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Southeast Missouri State won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season in 2024-25 with a 15-5 conference record. SIUE finished second at 13-7, but won the conference tournament to earn a trip to March Madness. Tennessee State and Little Rock both finished 12-8 in conference to tie for third place. Can SEMO repeat in the Ohio Valley Conference? Or will SIUE reload? Is it possible for Little Rock or Tennessee State to make the jump? We’ve found a play that you’ll want to take before the 2025-26 season tips off.
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2025-26 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Champion Best Bet
Little Rock to win the Ohio Valley Conference
Little Rock returns a trio of starters from last year, but the Trojans added a few key pieces via the transfer portal. The Trojans appear poised to return to the top of the OVC this year.
The Trojans bring back senior guard Johnathan Lawson. Lawson averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game last year. He also made the All-Ohio Valley Conference first team.
Forward Tuongthach Gatkek also returns to the Trojans for the 2025-26 season. Gatkek was the OVC Defensive Player of the Year last year.
However, the one returning starter that should have Little Rock excited is the return of guard KK Robinson. Robinson is back for his sixth and final year of college basketball. Last year was his first year as a full-time starter, and he did a lot with it. Robinson averaged 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game last year.
Robinson also brought his younger brothers to Little Rock this year. Guard Kellen Robinson is a true freshman, and sophomore guard Khasen Robinson was a JUCO transfer via the portal this past offseason. They could work their way into a role in the Little Rock rotation this year, but they’ll be backing up big brother as he plays his last season in college.
Little Rock will pair Gatkek with Penn State transfer Kachi Nzeh. A junior forward, Nzeh adds a bit more muscle in the post for the Trojans this year. He played limited minutes in his time at Happy Valley, but should take on a starting role with Little Rock.
Braxton Bayless also transferred to Little Rock this past offseason. Bayless came from Western Kentucky and adds outside shooting to the Trojans’ rotation. He shot 43.4% from deep in a rotation role with the Hilltoppers last year. He’s also played 91 games at the D1 level in his college career.
The bench is rounded out by a few more JUCO transfers, a couple of returning youngsters, and a few incoming freshmen.
Little Rock has an inside presence, proven experience, and a solid rotation to take into conference play. The Trojans are entering their eighth year with head coach Darrell Walker. He’s won 21 games twice in his seven seasons at Little Rock. He won the Sun Belt Conference outright in 2019-20, and won a share of the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023-24. Walker isn’t in uncharted territory, and this roster is as strong as it gets in the OVC. Little Rock is the team to beat this year, and you’ll want to lock them up to win the Ohio Valley Conference regular season.
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis on every college basketball game for the 2025-26 season, make sure you tune into The College Basketball Experience. Colby Dant, Moneyline Mac, and Noah Bieniek talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college basketball picks every night!
