Tennessee State basketball, under first-year coach Nolan Smith, was picked to finish fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll released on Oct. 14. The conference’s basketball media day took place at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
Smith, who replaced Penny Collins, inherits a team that posted a winning record for three consecutive seasons, finished tied for third in the OVC last season and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament.
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TSU received one first-place vote in the poll of OVC coaches and communications directors.
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The Tigers return three starters, Travis Harper III, Carlos Williams and Aaron Nkrumah. Nkrumah, a 6-foot-6 guard who transferred from Worcester State, made the All-OVC team in 2024-25. He averaged 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Nkrumah is listed on the 2025-26 players to watch list, along with Williams and Khalil London.
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TSU opens the season on Nov. 3 against Fisk at Gentry Center.
Little Rock picked first in preseason OVC poll
Little Rock received 12 first-place votes and for the second straight year was picked to win the OVC.
The Trojans are coming off a 19-14 season and fourth-place finish in the conference.
Southeast Missouri was picked second with six first-place votes and SIUE was third with one first-place vote, followed by TSU. Lindenwood and Morehead State tied for fifth, followed by Tennessee Tech, UT Martin, Southern Indiana, Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois.
Lindenwood women picked to win the OVC
Lindenwood, which finished second in the conference last season, was picked as the preseason favorite in the women’s basketball poll, just ahead of Tennessee Tech.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Here’s where TSU men’s basketball was picked in OVC preseason poll
