Hudson, Hayes repeat as OVC Player of the Year

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- Tennessee-Martin senior guard Lester Hudson repeated as the Ohio Valley Conference men's Player of the Year, the conference announced Thursday.

Joining Hudson among the 2008-09 OVC award winners (voted by the League's head coaches and sports information directors) was his coach, Bret Campbell, who was named Coach of the Year after leading the Skyhawks to the regular-season title. Other award winners included Morehead State sophomore center Kenneth Faried, the Defensive Player of the Year, and Murray State forward Ivan Aska, the Freshman of the Year.

Hudson is the first OVC player to repeat as Player of the Year since Murray State's Marcus Brown in 1994-95 and 1995-96.

Hudson averaged 26.6 points a contest, which ranked second nationally to Davidson's Stephen Curry.

Ashley Hayes of conference-champion Murray State also repeated as the Player of the Year on the women's side. The senior guard led the OVC with 23.1 points per game. She set the school record with 46 points Feb. 4, second-most in Division I this season.

Murray State coach Rob Cross was voted Coach of the Year, Kayla Drake of Eastern Kentucky was honored as the Freshman of the Year, and Tennessee State's Kendra Appling was selected Defensive Player of the Year.

Southeast senior guard Tarina Nixon was selected to the all-OVC second team for the second straight year.

Nixon, a four-year starter, helped the Redhawks to a fifth-place finish in the conference and a 15-15 record.

Despite battling a finger injury to her shooting hand all year, Nixon led the Redhawks in scoring at 12.6 points per game, was second on the team with 64 assists and grabbed 3.2 rebounds per game.

-- From staff, AP reports