Ohio Valley Conference Championship Predictions: OVC Tournament Favorites
Updated November 10, 2026
Updated November 10, 2026
The 2027 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball championship race features several programs capable of earning the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth. Tennessee State enters as the defending champion, while Southeast Missouri, Morehead State, UT Martin and SIUE provide plenty of competition in a nine-team conference.
The defending champions feature an intriguing combination of size and athleticism.
The Redhawks have championship potential behind Marqueas Bell and Landren Blocker.
The Skyhawks are a team to watch behind the scoring ability of Davi Remagen and a retooled roster.
The 2026 tournament finalists remain contenders with playmaker Chase Dawson leading their offense.
The 2025 champions have an experienced offensive option in all-conference guard Tyler King.
The defending champions feature an intriguing combination of size and athleticism.
The Redhawks have championship potential behind Marqueas Bell and Landren Blocker.
The Skyhawks are a team to watch behind the scoring ability of Davi Remagen and a retooled roster.
The 2026 tournament finalists remain contenders with playmaker Chase Dawson leading their offense.
The 2025 champions have an experienced offensive option in all-conference guard Tyler King.
Prediction: Tennessee State wins the 2027 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Tennessee State enters the championship race with the strongest combination of individual talent, recent tournament success and frontcourt potential. During its 2025–26 championship season, the program recorded a 35.3% offensive rebounding rate while forcing turnovers on 20.2% of opposing possessions. Those historical efficiency indicators reflect a program capable of generating additional scoring opportunities, although roster changes mean they should not be treated as projections for the current team.
The addition of 7-foot-1 Aaron Bradshaw gives Tennessee State a potential advantage around the basket, particularly against smaller OVC frontcourts, that we can't overlook in our college basketball picks. Alongside Arterio Morris, the Tigers have the personnel to create favorable matchups and control possessions without depending entirely on perimeter shooting. Head coach Nolan Smith's championship experience also supports confidence in Tennessee State's ability to navigate the conference tournament.
Morehead State and Southeast Missouri will challenge TSU, while UT Martin and SIUE have enough individual talent to threaten the favorites. However, Tennessee State's potential rebounding advantage, interior defense and offensive versatility make the Tigers the most compelling championship prediction. Earning a top-two regular-season seed would further strengthen that outlook by reducing their tournament path to two victories.
Double Byes
The OVC's top two regular-season seeds advance directly to the semifinals, needing only two victories to claim the championship.
Tournament Qualification
Only eight of the conference's nine teams qualify, making regular-season positioning important even for lower-ranked contenders.
Balanced Scheduling
Each OVC team plays a 16-game home-and-away conference schedule, providing direct comparisons between championship contenders.
Conference Realignment
The departures of Little Rock and Tennessee Tech reshape the nine-team competition and historical comparisons with previous OVC seasons.
