Freeman, Gross, Spradlin and Staff Earn Top OVC Basketball Honors

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State's Mark Freeman, Alex Gross and head coach Preston Spradlin and the coaching staff earned major men's basketball honors from the Ohio Valley Conference.

Freeman is the OVC Player of the Year, Gross is the Defensive Player of the Year and Spradlin was honored as the Coach of the Year. Freeman and Gross were also on the First-Team and Gross is All-Newcomer as well.

Freeman, who transferred from Illinois State and was previously an All-OVC player at Tennessee State, helped guide the Eagles to their first regular-season title in 39 years. He averaged 14.8 points during the season, upping it to 17.8 in OVC games. Freeman also scored 25+ points in four different league games. He finished fifth in the OVC in scoring in league games and also ranked fourth in the conference in assists per game (3.8). His .865 free throw percentage is the third best in the OVC. He has 102 assists heading into the OVC Tournament and led the team with 33 assists. 

Freeman is the sixth Eagle ever to earn OVC Player of the Year and the first since Kenneth Faried won back-to-back accolades in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Others have been Ricky Minard (2002-03), Brett Roberts (1991-92), Bob McCann (1986-87) and Harold Sergent (first ever award in 1962-63).

Gross, a transfer from Olivet Nazarene who was also an multiple time NAIA All-American, has been the wire to wire leader in the OVC in blocked shots. His 64 rejections is the ninth best single-season total in program history. He also ranks fifth in the conference in defensive rebounds at 4.9 per game. Overall, Gross has averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. He had 3+ blocks in 10 games, including a career-high seven against UT Martin in the regular season finale Feb. 25. Gross now has more than 400 career blocks in his college career. 

He is the third Eagle to earn Defensive Player of the Year and second straight after Johni Broome last season. Kenneth Faried earned the league's first three awards - the only player to ever earn three DPOTY honors.

Spradlin and the coaching staff (Scott Combs, Cason Burk, Dominic Lombardi, Ky Klingsick, Rodrick Sikes) had the assignment of trying to rebuild a team that only returned one full-time starter and just 13 points per game. But, the Eagles went to work and claimed the program's first OVC outright regular-season title since 1983-84. MSU is 21-10 and 14-4 in the OVC heading into the tournament. It's the third consecutive 20-win season, just the second time that's ever happened. Morehead State has also won 11 of the last 12 games. The best scoring defensive team in the conference, MSU also ranks first in the OVC in defensive rebounds and rebound margin and ranks second in blocked shots. 

It's the second time in the past three seasons Spradlin and the staff have earned Coach of the Year.