By TTU Athletics & OVC Media Relations
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The 2022-23 academic year marked the 75th anniversary of the Ohio Valley Conference, which began in 1948 and currently ranks as the eighth-oldest Division I Conference.
As part of the celebration of the storied accomplishments of the League, a Committee working in conjunction with current and former schools, captured the "best-of-the-best" in each sport and celebrate the top athletes in league history with 75th Anniversary Teams across all OVC sports. A similar listing was compiled during the 40th and 50th anniversaries of the league.
Below is a listing of the top men's basketball student-athletes and coaches in OVC history.
Tennessee Tech saw 12 student-athletes and one coach represented on the list, including John Best, Jr. Clay, Jimmy Hagan, Josh Heard, Willie Jenkins, Frank Jones, Stephen Kite, Kevin Murphy, Kenny Sidwell, Larrie Smith, Van Usher, Earl Wise, and head coach Jeff Lebo.
Men's Basketball
Jack Adams, Eastern Kentucky (1952-56)
John "Sonny" Allen, Morehead State (1946-50)
Jim Baechtold, Eastern Kentucky (1948-52)
Jerry Beck, Middle Tennessee (1979-81)
Garrett Beshear, Murray State (1949-53)
John Best, Tennessee Tech (1989-93)
Eddie Bodkin, Eastern Kentucky (1963-66)
Marcel Boyce, Akron (1985-87)
Evan Bradds, Belmont (2013-17)
Courtney Bradley, Jacksonville State (2005-07)
Craig Bradshaw, Belmont (2003-07)
Mike Branson, Southeast Missouri (1998-2000)
Tevin Brown, Murray State (2017-22)
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State (2009-13)
Darel Carrier, Western Kentucky (1961-64)
Tom Chilton, ETSU (1958-61)
Ian Clark, Belmont (2009-13)
Jr. Clay, Tennessee Tech/Tennessee State (2018-23)
Antonious Cleveland, Southeast Missouri (2013-17)
Robert Covington, Tennessee State (2009-13)
Howie Crittenden, Murray State (1953-56)
Dick Cunningham, Murray State (1965-68)
Henry Domercant, Eastern Illinois (2000-03)
Bud Eley, Southeast Missouri (1995-99)
Kenneth Faried, Morehead State (2007-11)
Jimmy Hagan, Tennessee Tech (1957-60)
Steve Hamilton, Morehead State (1954-58)
Demonte Harper, Morehead State (2007-11)
Clem Haskins, Western Kentucky (1964-67)
Trenton Hassell, Austin Peay (1998-01)
Josh Heard, Tennessee Tech (1998-00)
Adrian Henning, Austin Peay (2000-03)
Kyle Hill, Eastern Illinois (1997-01)
Chris Horton, Austin Peay (2012-16)
Lester Hudson, UT Martin (2007-09)
Howard Jackson, Austin Peay (1974-78)
Joe Jakubick, Akron (1981-84)
Willie Jenkins, Tennessee Tech (2003-05)
Jim Jennings, Murray State (1962-64)
Kerron Johnson, Belmont (2009-13)
Roderick Johnson, Southeast Missouri (1998-2000)
Frank Jones, Tennessee Tech (1972-76)
Popeye Jones, Murray State (1989-92)
Rich Kaye, Eastern Illinois (1995-98)
Stephen Kite, Tennessee Tech (1982-86)
Bob Lavoy, Western Kentucky (1947-50)
Austin Luke, Belmont (2014-18)
J.J. Mann, Belmont (2010-14)
Tom Marshall, Western Kentucky (1950-54)
Jeff Martin, Murray State (1986-89)
Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky (2015-19)
Bob McCann, Morehead State (1984-87)
Jim McDaniels, Western Kentucky (1968-71)
J. Robert Merritt, Samford (2002-06)
Ricky Minard, Morehead State (2000-04)
Nick Muszynski , Belmont (2018-22)
Ja Morant, Murray State (2017-19)
Grayson Murphy, Belmont (2017-22)
Kevin Murphy, Tennessee Tech (2008-12)
Jared Newson, UT Martin (2003-06)
John Oldham, Western Kentucky (1942-43, 1946-49)
Cameron Payne, Murray State (2013-15)
Dewayne "Pooh" Powell, UT Martin (1992-96)
Bruce Price, Tennessee State (2003-08)
Bennie Purcell, Murray State (1948-52)
Bobby Rascoe, Western Kentucky (1959-62)
Drake Reed, Austin Peay (2005-08)
Brett Roberts, Morehead State (1988-92)
Mike Rose, Eastern Kentucky (2005-09)
Walker Russell, Jacksonville State (2003-06)
Harold Sergent, Morehead State (1962-65)
Tim Sisneros, Middle Tennessee (1972-74)
Kenny Sidwell, Tennessee Tech (1954-58)
James Singleton, Murray State (2001-03)
Lamont Sleets, Murray State (1980-84)
Dwight Smith, Western Kentucky (1964-67)
Larrie Smith, Tennessee Tech (1999-01)
George Sorrell, Middle Tennessee (1973-74)
Isaac Spencer, Murray State (1997-01)
Nick Stapleton, Austin Peay (1998-01)
Jonathan Stark, Murray State (2015-18)
Tyler Stone, Southeast Missouri (2011-14)
Dan Swartz, Morehead State (1953-56)
Harley "Skeeter" Swift, ETSU (1965-69)
Les Taylor, Murray State (1970-73)
Terry Taylor, Austin Peay (2017-21)
James "Turk" Tillman, Eastern Kentucky (1978-80)
Van Usher, Tennessee Tech (1989-92)
Cuthbert Victor, Murray State (2000-04)
Corey Walden, Eastern Kentucky (2012-15)
Bobby Washington, Eastern Kentucky (1966-69)
Charles "Bubba" Wells, Austin Peay (1994-97)
James "Fly" Williams, Austin Peay (1972-74)
KJ Williams, Murray State (2018-22)
Dylan Windler, Belmont (2015-19)
Earl Wise, Tennessee Tech (1986-90)
Tommy Woods, ETSU (1964-67)
Coaches of Note
Rick Byrd, Belmont
E.A. Diddle, Western Kentucky
Travis Ford, Eastern Kentucky
Billy Kennedy, Murray State
Bob Laughlin, Morehead State
Jeff Lebo, Tennessee Tech
Dave Loos, Austin Peay
Cal Luther, Murray State/UT Martin
Paul McBrayer, Eastern Kentucky
Matt McMahon, Murray State
