By MIKE ORGAN, The Tennessean
Coaches pick Tigers to finish sixth
The middle of the pack is not where Cy Alexander expected Tennessee State's men's basketball team to be headed into his fifth season with the Tigers.
But that's where the coaches and sports information directors in the Ohio Valley Conference picked TSU at Wednesday's media day at LP Field.
Austin Peay was the overwhelming pick to win the conference, Eastern Kentucky was second, and Tennessee Tech third. TSU was picked sixth.
It's hard for Alexander to paint a brighter picture than what was predicted and he admitted the team's inability to reach the upper-echelon of the conference has created a sense of urgency.
"We had to take a step back last year and that was disappointing,'' Alexander said. "I felt the pain every time we lost. There is a sense of urgency because we want to turn the corner. We've been close, but we haven't really turned this program back into a winning and championship caliber program."
Over the past three years TSU regressed. The Tigers went 14-17 and finished sixth in the OVC in 2004-05; 13-15 and a seventh-place finish in 2005-06, and 12-20, finishing eighth in 2006-07.
Missing key players
Alexander said losing key players in each of the last two seasons has been the reason TSU has failed to gain ground.
In 2005-06, the Tigers lost 6-foot-1 guard Bruce Price to a knee injury and Eric King, a 6-7 senior, who abruptly quit the team. Then last year, Price re-injured his knee and Jerrell Houston, a 6-8 transfer from Mississippi State, became eligible only for the final five games.
"We've had two years in a row where two of our better players haven't been able to play,'' Alexander said.
"You go two years without arguably your two best players and there were a lot of close games over that span that you could argue, had those two guys each year been on the court, possibly the outcome of those games might have been different."
TSU lost five games last season by six points or fewer.
Price returns
With Price healthy again this year and Houston's eligibility problems resolved, at least Alexander's expectations, if not the rest of the league's coaches, are rising again.
"Bruce is a warrior and he also has the capabilities of being a very good leader because he plays hard all the time and practices hard,'' Alexander said.
"Jerrell wasn't able to do much for us last year because he had missed 20-something games and he was anxious and he really didn't know our system very well because he was on the scout team when he wasn't eligible. We expect a lot more out of him.''
OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE FORECAST
Predicted order of finish as voted by conference coaches and sports information directors, with first-place votes in parentheses. Teams selected by coaches and sports information directors:
OVC MEN
1. Austin Peay (19) 199
2. E. Kentucky (1) 166
3. Tennessee Tech (2) 160
4. Murray St. 149
5. SE Missouri 131
6. Tennessee St. 101
7. Samford 85
8. Eastern Illinois 75
9. Jacksonville St. 61
10. Morehead St. 50
11. Tennessee Martin 33
Preseason top players
G-Bruce Carter, Murray State
G-Anthony Fisher, Tennessee Tech
F-Brandon Foust, SE Missouri
G-Adam Leonard, E. Kentucky
G/F-Fernandez Lockett, Austin Peay
G-Romain Martin, E. Illinois
F-Amadi McKenzie, Tennessee Tech
C-Travis Peterson, Samford
F-Drake Reed, Austin Peay
G-Mike Rose, E. Kentucky
Preseason player of the year: Drake Reed, Austin Peay
OVC WOMEN
1. SE Missouri (19) 199
2. Samford (2) 161
3. Murray State 155
4. Eastern Illinois (1) 119
5. Tennessee Tech 118
6. UT Martin 114
7. Eastern Kentucky 105
8. Morehead State 100
9. Austin Peay 69
10. Tennessee State 48
11. Jacksonville State 22
Preseason top players
F_Rachel Galligan, E. Illinois
G_Jessica Huffman, E. Illinois
G_Crystal Jones, E. Kentucky
G_Amber Guffey, Murray St.
F_Alex Munday, Samford
F/C_Missy Whitney, SE Missouri
G_Ashley N. Hayes, Murray St.
G/F_Sonya Daugherty, SE Missouri
F/C_Phyllisha Mitchell, Tenn.-Martin
G/F_Obiageli Okafor, Tennessee St.
