UT MARTIN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TABBED TO REPEAT AS OVC CHAMPIONS IN PRESEASON POLL
11/6/2020 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Fresh off an Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, the University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team was tabbed to repeat as champions in the annual preseason poll of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
The voting panel picked the Skyhawks as the preseason favorite with 22 of the possible 24 first place votes while garnering 242 points overall. This marks just the third time that UT Martin has been picked to finish first in the league's preseason poll, joining 2012-13 and 2013-14. The Skyhawks exceeded expectations to win league championships in 1999, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020 while advancing to the OVC Basketball Championship title game eight times in the last 10 years.
UT Martin returns 13 players from last year's team along with the addition of two newcomers. The Skyhawks posted their seventh 20-win season under head coach Kevin McMillan last season while notching a 22-10 overall record. The squad excelled in conference play where they tallied a 16-2 record en route to a regular season title while earning a berth into the postseason for the ninth time before the Women's NIT was canceled because of COVID.
2020-21 OVC Women's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. UT Martin (22 first-place votes) - 242
2. Belmont - 210
3. Southeast Missouri (2 first-place votes) - 206
4. Tennessee Tech - 172
5. Eastern Illinois - 157
6. Jacksonville State - 129
7. Morehead State - 119
8. Murray State - 106
9. Austin Peay - 104
10. Eastern Kentucky - 73
11. SIUE - 36
12. Tennessee State – 29
The voting panel picked the Skyhawks as the preseason favorite with 22 of the possible 24 first place votes while garnering 242 points overall. This marks just the third time that UT Martin has been picked to finish first in the league's preseason poll, joining 2012-13 and 2013-14. The Skyhawks exceeded expectations to win league championships in 1999, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020 while advancing to the OVC Basketball Championship title game eight times in the last 10 years.
Belmont ranked second in the poll with 210 points while Southeast Missouri garnered two first place votes and 206 total points to sit in third place. Tennessee Tech (172) rounded out the top-four with Eastern Illinois (157), Jacksonville State (129), Morehead State (119), Murray State (106), Austin Peay (104), Eastern Kentucky (73), SIUE (36) and Tennessee State (29) following suit.The results of the Coaches/SID's Preseason Women's Basketball 🏀 Poll are below.
— OhioValleyConference (@OVCSports) November 6, 2020
Click here for a complete preseason preview: https://t.co/QLM38eZHXv. pic.twitter.com/YBFFD22f4F
UT Martin returns 13 players from last year's team along with the addition of two newcomers. The Skyhawks posted their seventh 20-win season under head coach Kevin McMillan last season while notching a 22-10 overall record. The squad excelled in conference play where they tallied a 16-2 record en route to a regular season title while earning a berth into the postseason for the ninth time before the Women's NIT was canceled because of COVID.
McMillan enters his 12th season at the helm of UT Martin, boasting a 218-136 record. He leads the OVC as the league's longest active tenured head coach while ranking third in career victories.People and faces may change but the goal remains the same #SkyhawkStrong https://t.co/CtxLfAIgRV
— UTMartinWBB (@UTMartinWBB) November 6, 2020
2020-21 OVC Women's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. UT Martin (22 first-place votes) - 242
2. Belmont - 210
3. Southeast Missouri (2 first-place votes) - 206
4. Tennessee Tech - 172
5. Eastern Illinois - 157
6. Jacksonville State - 129
7. Morehead State - 119
8. Murray State - 106
9. Austin Peay - 104
10. Eastern Kentucky - 73
11. SIUE - 36
12. Tennessee State – 29
Tuesday, March 10
Tuesday, February 24
Tuesday, February 17
Tuesday, February 10