Murphy is web site's pick for Player of the Year

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — With the official start of practice just more than a week away, the preseason accolades have begun coming in for Tennessee Tech.

Three Golden Eagles were named preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selections by College Sports Madness on Tuesday and senior guard Kevin Murphy was the publication’s pick for Player of the Year in the conference.

Murphy was also named first-team All-OVC and was a second team All-Mid Major selection. The All-Mid Major teams recognize 20 players, split between four teams who represent the best the mid-major conferences have to offer.

Additionally, senior point guard Zac Swansey was named second team All-OVC and junior guard Jud Dillard was fourth-team All-OVC.

Murphy was an All-OVC First Team selection by the conference a season ago while he, Swansey and Dillard were all named to the league’s All-Tournament team.

Murphy led the team in scoring in 2010-11 and ranked third in the OVC, averaging 17 points per game. He averaged 24.3 points per contest over Tech’s three-game run to the OVC championship contest and became the 32^nd member of the school’s 1,000 point club.

Swansey averaged 9.7 points per game in 2010-11, when he hit five game-winning shots. He led the OVC in assists, averaging 6.4 per game and reaching double-figure assists in six different outings. He also led the OVC in steals (2.1 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8) and hit 36 percent of his shots from behind the three-point arc.

Dillard eased into a starting role during the 2010-11 season and became increasingly key down the stretch as he notched six double-doubles and averaged 11 points per game. He averaged a double-double over three games in the OVC Tournament, scoring 13.3 points and pulling down 11.3 rebounds.

College Sports Madness named Austin Peay’s Dave Loos preseason OVC Coach of the Year while calling Southeast Missouri’s Nino Johnson the league’s Freshman of the Year.

The OVC first team consisted of Murphy, Austin Peay guard Tyshwan Edmondson, Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan, Austin Peay guard/forward Anthony Campbell and Southeast Missouri forward/center Leon Powell.

The Golden Eagles officially open practice Oct. 15. They begin the 2011-12 season at Miami on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. CST before returning home to play at the Eblen Center for the first time against Reinhardt at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

To order season tickets, call (931) 372-3940 or order online at TTUSports.com

The official all-OVC selections from the conference will be announced on Media Day, Oct. 25.

To see the complete list of College Sports Madness OVC honorees, click here.

To see the All-Mid Major squads, click here.