern Illinois was third with 123 points, while Austin Peay (107),
Eastern Kentucky (92), Tennessee Tech (85), Tennessee State (81), Jacksonville State (51), Southeast Missouri (41) and UT Martin (20) rounded out the field.
For the first time since 1996, the Racers placed four players on the All-OVC Preseason Team.
Seniors Isacc Miles and B.J. Jenkins are on the team, along with junior Ivan Aska and sophomore Isaiah Canaan. Aska and Canaan also make up the last two OVC Freshman of the Year winners in the OVC.
This quartet represents 53 percent of MSU's scoring from last season as Jenkins, Canaan and Aska finished 1-2-3 in scoring for the Racers. Together they have 226 games of experience.
MSU comes into the season after a very memorable 2009-10 campaign that saw them win a league record 31 games and the program's first game in the NCAA Tournament since 1988 when they defeated Vanderbilt in the first round.
The Racers host Freed-Hardeman (Nov. 9) in an exhibition game at the CFSB Center before playing the season opener (Nov. 15) at home against East Tennessee State.
The OVC's media day also served as a preview of the new and improved Municipal Auditorium. The arena that last hosted the OVC Championship in 2008, is getting many upgrades including a new floor that was on display.
When the tournament comes around in the spring, all eight women's and men's teams will decide champions. Previously first round games were played on campus sites with the semifinals and finals being held in Nashville. The bracket will also shift from a traditional 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc. format to a merit-based format that rewards the top teams during the regular season with byes into the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The move to Municipal Auditorium will keep the championships in Nashville, a place where they have been held 16 times in the last 17 years.
The 2011 OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Championship dates are March 2-5.
OVC Preseason Poll
OVC Preseason Team
The poll was released during the OVC's annual media day at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.
The Racers, who are favorites for the third straight season, totaled 162 points in the poll on the strength of a possible 18 first-place votes.
Morehead State, the team that finished second to the Racers in both the OVC regular season and tournament, was second in the voting with two first place votes and 146 points. Eastern Illinois was third with 123 points, while Austin Peay (107),
Eastern Kentucky (92), Tennessee Tech (85), Tennessee State (81), Jacksonville State (51), Southeast Missouri (41) and UT Martin (20) rounded out the field.
For the first time since 1996, the Racers placed four players on the All-OVC Preseason Team.
Seniors Isacc Miles and B.J. Jenkins are on the team, along with junior Ivan Aska and sophomore Isaiah Canaan. Aska and Canaan also make up the last two OVC Freshman of the Year winners in the OVC.
This quartet represents 53 percent of MSU's scoring from last season as Jenkins, Canaan and Aska finished 1-2-3 in scoring for the Racers. Together they have 226 games of experience.
MSU comes into the season after a very memorable 2009-10 campaign that saw them win a league record 31 games and the program's first game in the NCAA Tournament since 1988 when they defeated Vanderbilt in the first round.
The Racers host Freed-Hardeman (Nov. 9) in an exhibition game at the CFSB Center before playing the season opener (Nov. 15) at home against East Tennessee State.
The OVC's media day also served as a preview of the new and improved Municipal Auditorium. The arena that last hosted the OVC Championship in 2008, is getting many upgrades including a new floor that was on display.
When the tournament comes around in the spring, all eight women's and men's teams will decide champions. Previously first round games were played on campus sites with the semifinals and finals being held in Nashville. The bracket will also shift from a traditional 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc. format to a merit-based format that rewards the top teams during the regular season with byes into the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The move to Municipal Auditorium will keep the championships in Nashville, a place where they have been held 16 times in the last 17 years.
The 2011 OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Championship dates are March 2-5.
OVC Preseason Poll
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1. | Murray State (18) | 162 |
| 2. | Morehead State (2) | 146 |
| 3. | Eastern Illinois | 123 |
| 4. | Austin Peay | 107 |
| 5. | Eastern Kentucky | 92 |
| 6. | Tennessee Tech | 85 |
| 7. | Tennessee State | 81 |
| 8. | Jacksonville State | 51 |
| 9. | Southeast Missouri | 41 |
| 10. | UT Martin | 20 |
OVC Preseason Team
| Player | P | CL | School |
| Ivan Aska | F | Jr. | Murray State |
| Anthony Campbell | F | Jr. | Austin Peay |
| Isaiah Canaan | G | So. | Murray State |
| *Kenneth Faried | C | Sr. | Morehead State |
| Demonte Harper | G | Sr. | Morehead State |
| B.J. Jenkins | G | Sr. | Murray State |
| Tyler Laser | G | Sr. | Eastern Illinois |
| Isacc Miles | G | Sr. | Murray State |
| Kevin Murphy | F | Jr. | Tennessee Tech |
| Nick Murphy | G | Sr. | Jacksonville State |
| Justin Stommes | F | Sr. | Eastern Kentucky |
| * Preseason MVP | |||
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