A week after winning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week for the fifth time this season, senior guard Henry Domercant finished behind Morehead State guard junior Ricky Minard in the voting for OVC Player of the Year.

One year after the head coaches and sports information directors of the OVC voted Domercant player of the year, the No. 2 scorer in the nation this season was denied the honor.

“I don’t think Henry did anything to demise his status as OVC Player of the Year,” Eastern head coach Rick Samuels said.

Samuels voted for Minard because he was not allowed to cast his vote for his own player.

“Ricky Minard is a very worthy candidate,” Samuels said. “I voted for (Minard) because I couldn’t vote for Henry. It may be appropriate to have a co-player of the year.”

When Domercant scored 33 points in the first round of the OVC Tournament, he brought his career scoring total to 2,602 (No. 26 among NCAA Division I all-time scorers) moving him past Akron’s Joe Jakubick as the conference’s all-time leading scorer.

Samuels could not understand why the No. 2 scorer in the nation could be looked past in player of the year voting.

“In not recognizing (Domercant) you’re not recognizing the OVC all-time leading scorer,” Samuels said. “I don’t understand that being ignored because he contributes in many other ways.”

Domercant set career school records for scoring average (21.7), field goals made (861) and attempted (1901), free throws made (595) and attempted (697), free throws made (596) and attempted (697) and three-point field goals made (285) and attempted (704).

Domercant owns three of the top four single season scoring performances in Eastern history with 817 (2002), 810 (2003) and 706 (2000).

However, Domercant’s Panthers finished in a fourth place tie with Murray State, who defeated the Panthers in the first round of the OVC Tournament, while Minard led the Eagles to a tie for the regular season conference title with Austin Peay.

Minard ranks among the OVC’s top 15 in 11 of 12 statistical categories. He was second in the

conference in scoring behind Domercant with 22.5 ppg. He also ranks among the top in the OVC in rebounds (12th), field goal percentage (13th), assists (fifth), free throw percentage (second), steals (second), three-point field goal percentage (11th), three-pointers made (ninth), blocked shots (13th), assist to turnover ratio (eighth) and defensive rebounds (eighth).

Minard scored at least 10 points in all but one game so far this season, and has scored over 20 in seven games.

“Ricky could have scored more, but he has bought into the team concept,” Morehead State head coach Kyle Macy said. “He scores, but leads us in rebounds, steals and is the OVC leader in assists.”

Minard can add player of the year to his other OVC honors, including Newcomer of the Year, which he won in the 2000-01 season, and unanimous All-OVC First Team last year.

“It’s a compliment to our team as a whole,” Minard said. “The way we worked together in what we accomplished as a team in tying for the regular season championship.”

Other OVC honors were awarded to Tennessee-Martin guard junior Earl Bullock (Newcomer of the Year), Eastern Kentucky guard Matt Witt (Freshman of the Year) and Austin Peay head coach Dave Loos (Coach of the Year).

Domercant and Minard were named to the All-OVC First Team along with Austin Peay forward junior Adrian Henning, Tennessee Tech forward senior Damien Kinloch and Murray State senior center James Singleton.

No other Eastern players were honored on the other All-OVC teams.

Tennessee Tech junior guard Cameron Crisp, Eastern Kentucky senior guard Shawn Fields, Austin Peay junior center Josh Lewis, Morehead senior guard Chez Marks and Murray junior guard Cuthbert Victor were named to the second team.

Bullock, Austin Peay sophomore guard Anthony Davis, Morehead senior guard Marquis Sykes, Tennessee-Martin junior forward Joey Walker and Southeast Missouri Derek Winans were named to the third team.