Conference is living up to predictions

Halfway through the league schedule, the Ohio Valley Conference basketball race is about as balanced and wide open as many coaches had originally predicted.

While Austin Peay and Murray State ran roughshod over the conference last year -- the Governors went 16-0 and the Racers were 14-2, with the third-place finisher having six losses -- this season's top spots might not be decided until the final week of play.

That's definitely the opinion of Tennessee Tech coach Mike Sutton, whose squad currently leads the 11-team league at 7-1.

"We're certainly pleased with where we are, but I still think it's very early," Sutton said. "Our conference race is going to come down to the last week of the season.

"Saturday, Feb. 26 [the final date of the regular season] might decide the seeds for the entire tournament."

Considering that the top seven teams are currently separated by just three games, Sutton may very well be right.

Murray State and Samford are both 6-2 and just one game out of first place, while Eastern Kentucky (6-3) moved into sole possession of fourth place following Tuesday's win over Morehead State.

Austin Peay (5-3) is fifth, with Southeast Missouri State (4-4) and Tennessee State (4-4) tied for sixth.

Eastern Illinois (3-5) is eighth, followed by Morehead State (3-6), Tennessee-Martin (1-7) and Jacksonville State (0-8).

"I really felt that certain teams were a little underestimated," Murray State coach Mick Cronin said. "It's going to make for a really interesting conference tournament, that's my opinion on it."

Perennial power Murray State was a solid favorite in the OVC preseason poll, garnering 19 of a possible 22 first-place votes, but the Racers have just one returning player from last year, which made some coaches wonder how that might impact their season.

Tennessee State, No. 2 in the preseason poll, received a first-place vote but also was counting on quite a few newcomers and had the same questions as the Racers, while No. 3 Eastern Kentucky and No. 4 Tennessee Tech -- who each also garnered a first-place nod -- had by far the most returning talent among the top four expected contenders. So far the Eagles have been the most impressive among that group.

"I all along thought there wasn't one team that maybe would step out and run away from the rest, although Tennessee Tech is 7-1 and they have had some good road wins," Southeast Missouri coach Gary Garner said. "But last year I thought Austin Peay and Murray State were kind of head and shoulders above the rest. I don't see that this year."

Right now there are a host of squads in the running for the all-important top four spots in the final standings that are rewarded with first-round home games for the eight-team OVC tournament. Garner doesn't see that changing.

"You could wind up with several teams tied for those third and fourth spots, then you'd have to go to tie-breakers," Garner said. "It could get really interesting."

Noteworthy

* Eastern Illinois coach Rick Samuels will not be with his team for its next two games after his father passed away Sunday in Laramie, Wyo., where Samuels is to spend this week. He will return to the bench when the Panthers host Southeast Missouri Tuesday.

* Jacksonville State snapped a 14-game losing streak Monday as the Gamecocks went out of the conference to beat NAIA Reinhardt 73-62.

* Murray State has been selected to participate in one of the 11 televised contests as part of ESPN's Bracket Buster Series featuring some of the nation's top mid-major teams. The Racers will play at Rice on Feb. 19.