A Clarksville native who starred at nearby Northeast High School, Drake Reed elected to continue his career close to home and became one of the most decorated players of the Dave Loos era.
Reed burst onto the scene in 2005 and was a contributor from day one. After making six appearances off the bench to start the season, Reed entered the starting lineup against Tennessee Tech and would stay there for the final 125 games of his career. In 25 starts as a freshman, Reed averaged 8.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, earning four OVC Freshman of the Week honors and began building his reputation as a big-game player against Murray State, scoring the Governors final two buckets in regulation and the go-ahead basket late in overtime to topple the Racers.
Reed enjoyed breakout campaign as a sophomore, averaging 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds to earn the first of three All-OVC selections and being chosen as the OVC Player of the Year and honorable mention All-America by the Associated Press. He scored 31 points against Arkansas State early in the 2007 campaign, a first for Austin Peay since 2002 but the first of eight 30-point games for Reed during his APSU career.
After a heartbreaking loss in the 2007 OVC Championshi p game, Reed helped lead the squad to the promised land in 2008. As a junior, he scored 14.4 points and added 5.6 rebounds in the face of constant double-teams that opened up the floor for teammates Todd Babington, Derek Wright, Fernandez Lockett and Kyle Duncan. He showed his mettle in the big moment again in the OVC Tournament; with the game on the line against UT Martin in the OVC semifinal, Reed stepped to the line and sank the go-ahead free-throw to give the Govs a 78-77 win. The following day, Reed and his teammates would cut down the nets at Municipal Auditorium as OVC Champions.
Reed simply couldn’t be stopped as a senior, posting career-highs in points (21.9) and rebounds (7.5) per game and hitting 275 shots from the floor (third-best single-season mark in APSU history). He developed a touch from long-range as well, hitting 37.0 percent (17-for-46) from three as a senior.
Sensing a chance at adding a second ring to his collection, Reed was spectacular down the stretch as a senior, averaging 29.3 points on 58.9 percent shooting from the floor and 90.3 percent from the free-throw line to go with 8.9 rebounds during that February as the Governors were able to grab the No. 2 seed in the tournament. Reed averaged 16.3 points during the tournament, earning his second all-tournament honor, but for the second time in three years the Governors fell the championship game on a last-second buzzer-beater, this time against Morehead State in spite of Reed’s 16 points.
Reed’s career-numbers are simply eye-popping. With 1,991 points and 794 rebounds, Reed is the only player in Austin Peay history with 1,900 points and 750 rebounds. He remains Austin Peay’s career leader in free throws made (476) and attempted (694); games started (125); and minutes (4,093) and is ranked in the APSU top-10 in five other categories. Austin Peay’s Most Outstanding Male Athlete and co-Legends Award recipient in 2009, Reed has enjoyed a seven-year career overseas, playing in Australia, Libya, Austria and France, where he is suiting up for Poitiers this season.
