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HomeSportsAPSU Basketball's Terry Taylor named to Lou Henson Award preseason Watch List

APSU Basketball’s Terry Taylor named to Lou Henson Award preseason Watch List

Austin Peay State University - APSUBoston, MA – Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s basketball junior Terry Taylor was named to the 2019-20 Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List, announced Wednesday.

The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I mid-major player. The award honors Henson, the former Illinois and New Mexico State coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. 

Austin Peay State University Men's Basketball junior Terry Taylor. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay State University Men’s Basketball junior Terry Taylor. (APSU Sports Information)

Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989.

The preseason Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year according to both the media at-large and the league’s coaches and athletic communications directors, Taylor is no stranger to a spot on the Lou Henson Watch List—he was a midseason addition to the 2018-19 watch list.

Taylor, who averaged 20.5 points and 8.9 rebounds a year ago, led the Govs to 22 wins—their first 20-win season since 2010-11—and a second-straight appearance in the OVC Tournament semifinals. As one of four returners—buffeted by one of the greatest recruiting classes in program history—Taylor will be the featured piece for head coach Matt Figger‘s attack in his junior campaign.

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).

Taylor is one of 50 mid-major players to appear on the list; Belmont’s Nick Muszynski is the only other OVC player on the list.

The 2019-20 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award will be announced in April 2020 in Atlanta, GA, site of the men’s Division I NCAA Basketball Championship.

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