Redhawks Picked Second in 2026-27 OVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
10/15/2026 11:18:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – For the second-straight year, Southeast Missouri's men's basketball team has been picked second in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll, the league announced ahead of its annual Media Day Thursday.
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SEMO received 107 points and two first-place votes in the 2026-27 version of the OVC Preseason Poll voted on by the conference's head men's basketball coaches and communication directors.
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Tennessee State, which won the OVC regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26, is this year's favorite. The Tigers collected 125 points and 13 of the 18 first-place votes.
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Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville and UT Martin share the third-place spot with 86 points each, while Lindenwood (61 pts.), Southern Indiana (44 pts.), Eastern Illinois (37 pts.) and Western Illinois (17 pts.) complete the nine-team predicted order of finish.
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SEMO went 20-13 overall and finished third in the OVC with a 14-6 record last season. For only the second time in program history, the Redhawks placed among the top three teams in the OVC during back-to-back years.
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The Redhawks made the OVC Tournament semifinals for the seventh time in program history and fourth in five trips to the league's postseason event under Head Coach Brad Korn. Korn enters his seventh year at the SEMO in 2026-27.
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In OVC play alone, SEMO has gone 29-11 between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns.
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Guards Marqueas Bell and Landren Blocker represented the Redhawks among the OVC Players to Watch this preseason. Bell, SEMO's top returning scorer from a year ago, is the only fourth-year player on the Redhawks 13-man roster.
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SIUE guard Tyler King is the lone returning All-OVC player from 2025-26.
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The Redhawks tip off their 2026-27 season at home vs. Lipscomb on Nov. 2.
2026-27 OVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
Tennessee State (13 first-place votes), 125 points
Southeast Missouri (2), 107 points
Morehead State (3), 86 points
SIUE, 86 points                                     Â
UT Martin, 86 points                                 Â
Lindenwood, 61 points                              Â
Southern Indiana, 44 points                         Â
Eastern Illinois, 37 points    Â
Western Illinois, 17 points
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SEMO received 107 points and two first-place votes in the 2026-27 version of the OVC Preseason Poll voted on by the conference's head men's basketball coaches and communication directors.
Â
Tennessee State, which won the OVC regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26, is this year's favorite. The Tigers collected 125 points and 13 of the 18 first-place votes.
Â
Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville and UT Martin share the third-place spot with 86 points each, while Lindenwood (61 pts.), Southern Indiana (44 pts.), Eastern Illinois (37 pts.) and Western Illinois (17 pts.) complete the nine-team predicted order of finish.
Â
SEMO went 20-13 overall and finished third in the OVC with a 14-6 record last season. For only the second time in program history, the Redhawks placed among the top three teams in the OVC during back-to-back years.
Â
The Redhawks made the OVC Tournament semifinals for the seventh time in program history and fourth in five trips to the league's postseason event under Head Coach Brad Korn. Korn enters his seventh year at the SEMO in 2026-27.
Â
In OVC play alone, SEMO has gone 29-11 between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns.
Â
Guards Marqueas Bell and Landren Blocker represented the Redhawks among the OVC Players to Watch this preseason. Bell, SEMO's top returning scorer from a year ago, is the only fourth-year player on the Redhawks 13-man roster.
Â
SIUE guard Tyler King is the lone returning All-OVC player from 2025-26.
Â
The Redhawks tip off their 2026-27 season at home vs. Lipscomb on Nov. 2.
2026-27 OVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
Tennessee State (13 first-place votes), 125 points
Southeast Missouri (2), 107 points
Morehead State (3), 86 points
SIUE, 86 points                                     Â
UT Martin, 86 points                                 Â
Lindenwood, 61 points                              Â
Southern Indiana, 44 points                         Â
Eastern Illinois, 37 points    Â
Western Illinois, 17 points
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Players Mentioned
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