Both JSU teams could be No. 6 seeds

If my math is right, both of JSU's basketball teams have a chance to claim the No. 6 seeds in their respective brackets of the OVC Tournament.

JSU's game at Tennessee Tech Saturday is a battle for the No. 6 seed. If the Gamecocks lose it and tie with Tennessee State -- TSU must win twice -- they will get the seventh seed if Eastern Illinois finishes higher than Austin Peay, eighth if Peay finishes higher.

Peay would finish higher with one win this weekend, especially if it's over EIU. Even if Eastern Kentucky, Peay and EIU finished tied at 11-7 (with EIU beating Peay), it goes 3 AP, 4. EIU, 5. EKU because ...

(a) all 3 teams are 2-2 among each other; (b) EKU drops out of the mix (not beating Morehead); and (c) Peay gets 3 by virtue of its sweep of JSU.

The women's side is more complicated for the Gamecocks.

There's a possibility the women's race could end up in a five-way tie for the final four slots in their tournament. JSU, Tech, TSU, UT Martin and Murray State could all finish 7-9 in OVC play.
First and foremost for JSU, the Gamecocks must beat Tech Saturday. Then, TSU has to split its final two games with the loss coming to Eastern Illinois, which has clinched a share of the women's regular season title. Also, Murray and Martin both have be swept by Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State (and they lost to both in the first run through the schedule).

How JSU gets sixth, then, is the Gamecocks and Murray would both be 5-3 among the five-way tie. Murray would get the fifth seed, however, by virtue of its season sweep of the Gamecocks.

In that scenario, Tech (at 4-4 within the tie) would be 7 and Martin would edge out TSU by virtue of its win over Eastern Illinois.

Of course, all that's if my math is right. And if it's not, rest assured someone will correct me. Fast.

It'll be a lot clearer -- and easier to figure -- after Thursday's games.