• 2017-18 All-OVC Men's Basketball Teams and Award Winners (PDF)
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Murray State senior guard
Jonathan Stark was named the 2017-18 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year after leading the Racers to a 16-2 league record and OVC regular season championship. Tennessee State junior
Christian Mekowulu was tabbed the OVC Defensive Player of the Year while Austin Peay's
Terry Taylor was named Freshman of the Year and his first-year head coach,
Matt Figger, was named OVC Coach of the Year. The awards were voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors.
Stark enters the postseason leading the OVC in scoring (21.7 points/game), a mark that increases to 25.1 points/game in Conference play. In addition, Stark is also first in the OVC in 3-pointers made/game (3.6), second in free throw percentage (89.0%), fifth in assists (4.0/game) and seventh in steals (1.4/game) and 3-point percentage (42.2%). Last week Stark became the all-time two-year scorer in Murray State history, by tallying 1,353 points in just 62 games, pushing him past De'Teri Mayes (1996-98). Four times during the year he scored 30 or more points, including 36 in a victory over Southeast Missouri on January 4; the 36 points are tied for the most by an OVC player this season. He also scored 30 or more points in three of his final four games, as the Racers locked up the OVC regular season crown. That included 32 points in a win over Jacksonville State, 30 points in a victory over Tennessee Tech and 31 against rival Austin Peay in the final game of the regular season. Stark has scored in double figures in 28 of 29 games this season and knocked down an OVC-best 103 trifectas, ninth-most in OVC history (after hitting 108 - the fourth-most in OVC history - a season ago). Stark is the 14th Murray State player to take home the honor and first since current Chicago Bull Cameron Payne won the award in 2015.
Mekowulu is the second-straight Tennessee State player to be named Defensive Player of the Year, following Tahjere McCall who won the award each of the past two seasons. The junior had 45 blocks this season, second in the OVC, and most by a TSU player since current Philadelphia 76er Robert Covington had 45 in 2011-12. Mekowulu had 13 games this season with multiple blocked shots. He led Tennessee State in rebounding 22 times in 2017-18 (including seven games with 10 or more rebounds) and ranks sixth in the OVC in that category (7.8/game). Mekowulu's 27 steals are the third-most on the TSU team. He helps anchor a Tennessee State team that forces turnovers on 23.5 percent of its opponents' possessions, the fourth-highest rate in the nation.
Taylor was a major part of Austin Peay's turnaround this season, leading the team in scoring and ranking second in rebounding in his debut season. He ranks first in the OVC (and 10th nationally) in offensive rebounding (3.7/game) while also ranking third in the OVC in 3-point percentage (44.4%), fourth in field goal percentage (54.9%), fifth in rebounding (7.9/game), ninth in scoring (15.2 points/game) and 11th in blocked shots (1.0/game), all of which were tops among OVC freshmen. Taylor had a season-high 30 points against Evansville, becoming the first Austin Peay freshman with 30 or more points in a game since 1999. Taylor also added 29 points against each UNC Asheville and Southeast Missouri. He recorded 10 double-doubles during the regular season, the second-most in the OVC in 2017-18, most by a freshman in Austin Peay history, and most by an OVC freshman since at least 2005. Taylor had 14 rebounds against Southeast Missouri on January 6. Taylor, who was named OVC Freshman of the Week five times during the year, is the fifth Austin Peay player to be named Freshman of the Year and first since Chris Horton in 2012-13.
