One would think being in ninth place wouldn’t be positive for the Panthers halfway through the season.

Head coach Linda Wunder and company are proving a positive outlook can be found in the situation.

“Everybody is kinda bunched up in the middle and we face all those teams very soon,” Wunder said.

The Ohio Valley Conference is so close from third to ninth that the Panthers sit in ninth position, currently out of playoff contention. They are two games back of third place and one game out of fifth.

“Everybody is kinda in the same boat because anybody can beat anybody in the OVC,” Wunder said.

Eastern is currently coming off an Alabama road trip where it split the pair of games but seemed as if their stay lasted longer than a weekend.

“It was two different environments and it felt like more than two games,” Wunder said. “It helps that Jacksonville State is a very good team.”

A scary team Wunder will see down the line on Feb. 18 at Lantz Arena is the Morehead State Eagles.

“They are playing really well of those teams in that big pack, winning three of four on its road swing,” Wunder said.

The OVC will not have a good chance of getting a pair of teams in the NCAA Tournament come March because they lack a dominant second team. Wunder believes a team to impress her even more could be Jacksonville State if they prove it on the road this week.

“No, we’re not that good of a conference,” Wunder said. “I’d like to see (Jacksonville State) in a different environment and they’ve got Tech and Peay on the road this week.”

Wunder also is a believer that the future of Eastern basketball is bright with having three freshmen, Megan Casad, Melanie Ploger and Megan Scaggs in the starting lineup along with sophomore Megan Sparks coming off the bench.

“They have a lot of potential and the key will be if they stay hungry,” Wunder said. “These kids have battled and are good kids.”

The one injury problem continues to be the shin splints of Scaggs which Wunder isn’t worried about.

“It’s an ongoing thing and she needs rest,” Wunder said. “We’ve got four games in eight games so I gave an extra day off.”

If Eastern can sneak into the OVC Tournament one could assume that they are a dangerous team with at least six players with the talent to put up double figures.

“We proved that point at Austin Peay and the more we play consistently, the more dangerous we can be,” Wunder said.