<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3oy41y_0wEQPGQs00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3oy41y_0wEQPGQs00" width="871" height="630" ><figcaption>Photo Courtesy of Western Illinois University</figcaption></figure>The 2024-25 Men’s Basketball Season is just around the corner, as the Ohio Valley Conference released its preseason poll and players to watch list on Wednesday morning. Voted by conference coaches and communicators, the Western Illinois Leathernecks were slated to finish in second place in the conference’s preseason poll. WIU guards Ryan Myers and Sean Smith were named Players to Watch by the conference.A senior from Brooklyn, New York, Ryan Myers made an impact in his first year as a Leatherneck in 2023-24. Myers led all Leathernecks in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 40% from beyond the three-point line last season. Myers was tabbed a Second-Team All-OVC selection, as well as a Second-Team District 18 selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. His most memorable moment as a Leatherneck came in last year’s quarterfinal matchup against Tennessee State, where the guard hit a game-winning shot to send the Leathernecks to the semifinals. A newcomer to the 2024-25 squad, Sean Smith was also named a Player to Watch by the OVC. A senior guard from Louisville, Kentucky, Smith has spent his last three seasons playing at three different colleges. As a freshman, Smith started at San Diego Mesa CC, averaging 11.8 points per game while shooting 49.5% from the floor. He then transferred to John A. Logan, where he averaged 8.2 points per game and added 3.0 assists per game. Last year, Smith transferred up to NCAA Division One, playing in 29 games at Alabama State. There, Smith averaged 16 minutes, 5.1 points, 1.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per contest, and looks to make his mark in his first year as a Leatherneck. Little Rock ran away with the preseason poll, as they brought back All-OVC First-Teamer KK Robinson, building off a season where the Trojans took home a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title. The Trojans defeated the Leathernecks in last year’s semifinal but lost to Morehead State in last year’s championship. Western Illinois brings back three players from last year’s squad, Ryan Myers, Tay Knox, and Rodrick Payne, while the rest of the team are all newcomers. Leatherneck head coach Chad Boudreau brought in a wealth of talent to this year’s squad via the transfer portal, and coaches and communicators around the league noticed, as the Leathernecks received 172 in the conference’s preseason poll. Despite Little Rock being an early favorite in the conference, the state of the rest of the league is unknown, as many squads bring in entirely new teams. Behind WIU in third place is SIUE, which received 151 votes, and brings back a talented scorer and defender in Ray’Sean Taylor. Following the Cougars are Tennessee State and Morehead State in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Both squads are full of fresh faces, as Morehead State head coach Preston Spradlin departed for James Madison, and Tennessee State brings back none of their top eight scores from last year’s team. One vote separates sixth and seventh place, as Eastern Illinois was slated to finish sixth with 87 votes, and Southeast Missouri was picked seventh with 86 votes. Behind those two sides are Southern Indiana, Lindenwood, UT Martin, and Tennessee Tech, all finishing with under 80 votes. The conference should prove to be exciting for the 2024-25 season, with plenty of new faces surely to emerge as stars, and many unknowns surrounding every team in the conference. In just a few weeks, Western Illinois will tip off its season in San Jose, as they take on San Jose State on November 4th. 2024-25 OVC Men’s Basketball Preseason PollLittle Rock (20 first-place votes) 200 pointsWestern Illinois 172SIUE (2) 151Tennessee State 134Morehead State 131Eastern Illinois 87Southeast Missouri 86Southern Indiana 79Lindenwood 67UT Martin 52Tennessee Tech 51Players to WatchEastern IllinoisNakyel SheltonKooper JacobiLindenwoodMarkeith BrowningJeremiah TaltonLittle RockKK RobinsonJordan JeffersonMorehead StateDieonte MilesTrent ScottSoutheast MissouriTeddy WashingtonRob MartinSIUERay’Sean TaylorDesmond PolkSouthern IndianaStephen OlowiniyiJayland RandallTennessee StateAhmir LanglaisJustus JacksonTennessee TechDaniel EgbuniweRodney Johnson Jr.UT MartinVlad SalaridzeJosue GrullonWestern IllinoisFOLLOW THE LEATHERNECKSFor all the latest information on Leatherneck Men’s Basketball, please visit GoLeathernecks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Leathernecks on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.***Courtesy of Western Illinois University***</div></body>

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Leathernecks Slated Second in OVC Preseason Poll

The 2024-25 Men’s Basketball Season is just around the corner, as the Ohio Valley Conference released its preseason poll and players to watch list on Wednesday morning. Voted by conference coaches and communicators, the Western Illinois Leathernecks were slated to finish in second place in the conference’s preseason poll. WIU guards Ryan Myers and Sean Smith were named Players to Watch by the conference.