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APSU Basketball’s Terry Taylor named OVC Preseason Player of the Year by media

APSU Men's BasketballBrentwood, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) junior men’s basketball player Terry Taylor has been named the preseason Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year by select members of the league’s media.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball junior Terry Taylor has been named OVC Preseason Player of the Year by league media. (APSU Sports Information)

The Govs as a team were chosen third in the 12-team media poll, behind Belmont (176 points, 11 first place votes) and Murray State (165 points, 3 votes).

Austin Peay State University picked up the remaining first-place vote and 138 points, putting the Govs ahead of Jacksonville State (126) and UT Martin (125) in the eyes of the media.

Tuesday, the official coaches and sports information directors poll will be released in conjunction with Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Day in Evansville, Indiana.

A two-time All-OVC choice and 2018 OVC Freshman of the Year, Taylor will be one of the players to watch at the mid-major level in 2019-20. After surpassing both the 1,000-point and 500-rebound marks in his sophomore season, he’s one of just three returning players in the nation to have scored 1,000 points, grabbed 500 boards and shot better than 50 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three—the other two are both seniors (Vermont’s Anthony Lamb and South Alabama’s Josh Ajayi).

As a sophomore, Taylor averaged 20.5 points and 8.9 rebounds, hitting 53.1 percent from the floor as the centerpiece to Austin Peay State University’s first 20-win campaign since 2010-11.

The highlights would be a fulfilling career for the average player:

  • Earned All-Tournament honors for the island portion of the Jersey Mike’s Jamaica Classic, averaging 19.0 points and 13.5 rebounds against Central Connecticut and Campbell.
  • Tournament MVP honors at the St. Pete Shootout following a 32-point outburst in the title game against Liberty.
  • Scored 1,000th career point as part of a 25-point, 12-rebound effort against Eastern Illinois.
  • Scored 42 points—most by an OVC player in 2018-19—and added 18 boards against Morehead State.
  • Thirty-seven points and 15 rebounds in a road battle against Eastern Kentucky.

Already, Taylor has taken his place among the greats in APSU history. He ranks 23rd in career points (1,205), 16th in rebounds (585), sixth in scoring average (18.0 ppg), 18th in field goal percentage (53.5 percent), 26th in three-pointers made (88), 20th in three-point field goal percentage (37.4 percent), ninth in rebounding average (8.7 rpg), 16th in defensive rebounds (341), seventh in offensive rebounds (244) and 12th in blocked shots (64).

Since the media poll was reinstituted prior to the 2014 season, Taylor is the first APSU player selected as Preseason Player of the Year. No Governor since Drake Reed (2007-08) has earned Preseason Player of the Year honors for Austin Peay State University, from either media or the league’s head coaches and Sports Information Directors.

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