Govs Journey to Carbondale for Exhibition In opposition to Salukis

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The ninety fifth season of Austin Peay State University basketball unofficially begins with the Governors going through Southern Illinois in a 6 p.m., Friday contest on the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Head coach Corey Gipson returns for season three on the helm of his alma mater. Gipson has led the Governors to back-to-back Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament appearances, and helped lead this system to 3 postseason wins throughout that span. Additionally, Gipson’s 33 wins are the third-most by a head coach all through two seasons, whereas these 33 victories are also the eighth-most in program historical past. Under Gipson and the workers’s management, six Governors have signed skilled contracts because the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, together with Isaac Haney, Sai Witt, and Darius Dawson from final 12 months’s program.

In addition to Gipson, affiliate head coach Rodney Hamilton and Tim Ward – who was promoted to affiliate head coach through the offseason and retains his place of recruiting coordinator – additionally stay on workers for his or her third seasons in Clarksville. Assistant coach and Austin Peay alum Dugan Lyne additionally returns for his second season again with the Governors.

Five student-athletes return from final 12 months’s staff that earned a postseason win in opposition to North Florida within the opening spherical of the ASUN Basketball Tournament, together with reigning ASUN Freshman of the Year Tate McCubbin, who led the staff with 71 three-pointers – a freshman program report – 146 rebounds, and 42 steals.

Anton Brookshire and Hansel Enmanuel additionally return for his or her third seasons in Clarksville. Brookshire’s 82 assists and 52 three-pointers had been second and third on the staff final season, whereas the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native averaged 12.1 factors and three.4 assists per sport in opposition to the convention schedule final season. Enmanuel began a career-best six video games throughout his junior marketing campaign in 2024-25, and his 16 blocks had been greatest for second on the staff.

Eight newcomers, consisting of 5 veterans and a trio of freshmen, additionally put together to make their APSU debuts in opposition to the Salukis. The 5 veterans consist of 1 switch from Division I, two from Division II, one NAIA, and one NJCAA. All three collegiate newcomers additionally had been three-star recruits out of their respective excessive colleges.

Rashaud Marshall joins the Governors after spending his sophomore season at Arkansas State, the place he averaged 4.7 factors and 5.3 rebounds throughout 35 appearances for the Red Wolves. A former four-star recruit and the No. 1 prospect out of Arkansas in 2023, Marshall started his collegiate profession at Ole Miss, showing in 19 video games as a freshman.

A four-year letterwinner at Columbia College, Collin Parker was a two-time NAIA All-American and American Midwest Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 16.9 factors and 6.8 factors per sport all through his profession with the Cougars, together with 22.6 factors and 10.0 rebounds per sport as a senior whereas taking pictures 54.0% from the sphere and 45.7% from three-point vary with 91 made triples.

Creighton Morisch involves Clarksville after spending his junior and senior seasons at Sioux Falls, the place he began 42 video games throughout 56 appearances, incomes First Team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors and being tabbed the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 14.1 factors, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per sport throughout 28 begins as a senior.

A two-time First Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference choice at Missouri-St. Louis, Matt Enright began 96-of-97 video games in three seasons for the Tritons. As a junior, Enright averaged 16.8 factors, 4.0 rebounds, and a pair of.7 assists per sport. He was tenth in Division II with 103 three-pointers, and his 44.8 three-point share ranked eleventh nationally. As a sophomore, the St. Louis, Missouri native averaged 13.9 factors and three.2 assists per sport with 57 three-pointers and a 34.5% mark from past the arc. 

The Fastbreak

• Austin Peay and Southern Illinois meet for the twentieth time in program historical past. Southern Illinois leads the all-time collection, 12-7, and is 8-2 all-time in opposition to the Governors in Carbondale.
• Last season, the Salukis defeated the Governors 65-60 in Clarksville (12/14/24). The final time the Govs and Salukis met in Carbondale, APSU got here away with a 70-68 victory through the 2023-24 season.
• Austin Peay is 2-0 in exhibition video games underneath head coach Corey Gipson.
• Austin Pay has received 19-straight exhibitions courting again to 2010.
• Austin Peay’s roster is comprised of 5 returners and eight newcomers.
• Austin Peay’s 5 newcomers accounted for 36.39% of its factors and 43.9% of its minutes from final season.
• Last season, the Governors set the single-season program report with 280 three-pointers and 810 makes an attempt from distance. APSU has damaged the three-point report every of the final two seasons underneath Gipson, with the earlier report of 273 having stood because the 2007-08 season.
• The reigning ASUN Freshman of the Year, Tate McCubbin averaged 10.6 factors and 4.7 rebounds per sport final season, he additionally led the staff with 146 rebounds and 42 steals – his 42 steals are essentially the most of any returning participant within the ASUN.

Scouting the Salukis

• Southern Illinois is led by first-year head coach Scott Nagy, who’s in his thirtieth season as a head coach.
• Nagy was beforehand the pinnacle coach at Wright State, the place he was 167-92 in eight seasons. Nagy additionally served as the pinnacle coach at South Dakota State for 21 seasons, totaling a report of 410-240 throughout that point.
• Southern Illinois’ 2024-25 season ended within the Missouri Valley Conference Quarterfinals following a 70-53 loss to MVC Regular-Season and Tournament Champion, Drake. The Salukis completed the season 14-19 with an 8-10 convention report.
• Despite dropping its high three scorers from final 12 months’s staff, the Salukis return 5 gamers and one redshirt. Their top-returning scorer, Drew Steffe appeared in all 33 video games as a freshman and averaged 6.8 factors and a pair of.0 assists per sport, which had been fourth and second on the staff, respectively. SIU additionally returns Davion Sykes, who averaged 4.8 factors and three.3 rebounds per sport final season. Sykes had 9 factors and went 4-for-4 from the sphere in SIU’s 65-60 win over the Governors in Clarksville final season.
• Nagy added eight newcomers forward of his inaugural season on the helm of Salukis basketball. Those eight include three freshmen and 5 veteran additions. Valparaiso switch Isaiah Stafford highlights the group after rating seventh within the MVC with 16.9 factors per sport throughout his redshirt junior season, whereas 1.62 steals per sport had been third within the league. Prince Aligbe joined the staff after spending his junior season at Seton Hall, incomes 29 begins throughout 32 appearances for the Pirates and averaging 7.8 factors and three.6 rebounds per sport. 

Up Next

Austin Peay hosts Middle Tennessee in a 7 p.m., Oct. 28 exhibition at Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena. The contest between the Governors and Blue Raiders will likely be live-streamed on ESPN+ with Barry Gresham and Ethan Schmidt on the decision. Fans can also tune into the Governors Radio Network on ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM / 540 AM) to listen to Brian Rives name all of the motion.