NASHVILLE – The Ohio Valley Conference announced its regular season awards on Tuesday afternoon as the teams embark to Evansville, Indiana for the conference championships.
 
Tennessee State was represented by Kassim Nicholson and Carlos Marshall Jr. on the All-OVC second team. Marshall Jr. earned the honors after receiving preseason All-OVC recognition entering the 2021-22 season. Nicholson, a graduate transfer from UAB, was a driving force behind TSU's success.
 
Nicholson, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, ranked third in the OVC with 8.4 rebounds per game and averaged 11.6 points per game, third on the team and 15^th in the conference. TSU's leading rebounder was second in the conference with 11 double-doubles. Nicholson secured a season-high 15 rebounds in the opener against Alabama A&M. He scored in double-figures 21 times, including each of the last seven games.
 
Marshall Jr., from Memphis, Tenn., averaged 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and a steal per game in 27.3 minutes per game. The redshirt-junior ranked 11^th in the OVC in points scored. The sharpshooter shot 40.6% (54-for-133) from three-point range, second-best three-point percentage in the conference. The Tigers' veteran registered double-digit scoring in 17 contests, while he cashed in at least 20 points in five games. He logged his career-high with 26 points against Campbellsville-Harrodsburg and added 25 points in two separate games.
 
Murray State fourth year forward KJ Williams was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year while his coach Matt McMahon earned OVC Coach of the Year honors in voting by league head coaches and communications directors. Additionally, Morehead State second year forward Johni Broome was tabbed the OVC Defensive of the Year while Austin Peay's Elijah Hutchins-Everett was named OVC Freshman of the Year.
 
Williams led the OVC in scoring (18.2 points/game) and was second in rebounding (8.5/game) in helping Murray State to a 28-2 overall record and perfect 18-0 league mark.
 
 McMahon took home his first OVC Coach of the Year award, helping the team rebuild from a 13-13 record a year ago to a 28-2 mark, undefeated Conference record and Top 20 national ranking entering the postseason.
 
Last year's OVC Freshman of the Year, Broome took his defensive efforts up a level this year, ranking third nationally in blocked shots (3.97/game) and ninth in rebounding (10.6/game) in helping Morehead State to 21 overall victories and a third-place finish in league play. Broome finished the regular season with 123 blocked shots, establishing a new Morehead State program record and tied for the third-most in OVC single-season history.
 
Hutchins-Everett started all 28 games of his rookie campaign, leading Austin Peay in scoring (12.5 points/game), rebounding (6.8/game), field goal percentage (51.6%) and blocked shots (11). Among all OVC players he ranked fifth in rebounding, ninth in field goal percentage and 12th in scoring. The rebounding and field goal totals were tops among OVC freshmen, while the scoring average ranked second.
 
For more information on the Ohio Valley Conference Award Winners, head to ovcsports.com or click here.
 
2021-22 All-OVC Teams and Award Winners
OVC Player of the Year: KJ Williams, Murray State
OVC Defensive Player of the Year: Johni Broome, Morehead State
OVC Freshman of the Year: Elijah Hutchins-Everett, Austin Peay
OVC Coach of the Year: Matt McMahon, Murray State
 
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
KJ Williams, Murray State
Johni Broome, Morehead State
Tevin Brown, Murray State
Ben Sheppard, Belmont
Nick Muszynski, Belmont
Eric Reed Jr., Southeast Missouri
Grayson Murphy, Belmont
Justice Hill, Murray State
KJ Simon, UT Martin
Ta'Lon Cooper, Morehead State
 
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
Elijah Hutchins-Everett, Austin Peay
Carlos Marshall Jr., Tennessee State
Jr. Clay, Tennessee Tech
Kassim Nicholson, Tennessee State
Phillip Russell, Southeast Missouri
 
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
KJ Simon, UT Martin
Elijah Hutchins-Everett, Austin Peay
Phillip Russell, Southeast Missouri
Will Richard, Belmont
Ray'Sean Taylor, SIUE