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2009 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Predictions

Written March 2, 2009 by Jason Lowry

The Ohio Valley Men’s Conference Basketball tournament is set to get underway this Tuesday with quarterfinal action, and is set finish up on Friday and Saturday at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Only the top 8 teams make it to the conference tournament, so that means Jacksonville State and SE Missouri State will not have a shot at winning the tournament and earning that automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee-Martin was the regular season champions for the first time in school history, and will look to win the conference tournament for the first time as well. Here is a look at the 3 favorites to win the Ohio Valley basketball tournament, and a sleeper we think has the potential to steal the show. Bet on all of the conference tournaments this year at BetUS.

1. Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks (21-8, 14-4 Ohio Valley)

The Skyhawks started off conference play losing three of their first four games, but quickly responded going 13-1 to finish out conference play, and have done so convincingly. Martin is led by Lester Hudson, who averages a solid 26.6 points per game, and adds an additional 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Tennessee-Martin will likely go as far as Hudson takes them, as one bad game could find this team in a lot of trouble, but expect Hudson and the rest of the Skyhawks to be ready to go come Tuesday when they take on Tennessee Tech.

2. Murray State Racers (18-11, 13-5 Ohio Valley)

The Racers come into post season playing red-hot, winning 9 of their final 10 conference games, including a convincing win over Tenn.-Martin just a week ago, as they beat up on the Skyhawks 74-59 on their home court. Murray State’s real nemesis this season was Austin Peay, who took down the Racers twice this season, and the two teams could be headed for a 3rd meeting in the semifinals if both teams win their conference openers.

3. Austin Peay Governors (17-12, 13-5 Ohio Valley)

The Governors have a good shot at coming away with the hardware when this tournament is all said and done, as they have beat both the top two teams, splitting their two games with the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks and sweeping the Murray State Racers. The Governors started conference play by winning 8 of their first 9 games, hit a minor bump losing 3 straight, but ended up winning 5 of their final 6 conference games. Austin Peay is led by Drake Reed and his 22.4 points and 7.7 rebounds a game, and they also get a ton scoring from Wes Channels, who brings in nearly 17 points a game. If these two guys are hot, they could carry this team to the title and into the NCAA Tournament.

Sleeper: Eastern Kentucky Colonels (18-12, 10-8 Ohio Valley)

The Colonels are a scary team in this tournament. They can come out one night and play with the best the conference has to offer, and then stink it up against the bottom of the conference the next night. If Eastern Kentucky gets hot, and they get the right matchups, they could be the Cinderella team of this conference tournament. In order for that to happen they first have to beat a very tough Morehead State in the first round, and then likely Tenn.-Martin in the semifinals.

Prediction: Austin Peay Governors

For those of you looking to bet on the NCAA basketball tournaments this season, be sure to check out our expert college basketball picks and get the best NCAA basketball odds for all the games at Betfirms.

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