2024-25 All-OVC Men's Basketball Teams
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech guard Jaylon Johnson took home the first postseason accolades of his Division I career Tuesday afternoon, earning spots on the All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team and OVC All-Newcomer Team after turning in a sensational season donning the purple and gold.
The junior transfer from the College of Southern Idaho made his first season in Cookeville count, leading the Golden Eagles back to OVC Tournament for the first time since the team's runner-up showing at the 2022-23 championships. The purple and gold bounced back from a 10-21 campaign and 5-13 mark in league play a year ago that saw the team miss the conference's postseason event, finishing the 2024-25 regular season fifth in the OVC standings with a 15-16 record and 10-10 performance in league contests.
The first Golden Eagle to earn First Team honors since Jaylen Sebree in 2022-23, Johnson led the Golden Eagles with 14.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He also topped the league in assists on the year, the first Tech hooper to pace the OVC in the category since Zac Swansey during the 2011-12 campaign.
Johnson drained a team-high 75 triples as well, firing at a 35.5-percent clip from distance while pacing the squad with 97 free throws and an 82.2 percent showing at the charity stripe. His 153 helpers marked the most for the purple and gold since current Lincoln Memorial head coach Jeremiah Samarrippas dished out 158 during the 2013-14 season.
The point guard dropped season-highs of 31 points and eight triples against Western Illinois on Feb. 27, tying for the second-most 3-pointers in a single game in program history. He buried at least one attempt from beyond the arc in all 32 games on the season as well.
Photo by Jim Dillon
