EIU Players Named To Preseason All-OVC Team

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois men's basketball has five players returning from last year's 18-15 team that advanced to the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).

On Tuesday two of those five players were named to the preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference team as the league hosted its annual basketball media day in Nashville.

Earning preseason All-OVC honors were senior wing Trae Anderson and sophomore guard Cornell Johnston.

Anderson was a second team All-OVC selection last season leading the Panthers in scoring with 13.2 points per game. Anderson added 4.9 rebounds per game shooting 48.2 percent from the floor. During OVC play Anderson increased his production with 15.2 points per game and a 52.4 percent shooting clip as he earned OVC All-Newcomer team honors.

Johnston was the OVC Freshman of the Year last season, the fourth EIU player to earn that award. Johnston set the EIU single season record for 3-point percentage knocking down 51.9 percent to lead the OVC. He was named to the All-OVC Newcomer team setting the EIU freshman record for assists with 156. Johnston averaged 9.1 points per game.

Belmont's Craig Bradshaw was selected as the preseason OVC Player of the Year. Joining Anderson, Johnston and Bradshaw on the preseason All-OVC team were Alex Anderson of UT Martin, Brent Arrington of Morehead State, Evan Bradds of Belmont, Antonius Cleveland of Southeast Missouri, Chris Horton of Austin Peay, Twymond Howard of UT Martin and Jeffery Moss of Murray State.

Belmont, the OVC Tournament Champion last season, was selected as the overall preseason favorite in a vote of the OVC head coaches and sports information directors. Belmont had 22 first place votes as the top selection in the OVC East Division. Murray State had 15 first place votes as the top selection in the OVC West Division with UT Martin picked second with nine first place votes.

Eastern Illinois was selected to finish third in the OVC West Division followed by Southeast Missouri, Austin Peay and SIU Edwardsville.

Following Belmont in the OVC East Division were Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky with one first place vote each. Tennessee Tech was fourth in the East with Jacksonville State and Tennessee State rounding out the predicted order of finish.

The Panthers will host Saint Francis (Ill.) for the team's lone exhibition game on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. in Lantz Arena. The regular season opener is on Nov. 13 at Indiana. The home opener for EIU is Saturday, Nov. 21 against Western Illinois.