2023-24 OVC Preseason Poll & All-OVC Teams |
EIU Player Bio Packet
Eastern Illinois men's basketball will open its third season under head coach
Marty Simmons. The Panthers were selected to finish last in this year's preseason Ohio Valley Conference poll released on Tuesday at the league's basketball media day in Evansville, Ind.
Morehead State, the defending regular-season champion, was selected as the preseason favorite followed by SIUE and Tennessee State.
The top eight teams in the 11-team league qualify for the conference tournament in early March at the Ford Center in Evansville.
EIU opens the regular season on Nov. 6 at Illinois for the second consecutive year. The home opener for the Panthers will be on Nov. 8 hosting Monmouth (Ill.) College.
The OVC season will open on the road this year at SIUE on Dec. 29 as the Panthers play their first three conference games on the road. EIU's first home OVC game will be on Jan. 11 hosting Morehead State.
Caleb Donaldson is the Panthers top returning scorer from last season after averaging 8.5 points per game last season. Donaldson started 29 of 31 games last season as EIU finished 9-22 overall.
Sincere Malone was one of the top defensive players in the league last year, leading the OVC with 62 steals while averaging 4.9 points per game.
Dan Luers and
Jermaine Hamlin also return as veteran players as the Panthers welcome nine new faces to this year's roster.
