Murray State University Athletics
Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics
OVC Media Day - James Preseason All-OVC
10/19/2015 4:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Head coach Rob Cross helped kick-off the 2015-16 women's basketball season Tuesday at the annual OVC Media Day in Nashville. Coach Cross answered questions from local media and other league outlets in advance of the season.
Also at the event, the OVC released its preseason All-OVC Team and predictions. The Racers were picked 10th in the preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors. MSU received a total of 71 points in the poll. SIU Edwardsville was picked as the preseason favorite, the Cougars and UT Martin each received 10 first-place votes.
2014-15 OVC Freshman of the Year Ke'Shunan James was selected to the Preseason All-OVC Team. James was second on the Racers last season in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) a season ago and led the team with 46 steals. James scored in double figures in all but four games last year and had seven games with 20 or more points. Cross, James and the Racers open the season Oct. 13 at the CFSB Center against Oakland City.
2015-16 Predicted Order of Finish
1. SIUE (10 first-place votes) 226
2. UT Martin (10) 213
3. Belmont (3) 202
4. Jacksonville State 176
5. Tennessee State (1) 168
6. Eastern Kentucky 122
7. Morehead State 111
8. Austin Peay 109
9. Eastern Illinois 88
10. Murray State 71
11. Tennessee Tech 62
12. Southeast Missouri 33
(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. 11 points awarded for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
2015-16 Preseason All-OVC Team
Tiasha Gray, Austin Peay G 5-8 Sr. Clarksville, Tenn.
Shronda Butts, SIUE G 5-7 R-Sr. Des Moines, Iowa
Destany McLin, Jacksonville State G 5-9 Sr. Athens, Ala.
Samaria Howard, Tennessee Tech G 5-7 Sr. Jacksonville, Fla.
Shameekia Murray, Eastern Kentucky G/F 5-10 Sr. Claxton, Ga.
Michaela Hunter, Eastern Kentucky G/F 5-10 Jr. Mt. Vernon, Ky.
Ke'Shunan James, Murray State F/G 6-1 So. Jackson, Tenn.
Shay Steele, Morehead State F 6-2 Jr. Salisbury, N.C.
Sally McCabe, Belmont C 6-3 So. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.
Jessy Ward, UT Martin G 5-8 Jr. Clarksville, Tenn.
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Shronda Butts, SIUE
The women's game will see a couple of changes new for this season. Games will now feature four, 10-minute quarters as opposed to a pair of 20-minutes halves like in years past. Teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. Previously, teams reached a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reached the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul.
In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
Teams are now also allowed to advance the ball to the frontcourt following a timeout immediately after a made basket in the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth quarter and any overtime periods. Teams also will be allowed to advance the ball to the frontcourt after securing the ball from a rebound or a change of possession.
NCAA women's basketball implemented the 10-second backcourt rule in 2013-14. For the upcoming season, a team will not receive a new 10-second backcourt count after the ball is deflected out of bounds by the defense, there is a held ball and the possession arrow favors the offensive team and when a technical foul is called on the offensive team while the ball is in the backcourt.
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Also at the event, the OVC released its preseason All-OVC Team and predictions. The Racers were picked 10th in the preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors. MSU received a total of 71 points in the poll. SIU Edwardsville was picked as the preseason favorite, the Cougars and UT Martin each received 10 first-place votes.
2014-15 OVC Freshman of the Year Ke'Shunan James was selected to the Preseason All-OVC Team. James was second on the Racers last season in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) a season ago and led the team with 46 steals. James scored in double figures in all but four games last year and had seven games with 20 or more points. Cross, James and the Racers open the season Oct. 13 at the CFSB Center against Oakland City.
2015-16 Predicted Order of Finish
1. SIUE (10 first-place votes) 226
2. UT Martin (10) 213
3. Belmont (3) 202
4. Jacksonville State 176
5. Tennessee State (1) 168
6. Eastern Kentucky 122
7. Morehead State 111
8. Austin Peay 109
9. Eastern Illinois 88
10. Murray State 71
11. Tennessee Tech 62
12. Southeast Missouri 33
(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. 11 points awarded for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
2015-16 Preseason All-OVC Team
Tiasha Gray, Austin Peay G 5-8 Sr. Clarksville, Tenn.
Shronda Butts, SIUE G 5-7 R-Sr. Des Moines, Iowa
Destany McLin, Jacksonville State G 5-9 Sr. Athens, Ala.
Samaria Howard, Tennessee Tech G 5-7 Sr. Jacksonville, Fla.
Shameekia Murray, Eastern Kentucky G/F 5-10 Sr. Claxton, Ga.
Michaela Hunter, Eastern Kentucky G/F 5-10 Jr. Mt. Vernon, Ky.
Ke'Shunan James, Murray State F/G 6-1 So. Jackson, Tenn.
Shay Steele, Morehead State F 6-2 Jr. Salisbury, N.C.
Sally McCabe, Belmont C 6-3 So. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.
Jessy Ward, UT Martin G 5-8 Jr. Clarksville, Tenn.
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Shronda Butts, SIUE
The women's game will see a couple of changes new for this season. Games will now feature four, 10-minute quarters as opposed to a pair of 20-minutes halves like in years past. Teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. Previously, teams reached a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reached the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul.
In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
Teams are now also allowed to advance the ball to the frontcourt following a timeout immediately after a made basket in the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth quarter and any overtime periods. Teams also will be allowed to advance the ball to the frontcourt after securing the ball from a rebound or a change of possession.
NCAA women's basketball implemented the 10-second backcourt rule in 2013-14. For the upcoming season, a team will not receive a new 10-second backcourt count after the ball is deflected out of bounds by the defense, there is a held ball and the possession arrow favors the offensive team and when a technical foul is called on the offensive team while the ball is in the backcourt.
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Players Mentioned
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