The Ohio Valley Conference Tournament is set to be the fourth tournament to begin. Eight teams look to compete for their spot to qualify for an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. Seven of the last ten tournaments have been won by either Murray State or Belmont. Belmont was the most recent winner in 2020. Let’s take a look at the Ohio Valley Tournament bracket and schedule, then preview what we can expect to see.
Ohio Valley Basketball Conference Standings
| Team | Conference Record | Overall Record | Tournament Outlook |
| Belmont | 18-2 | 24-3 | 1 Seed |
| Morehead State | 17-3 | 20-7 | 2 Seed |
| Eastern Kentucky | 15-5 | 21-6 | 3 Seed |
| Jacksonville State | 13-6 | 17-8 | 4 Seed |
| Murray State | 10-10 | 13-12 | 5 Seed |
| Austin Peay | 10-10 | 14-12 | 6 Seed |
| Southeast Missouri | 9-11 | 11-5 | 7 Seed |
| SIUE | 7-12 | 9-16 | 8 Seed |
| UT Martin | 6-14 | 8-16 | N/A |
| Eastern Illinois | 6-14 | 9-18 | N/A |
| Tennessee Tech | 5-15 | 5-22 | N/A |
| Tennessee State | 3-17 | 4-19 | N/A |
Ohio Valley Basketball Tournament Schedule
Dates: March 3-6
TV: ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+
Site: Ford Center – Evansville, Indiana
Byes: N/A
Most Recent Champion: Belmont
Ohio Valley Basketball Tournament Bracket
First Round
- (1) Belmont 78 vs. (8) SIUE 61
- (4) Jacksonville State 68 vs. (5) Murray State 65 (OT)
- (3) Eastern Kentucky 70 vs. (6) Austin Peay 67
- (2) Morehead State 61 vs. (7) Southeast Missouri 54
Semifinals
- (4) Jacksonville State 69 vs. (1) Belmont 72
- (3) Eastern Kentucky 64 vs. (2) Morehead State 67
Championship
- (1) Belmont 71 vs. (2) Morehead State 86
Morehead State advances to NCAA Tournament
Ohio Valley Basketball Breakdown
Belmont has consistently been ranked as one of the best “Mid-Major” schools in college basketball all season. The Bruins won 21 straight games before dropping their last two regular season games to Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. Belmont is the favorite to represent the Ohio Valley Conference in the NCAA Tournament. Although Belmont has dominated all year, Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky are both schools that could pose a threat to the Bruins’ magical season.
Morehead State, known for their upset over Louisville in 2011, features three players who average 11 or more points a game. Even with Belmont’s 24-3 season, it was the Eastern Kentucky Colonels who averaged the most points per game with 82.9. The Ohio Valley Preseason Poll was all over the place with predictions. Austin Peay and Murray State were projected to finish one and two. The top overachiever was Morehead State who was projected to finish eighth, but ended up finishing second. The top underachiever was Tennessee State who was projected to finish sixth but finished the season in dead last at twelfth.
