With a late October injury throwing a wrench into the league, watch out for a wild race in the OVC.
Just days before the start of the 2024-25 season, perhaps the most notable Ohio Valley story of the year came over the wire: Little Rock star and Preseason Player of the Year KK Robinson went down with a knee injury during a late October scrimmage. It is a huge blow for Robinson and the Trojans, who were picked to win the league running away in the preseason polls.
Now, with Robinson out, Little Rock still has enough to stay in contention atop the league — but the league crown is far from a sure thing. With squads like Western Illinois and Morehead State champing at the bit to slide into the OVC power vacuum, the Trojans could be in for a long fight.
Meanwhile, some returning studs and impact transfers will make for some interesting teams in the middle of the pack. In particular, SIUE’s Ray’Sean Taylor and Eastern Illinois’ Nakyel Shelton seem poised for big years and all-league honors. Either one has the potential to drag their team into that dogfight at the top of the OVC, and the overall openness of the league should make this conference race a fascinating one.
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Projected Order of Finish
1. Western Illinois Leathernecks
For a 21-win team that lost five of its top six scorers, including four starters, a former OVC All-Defense pick, and the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year — who was also an all-league first-teamer — Western Illinois’ outlook is relatively rosy.
One reason is the return of All-OVC Second Team pick Ryan Myers (13.3 ppg, 2.1 apg, 40.0 3P%, 82 3PM). But with just two other players back — 6-9 Tay Knox (3.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg) and 6-8 Rodrick Payne (3.3 ppg, 1.3 bpg in three games) — second-year head coach Chad Boudreau added 11 transfers, including six from Division I.
Sean Smith (5.3 ppg, 1.5 apg at Alabama State), who was a 2023 NJCAA national champion at John A. Logan, will provide support for Myers at point guard, as will 6-1 redshirt junior Kimahri Wilson (2.2 ppg, 1.7 apg at SFA). If the 6-3 Smith regains his JUCO shooting form, he could be a breakout player to watch. Boudreau also brought in reinforcements for Knox and Payne up front, namely 6-10 Kiyron Powell (5.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg at Southern Indiana) and 6-9 Massal Diouf (2.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg at UTSA).
On the perimeter, 6-6 Marko Maletic (2.3 ppg at Toledo; ’22-23: 15.9 ppg at LIU) and 6-7 Julius Rollins (3.7 ppg, 37.8 3P% at Kent State) join three double-digit scorers: D-II transfer Trey Deveaux (14.8 ppg at Wayne State) and JUCO wings 6-5 AJ Dixon (16.2 ppg at Triton College) and 6-7 Kayden Carter (10.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg at NE Oklahoma A&M). All five will compete for minutes, with seniors Maletic and Deveaux having the experience edge.
After winning 21 games and finishing fourth in Year 1, Boudreau looks to have assembled enough pieces to capitalize on a suddenly wide-open OVC landscape.
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