HOOP POLL: INDIANS PICKED TO FINISH IN TOP HALF OF CONFERENCE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The more things change, the more they apparently stay the same.

At least that's what the Ohio Valley Conference's men's basketball coaches and sports information directors think will happen this season.

Murray State, despite having a new head coach and losing two stellar guards, has been picked to once again capture the league championship. The Racers have won or shared 10 of the past 11 OVC titles.

"I thought they were playing a joke on us when I heard we were picked first," said 61-year-old Tevester Anderson during Thursday's OVC Media Day at the Nashville Arena. "We have three starters back, but we have some very, very big holes to fill. We lost two outstanding backcourt players in Chad Townsend and De'Teri Mayes. But I'm very excited about our team."

Anderson, previously a Racers' assistant, moved up to the top spot after Mark Gottfreid left to take over at Alabama.

The Racers were a near-unanimous choice to win the title as they picked up 17 first-place votes.

Tennessee State, which lost to Murray State in last season's tournament championship, picked up one first-place vote and was second while Austin Peay claimed the other two first-place votes and was tabbed for third.

Middle Tennessee State was picked fourth, followed by Southeast Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee Tech and Morehead State.

Murray State returns its entire frontcourt from a squad that set an OVC record with 29 victories (against just four losses) and was ranked 25th in the final Associated Press poll.

The Racers will be led by a talented frontcourt of forwards Isaac Spencer and Rod Murray and center Duane Virgil. Replacing Townsend and Mayes will be a key, but the Racers appear to have the talent to make things work out.

"I think Murray State should definitely be picked to win the league again," said Southeast coach Gary Garner. "But after that, I think there are at least six teams and maybe even more that could finish very high in the league."

Garner, Southeast's second-year head coach, believes the Indians are one of those squads. The Tribe will be led by 6-foot-10 senior center Bud Eley, named Thursday as the OVC Preseason Player of the Year. Senior guard Cory Johnson was named to the league's preseason second team.

The Indians finished fifth last year and Garner said he feels comfortable with Thursday's preseason prediction for his team.

"I think it's probably where we should be picked," he said. "We haven't proven anything yet. I think we can have a good basketball team, but before you can be picked high, you have to prove yourself."

Tennessee State finished seventh in the regular season last year but made it all the way to the OVC Tournament championship game. The Tigers return all five starters, led by two-time all-OVC pick Jason Johnson at center.

"We finished strong last year, but as for this year, it's all speculation," said Tigers' coach Frankie Allen. "What it all gets down to is who can put their teams together."

Austin Peay will build around senior forward Jerome Jackson along with two highly-touted newcomers: Trenton Hassell and Nick Stapleton. Hassell, a hometown product from Clarksville, was ranked as one of the nation's top 100 high school players two years ago. He sat out last season while becoming eligible.

"I'm not sure how good our team will be," said Austin Peay coach Dave Loos. "We have good talent but a lot of new faces."

Middle Tennessee's roster includes two players with ties to Southeast. Guard Allen Hatchett, a Sikeston native, was a starter for the Indians who transferred two years ago before Garner took over. Center Johnny Cobb originally signed with Southeast two years ago out of junior college but did not qualify academically and wound up in Murfreesboro.

Eastern Kentucky will field a team made up primarily of newcomers, led by Charles Thomas, the sixth man on Minnesota's Final Four team of two years ago.

Eastern Illinois was hit hard by graduation but returns standout point guard Jack Owens, among others.

Tennessee-Martin is finally eligible for the OVC Tournament for the first time since joining the OVC and Division I in 1992-93. The Skyhawks have two of the league's better big men in Ryan DeMichael and Joe Crumby.

Tennessee Tech is rebuilding under new coach Jeff Lebo, a former standout player at North Carolina who has been an assistant at South Carolina the past five seasons.

Morehead State is also rebuilding for the second year in a row under coach Kyle Macy, the former Kentucky All-American.

MEN'S POLL

Predicted order of finish for the Ohio Valley Conference men's teams as picked by league coaches and sports information directors with number of first-place votes in parentheses followed by total points:

1. Murray State (17) 161

2. Tennessee State (1) 135

3. Murray State (2) 127

4. Middle Tennessee 110

5. Southeast Missouri 101

6. Eastern Kentucky 84

7. Eastern Illinois 67

8. Tennessee-Martin 47

9. Tennessee Tech 46

10 Morehead State 22

ALL-OVC PREASON

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Members of the 1998-99 preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball team as picked by league coaches and sports information directors:

First Team

F-Isaac Spencer, Murray St.

C-Bud Eley, Southeast Missouri St.

F/C-Ryan DeMichael, Tenn.-Martin

G-Jamie Roberts, Tennessee St.

F/C-Jason Johnson, Tennessee St.

F-Jerome Jackson, Austin Peay

Preseason player of the year

Bud Eley, Southeast Missouri St.

Second Team

G-Cory Johnson, Southeast Missouri St.

G/F-Freddie Martinez, Middle Tennessee

F-Rod Murray, Murray St.

G-Jack Owens, Eastern Illinois

G/F-James Stewart, Austin Peay

Honorable Mention

G/F-Trenton Hassell, Austin Peay

F/C-Joe Crumby, Tenn.-Martin

G-Richard Duncan, Middle Tennessee

C-Duane Virgil, Murray St.

F-Marc Polite, Eastern Illinois