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Austin Peay Governors Basketball picked to finish 3rd in newly-formed OVC West Division

APSU Sports: Austin Peay Men’s Basketball

Austin Peay State University GovernorsFranklin, TN – Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team has been picked to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference’s newly-formed West Division.

In a voting of OVC men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors, the Governors picked up 92 votes, trailing defending champion league champ Murray State (132 points) and Southeast Missouri (108 points). SIUE (73), Eastern Illinois (49) and UT Martin (38) followed.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball. (Courtesy: Austin Peay Sports Information)
Austin Peay Men’s Basketball. (Courtesy: Austin Peay Sports Information)

This year marks the first for OVC divisional play-the OVC now includes 12 teams for the first time in conference history.

Belmont, which joins the OVC for the first time in 2012-13, was picked to claim the East Division with 131 points. Tennessee State was tabbed second with 109 points. The East was rounded out by Tennessee Tech (87), Morehead State (77) and Eastern Kentucky (56).

Due to an NCAA APR penalty, Jacksonville State is ineligible for the OVC and NCAA Tournaments this season and was not included in the preseason voting.

Coming off a 12-20 season, Austin Peay finished the OVC season at 8-8, marking the 19th-straight season the team has been .500 or better in Conference action.

This year the Governors lost four starters from last season’s team, with Herdie Lawrence (8 starts/3.7 ppg) and Jerome Clyburn (26 starts/6.3 ppg) sharing the point guard role a year ago. Also back is the relentless junior forward Will Triggs (6.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), who is expected to step in as a starter after serving as a key reserve.

The Govs hope to get a lift from redshirt senior forward Anthony Campbell, a second-team All-OVC selection in 2009-10 who has played in only 10 games in each of the last two seasons after tearing the same ACL two straight seasons.

The Governors were shutout for the preseason All-OVC team.

Not only will the Govs being playing in Divisional play for the first time, they as well will be in a West Division that also will feature a team SIUE, after completing its reclassification process to Division I, SIUE, that iss now eligible for postseason play for the first time this season. In addition, Eastern Illinois features new coach Jay Spoonhour.

Predicted Order of Finish Points

East

1. Belmont (21 first-place votes) 131
2. Tennessee State (3) 109
3. Tennessee Tech 87
4. Morehead State 77
5. Eastern Kentucky 56
Jacksonville State n/a

West

1. Murray State (22) 132
2. Southeast Missouri (2) 108
3. Austin Peay 92
4. SIUE 73
5. Eastern Illinois 49

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