This is part 4 of a 32-part series covering each conference and conference tournament. These previews are meant to provide every bracketologist with the information they need to make informed projections about the teams of the conference.
The final standings:
East:
Belmont 14-2
Eastern Kentucky 11-5
Morehead St 10-6
Tennessee Tech 9-7
Jacksonville St 4-12
Tennessee St 4-12
West:
Murray St 13-3
SE Missouri St 8-8
Eastern Illinois 7-9
SIU-Edwardsville 7-9
Austin Peay 6-10
Tennessee-Martin 3-13
Tournament format:
The tournament is played on a neutral site in Nashville. However, only the top 8 play in this tournament, out of the 12 teams. This means the seasons of Austin Peay (12-18), Jacksonville St (10-21), Tennesse St (5-25), and Tennessee-Martin (8-23) are over.
The tournament is played over 4 days from March 5 to March 8. Top 2 seeds get a double bye to the semis and 3rd and 4th get a single bye.
The matchups:
5) Tennessee Tech (16-15) vs. 8) SIU-Edwardsville (11-19)
6) SE Missouri St (17-13) vs. 7) Eastern Illinois (11-18)
4) Morehead St (19-12) vs. 5/8 winner
3) Eastern Kentucky (21-9) vs. 6/7 winner
1) Belmont (23-8) vs. 4/5/8 winner
2) Murray St (18-10) vs. 3/6/7 winner
The stakes:
A one-bid league, as Belmont failed to build on their non-conference momentum. Outside of Belmont in the NIT if they don't win this league, and the league champion, no one here will be in the NCAAs or NIT. Belmont's looking at a 13, maybe 14 seed...everyone else at a 15 or 16 seed. The conference is just good enough to maybe avoid the 16 line.
In the CBI/CIT watch, Murray St, EKU, and even Morehead St are probably good enough to get invites, while Tennessee Tech is on the bubble. I could see some of these teams turning down bids, though, as Murray St did last year. A bit of a down year for the OVC, who I think were expecting to be a bigger factor in bubble talk and NIT talk, at least.
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