1997 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament
# 1997 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament

The 1997 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament was the final event of the 1996–97 season in the Ohio Valley Conference. The tournament was held February 25–March 1, 1997, at Nashville Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Murray State defeated Austin Peay in the championship game, 88–85 in OT, to win their seventh overall OVC men's basketball tournament.

The Racers received an automatic bid to the 1997 NCAA tournament as the No. 15 seed in the Southeast region.

## Format

Eight of the ten conference members participated in the tournament field. They were seeded based on regular season conference records, with play beginning in the quarterfinal round. Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin did not participate.

## Bracket

| Quarterfinals Tuesday, March 6 | Quarterfinals Tuesday, March 6 | Quarterfinals Tuesday, March 6 | Semifinals Wednesday, March 7 | Semifinals Wednesday, March 7 | Semifinals Wednesday, March 7 | Championship Thursday, March 8 | Championship Thursday, March 8 | Championship Thursday, March 8 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Austin Peay | 106 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Morehead State | 83 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Morehead State | 83 | 1 | Austin Peay | 70 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Tennessee Tech | 60 | | | |
| 4 | Tennessee Tech | 83 | 4 | Tennessee Tech | 60 | | | |
| 5 | Eastern Illinois | 81 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Eastern Illinois | 81 | | | | 1 | Austin Peay | $85^{OT}$ |
| | | | | | | 2 | Murray State | 88 |
| 3 | Middle Tennessee | 89 | | | | | | | 2 | Murray State | 88 |
| 6 | Southeast Missouri State | 74 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Southeast Missouri State | 74 | 3 | Middle Tennessee | 48 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Murray State | 74 | | | |
| 2 | Murray State | 76 | 2 | Murray State | 74 | | | |
| 7 | Tennessee State | 63 | | | | | | |
