EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball team is predicted to place ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference, as voted by the league's 11 head coaches and athletic communications directors in a poll released today. The Screaming Eagles, who had 63 points in the OVC poll, also have been picked fifth by Blue Ribbon Magazine.
The Eagles are entering their second season as an NCAA Division I program after posting a 16-17 overall record, 9-9 in the OVC. USI, which appeared in the OVC Championship and the College Basketball Invitational in 2023, also completed the regular season with a .500 or better record for the 31st-straight year.
Morehead State University is predicted to win the conference for the second-straight year, earning 200 points and 20 first place votes. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville followed with 162 points, while Tennessee State rounded out the top three with 153 points and two first place votes.
Prior to making the jump to Division I, the Eagles spent 50 years in Division II and 43 years in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). USI finished its run in Division II with a national championship (1995), four regional championships (1994, 1995, 2004, 2019), and 12 GLVC titles.
2023-24 OVC Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
(Selected by OVC Head Basketball Coaches and Communication Directors)
Order of Finish (1
st Place Vote) Points
| 1. Morehead State (20) |
200 |
| 2. SIU Edwardsville |
162 |
| 3. Tennessee State (2) |
153 |
| 4. UT Martin |
149 |
| 5. Southeast Missouri |
124 |
| 6. Tennessee Tech |
120 |
| 7. Little Rock |
85 |
| 8. Western Illinois |
80 |
| 9. Southern Indiana |
63 |
| 10. Lindenwood |
40 |
| 11. Eastern Illinois |
34 |