Figger took over for Dave Loos, the winningest coach in OVC history, and saw his Austin Peay squad picked 11th out of 12 teams in the preseason poll. After a 1-3 start to the season, the team, which included seven newcomers, rolled into form during the Conference season, compiling a 12-6 record and third-place finish in the league standings. The Govs earned the No. 3 seed for this week's OVC Tournament, its best seed since 2011. Under his direction the team has improved defensively, ranking 14th nationally in forced turnovers/game (16.33) and 62nd nationally in turnover margin (+1.9/game). A year ago, the Austin Peay team allowed 83.8 points/game but this season that dropped to 71.2 points/game, marking the second-biggest improvement nationally this season (behind only Central Michigan). Figger is the fourth-different Austin Peay coach to win Coach of the Year honors, joining George Fisher, Lake Kelly and Loos (who won the award five times). It marks the first time since 2011-12 that a first-year head coach has won Coach of the Year honors (Steve Prohm, Murray State).
ALL-OVC TEAMS
This year's first and second-team All-OVC squads included 15 players from 10 different OVC schools. Each Belmont and Murray State had three selections apiece, while Austin Peay had two picks. The first and second-teams included nine seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen.
Stark, the OVC Player of the Year, was the top vote getter and earned his second-straight first-team All-OVC honor. He was one of four repeat first-team selections as he was joined by Eastern Kentucky junior forward
Nick Mayo (18.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists/game), who earned his third-straight All-OVC honor, Murray State senior forward
Terrell Miller (14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds/game) and Belmont senior guard
Austin Luke (7.3 assists/game, a mark that ranks sixth nationally). The first-team also included last year's Freshman of the Year in Southeast Missouri's
Denzel Mahoney (19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds/game, 64 made 3-pointers) and this year's Freshman of the Year in Austin Peay's Taylor.
The All-OVC first-team included five other players including Belmont junior
Dylan Windler, who led the OVC in double-doubles (14) while averaging 17.6 points and an OVC-best 9.3 rebounds/game, and senior teammate
Amanze Egekeze, who averaged 16.6 points/game and knocked down 86 3-pointers. Also on the team was Murray State freshman guard
Ja Morant (12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists/game) and Austin Peay senior
Averyl Ugba (15.0 points and 8.1 rebounds/game).
The All-OVC second-team included Tennessee State's Mekowulu, the Defensive Player of the Year. He was joined by Jacksonville State senior
Malcolm Drumwright (12.9 points, 3.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds/game), who was a second-team selection for the second-straight season. The team also included Tennessee Tech senior
Curtis Phillips, Jr. (14.6 points, 5.2 rebounds/game), SIUE senior
Jalen Henry (16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds/game), and Eastern Illinois senior guard
Montell Goodwin (14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists/game).
Taylor, the OVC Freshman of the Year, was also an All-Newcomer selection in addition to being a first-team pick. He was joined by two other All-OVC first-team selection in his teammate Ugba, and Murray State's Morant. The trio were joined by Southeast Missouri freshman guard
Ledarrius Brewer (14.5 points, 3.8 rebounds/game, 71 made 3-pointers), Eastern Illinois freshman guard
Mack Smith (12.0 points/game, 49 made 3-pointers) and Jacksonville State junior forward
Jason Burnell (11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds/game, 52.9 FG%).
2017-18 All-OVC Men's Basketball Teams and Award Winners
OVC Player of the Year: Jonathan Stark, Murray State
OVC Defensive Player of the Year: Christian Mekowulu, Tennessee State
OVC Freshman of the Year: Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
OVC Coach of the Year: Matt Figger, Austin Peay
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
Jonathan Stark, Murray State
Dylan Windler, Belmont
Averyl Ugba, Austin Peay
Denzel Mahoney, Southeast Missouri
Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
Amanze Egekeze, Belmont
Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky
Terrell Miller, Murray State
Austin Luke, Belmont
Ja Morant, Murray State
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
Christian Mekowulu, Tennessee State
Curtis Phillips, Jr., Tennessee Tech
Jalen Henry, SIUE
Malcolm Drumwright, Jacksonville State
Montell Goodwin, Eastern Illinois
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Averyl Ugba, Austin Peay
Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
Ja Morant, Murray State
Ledarrius Brewer, Southeast Missouri
Jason Burnell, Jacksonville State
Mack Smith, Eastern Illinois