The Ohio Valley Conference will host its annual basketball media day event this Friday, October 16 in Evansville, Indiana.  Ahead of the event the league has released its players to watch for each of the conference's nine institutions.
 
Eastern Illinois men's basketball is represented by guards Markus Blackwell and Jaden Miller.  The EIU women's team is represented by guards Ava Stoller and Janyah Bohanon.
 
Blackwell is a sophomore guard that is EIU's top returning scorer from last season at 4.7 points per game which increased down the stretch averaging 7.0 points per game over the final month of OVC play in 2025-26.  He posted four double figure scoring games last season and was named the OVC Freshman of the Week one time during the season. 
 
Miller is a senior transfer who played his first three seasons at NCAA Division II East Central University.  Last season he was a first team Great American Conference selection leading all of Division II in assists averaging 8.3 assists per game.  He averaged 10.7 points per game with eight double-doubles to his credit.  He missed his sophomore season at ECU after averaging 6.2 points and 4.1 assists as a freshman.
 
Stoller is a senior guard returning to the EIU program for her second year after playing her first two seasons at OVC member SIUE.  Last season Stoller led the Panthers in scoring at 11.9 points per game with 17 double figure scoring games.  She ended the season knocking down 21 consecutive free throws to set the EIU single season record for free throw percentage at 90 percent which led the OVC.
 
Bohanon is a senior transfer into the program who played last season at Buffalo.  She made seven starts for the MAC school averaging 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game for the Bulls.  She scored in double figures four times.  She began her career playing two seasons at Howard helping lead the Bison to the second round of the WNIT during her sophomore season.
 
EIU women's basketball will play at home at Groniger Arena for the first of two home exhibition games on October 22 hosting Quincy University.  The Panthers regular season opener is on the road on November 3 at Drake with the regular season home opener on Saturday, November 14 against Evansville.
 
The EIU men open the regular season on the road on Monday, November 2 at Indiana.  The Panthers home opener will be Wednesday, November 11 hosting Blackburn College.
 
The league will release its predicted order of finish for both men's and women's basketball on Thursday ahead of the conference media day.