Preseason player of the year: Missy Whitney, SE Missouri
Coaches pick Tigers to finish sixth
The middle of the pack is not where Cy Alexander expected Tennessee State's men's basketball team to be headed into his fifth season with the Tigers.
But that's where the coaches and sports information directors in the Ohio Valley Conference picked TSU at Wednesday's media day at LP Field.
Austin Peay was the overwhelming pick to win the conference, Eastern Kentucky was second, and Tennessee Tech third. TSU was picked sixth.
It's hard for Alexander to paint a brighter picture than what was predicted and he admitted the team's inability to reach the upper-echelon of the conference has created a sense of urgency.
"We had to take a step back last year and that was disappointing,'' Alexander said. "I felt the pain every time we lost. There is a sense of urgency because we want to turn the corner. We've been close, but we haven't really turned this program back into a winning and championship caliber program."
Over the past three years TSU regressed. The Tigers went 14-17 and finished sixth in the OVC in 2004-05; 13-15 and a seventh-place finish in 2005-06, and 12-20, finishing eighth in 2006-07.
Missing key players
Alexander said losing key players in each of the last two seasons has been the reason TSU has failed to gain ground.
In 2005-06, the Tigers lost 6-foot-1 guard Bruce Price to a knee injury and Eric King, a 6-7 senior, who abruptly quit the team. Then last year, Price re-injured his knee and Jerrell Houston, a 6-8 transfer from Mississippi State, became eligible only for the final five games.
"We've had two years in a row where two of our better players haven't been able to play,'' Alexander said.
"You go two years without arguably your two best players and there were a lot of close games over that span that you could argue, had those two guys each year been on the court, possibly the outcome of those games might have been different."
TSU lost five games last season by six points or fewer.
Price returns
With Price healthy again this year and Houston's eligibility problems resolved, at least Alexander's expectations, if not the rest of the league's coaches, are rising again.
"Bruce is a warrior and he also has the capabilities of being a very good leader because he plays hard all the time and practices hard,'' Alexander said.
"Jerrell wasn't able to do much for us last year because he had missed 20-something games and he was anxious and he really didn't know our system very well because he was on the scout team when he wasn't eligible. We expect a lot more out of him.''
OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE FORECAST
Predicted order of finish as voted by conference coaches and sports information directors, with first-place votes in parentheses. Teams selected by coaches and sports information directors:
OVC MEN
1. Austin Peay (19) 199
2. E. Kentucky (1) 166
3. Tennessee Tech (2) 160
4. Murray St. 149
5. SE Missouri 131
6. Tennessee St. 101
7. Samford 85
8. Eastern Illinois 75
9. Jacksonville St. 61
10. Morehead St. 50
11. Tennessee Martin 33
Preseason top players
G-Bruce Carter, Murray State
G-Anthony Fisher, Tennessee Tech
F-Brandon Foust, SE Missouri
G-Adam Leonard, E. Kentucky
G/F-Fernandez Lockett, Austin Peay
G-Romain Martin, E. Illinois
F-Amadi McKenzie, Tennessee Tech
C-Travis Peterson, Samford
F-Drake Reed, Austin Peay
G-Mike Rose, E. Kentucky
Preseason player of the year: Drake Reed, Austin Peay
OVC WOMEN
1. SE Missouri (19) 199
2. Samford (2) 161
3. Murray State 155
4. Eastern Illinois (1) 119
5. Tennessee Tech 118
6. UT Martin 114
7. Eastern Kentucky 105
8. Morehead State 100
9. Austin Peay 69
10. Tennessee State 48
11. Jacksonville State 22
Preseason top players
F_Rachel Galligan, E. Illinois
G_Jessica Huffman, E. Illinois
G_Crystal Jones, E. Kentucky
G_Amber Guffey, Murray St.
F_Alex Munday, Samford
F/C_Missy Whitney, SE Missouri
G_Ashley N. Hayes, Murray St.
G/F_Sonya Daugherty, SE Missouri
F/C_Phyllisha Mitchell, Tenn.-Martin
G/F_Obiageli Okafor, Tennessee St.
Preseason player of the year: Missy Whitney, SE Missouri
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