CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.--A familiar and familial face will be on the sidelines when Austin Peay men’s basketball team opens the 2008-09 season, 7 p.m., Thursday, at home in an exhibition tilt against Central Missouri, one the nation’s top Division II programs.
When APSU head coach Dave Loos looks down at the Central Missouri bench, he will see none other than son Brad Loos, a the former Govs basketball player who is in his seventh as a Mules assistant, his first as the program’s associate head coach under Kim Anderson, also in his seventh season. This is the second time Loos and Loos have squared off against each other. In Nov. 2005, the Governors held on to defeat the Mules, 94-90, in an exhibition game also played in Dave Aaron Arena.
Central Missouri is coming off an 18-10 season in 2007-08, a year after advancing to the Division II Final Four.
Meanwhile, the Governors, two-time defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champions, finished 2007-08 with a 24-11 record, the 24 wins matching the most wins in school history.
The Governors return two starters in senior forward Drake Reed, the two-time All-OVC selection who averaged 14.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg a year ago, and guard/forward Kyle Duncan, who averaged 6.9 ppg while shooting an OVC-best 55.1 percent from three-point range.
Also back is “sixth man” Wes Channels, the 6-2 junior guard who averaged 10.9 ppg a year ago, along with 6-6 forward Ernest Fields (5.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg), who averaged 10.8 ppg and 7.3 rpg over the season’s final six games.
Other than sophomore point guard Caleb Brown (12.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg) the rest of the roster is comprised of players who redshirted or were still in high school in 2007-08. Duran Roberson, a 6-8 forward, injured his hand early last season and was redshirted after playing only five games. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Then frontcourt players John Fraley, a 6-8 center, and Marcel Williams, a 6-6 forward, also redshirted as freshmen a year ago.
The Govs will attempt to break in a quartet of scholarship freshmen, three guards (6-0 Tyrone Caldwell, 6-3 Clark Stepp and 6-1 James Harris) along with one wing (6-6 Anthony Campbell). All three guards can play the point while Campbell will be counted on for his perimeter skills. Forward Jim Ross, a 6-8 walk-on, has missed much of the past week-plus with a concussion.
-AP-
Courtesy: Robert Smith/The Leaf-Chronicle
