The Ohio Valley Conference has been dominated by Belmont and Murray State over the past decade. The ten regular-season titles were at least shared by either school in the last ten years. The Bruins and Racers also gave the league two bids to the NCAA Tournament last season. However, there have been some great players from other teams as well.
Ohio Valley Conference 2010s All-Decade Team
Starters
Guard – Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Isaiah Canaan was one of the best guards in the country during his time at Murray State. He won at least a share of the conference’s player of the year twice. He made the league’s first-team three times and was a second-team AP All-American in 2012. Canaan was the heart and soul of the Racers during his four seasons.
He averaged 15.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game for his career. His 41.9 career three-point percentage is second all-time in OVC history. He is also top three in made threes, points produced, offensive win shares, and total win shares. Canaan won three regular-season titles in the 2010s with Murray State and was a big reason why they made the second round in their NCAA appearance with him in the decade.
Guard – Ja Morant, Murray State
Ja Morant took the nation by storm as a sophomore in 2018-19. He was consistently on highlight reels and making spectacular plays. For his efforts, he won conference Player of the Year and was a finalist for multiple national Player of the Year awards. Morant had three triple-doubles during his sophomore campaign and became the first player in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists in a season since assists became an official stat in the early 1980s.
For his career, he averaged 18.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. He finished as the Ohio Valley Conference’s all-time leader in assist percentage. Morant won two titles and made two NCAA Tournaments while with the Racers. In their first-round upset of Marquette in the 2019 tournament, he produced the ninth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history with 17 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds. The 16 assists were the second-most ever in an NCAA Tournament game. He was the second overall pick of the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Guard – Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
Terry Taylor makes the list as a current player, having just finished his junior year with the Governors. He won the OVC’s player of the year for the most recent season and was the freshman of the year in 2018. Taylor has made the first-team in all three of his seasons.
He has averaged 19.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game thus far in his career. Taylor has led the conference in offensive rebounds in each of his first three seasons and is already second on the league’s all-time offensive rebounds list. He sits in the top five in player efficiency rating, offensive rating, points produced, and offensive win shares as well. If Taylor withdraws from the 2020 NBA Draft, he should break plenty of records during his senior year.
Forward – Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Kenneth Faried only played one season in this decade, but it was an outstanding one. He was the Ohio Valley Conference’s player and defensive player of the year for 2011. Faried was also named the national defensive player of the year and made the AP All-American third-team. His 27 double-doubles for the 2010-11 season led the NCAA and his 84 career double-doubles are second all-time in NCAA history, tied with Ralph Sampson.
For the 2010-11 season, Faried averaged 17.3 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. He led the NCAA in every rebounding category that year and is the NCAA’s career rebounding leader. Faried’s Morehead State squad made the NCAA Tournament and upset Louisville in the first round.
Forward – Evan Bradds, Belmont
Evan Bradds joins Isaiah Canaan as the other player to win multiple Player of the Year awards in the decade. He made the AP All-American team twice as an honorable mention. He led the NCAA in field goal percentage twice, and his 66.7 percent career shooting percentage is fourth-best in NCAA history.
Bradds averaged 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for his career. He is first in OVC history in career field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage, and true shooting percentage. He helped the Bruins win three titles and play in one NCAA Tournament. Belmont also made three NITs during his time there, making one quarterfinal appearance.
Bench
Guard – Jonathan Stark, Murray State
Jonathan Stark played two seasons at Murray State after transferring from Tulane. He made the first-team in both seasons as a Racer and had a stellar senior year. As a senior, he captured the league’s player of the year and tournament’s most outstanding player. Stark also made the AP All-American team as an honorable mention.
At Murray State, he averaged 21.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He also shot 41.3 percent from behind the arc. Stark led the conference in both seasons in seven statistical categories, including points and made threes. He played with Morant for one season, winning a title and playing in the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
Guard – Patrick Miller, Tennessee State
Patrick Miller played at Tennessee State from 2010-14. He was the Ohio Valley Conference’s freshman of the year in 2011. He also made the first-team at the conclusion of his junior and senior seasons. Miller set a new school single-season record with 195 assists during the 2012-13 season.
He averaged 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists for his career. Miller finished second in league history in points produced and fourth in made free throws. He helped the Tigers play in two CITs.
Guard – Craig Bradshaw, Belmont
Craig Bradshaw played for Belmont from 2012-16. He was a two-time member of the conference’s first-team. He was a consistent guard for the Bruins who could step up when needed.
Bradshaw averaged 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game for his career. He finished in the top 15 in OVC history in five categories, including made threes and points produced. He was part of three title teams at Belmont as well as two NCAA Tournament teams. His other two seasons ended in the NIT.
Forward – Dylan Windler, Belmont
Dylan Windler burst onto the scene during his final two seasons at Belmont. He made the first-team as a junior and senior and was a finalist for the mid-major player of the year as a senior. His outstanding career led him to be a late first-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2019 NBA Draft.
For his career, Windler averaged 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He also shot 40.6 percent from the three-point line. He is the Ohio Valley Conference’s career leader in defensive rebounds and offensive rating. Windler is also in the top five in true shooting percentage, two-point field goal percentage, and effective field goal percentage. He was a key member of three title teams and led Belmont to its first-ever at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and first-ever tournament victory in 2019.
Forward – Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky
Nick Mayo played for Eastern Kentucky from 2015-19. He is the first player in school history to be named to the OVC’s first-team in every season of his career. He was the conference’s freshman of the year in 2016.
Mayo averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game for his career. He is the league’s career leader in points produced and is top five in defensive rebounds and points. He is also in the top ten in six other categories. Mayo was the lone bright spot for an EKU program that had four losing seasons during his career.
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