As you've likely heard, we don't have any live-action contests to cover at LetsGoPeay.com right now. What we do have is free time; oodles and oodles of free time. Enough free time to swap oodles of emails with various people who would know to create a snapshot of the 10 best players in Austin Peay men's basketball history. Let's start week two with Austin Peay's answer to Charles Barkley, a brawny power forward who banged bodies with and often dominated players far taller.

The thing about Drake Reed wasn't the size, because 6-5 power forwards at the mid-major level are alive and well today and still very much controlling their own destiny.

The special thing about Drake Reed was how it never seemed to matter who was draped on him like a cheap suit, how many defenders were clinging to him as he rose. His jumper would coast effortlessly over the outstretched arms of helpless defenders as Reed would rise, often appearing over a crowd of opposing uniforms as his jumper floated to the hoop while the defenders, already heading back to earth as Reed drifted over them, cursed and jogged the other way.

So yeah, maybe Reed's build isn't what you think of in traditional power forward mold, but he strived to make it work for him and work it did.

Before Terry Taylor entered our lives, Reed stood as the only player in Austin Peay history with 1,900 career points and 750 career rebounds. He was a couple of bounces from becoming just the third player in program history with 2,000 career points and he remains one of five Govs with three first-team All-OVC nods to their names. He's also the only player to play more than 4,000 minutes as a Gov, a testament to his durability.

Reed was the focal point for one of the best stretches in Austin Peay history, which coincided with three appearances in the OVC title game and a chance to cut down the nets in 2008. He put the Govs in that position by calmly sinking the go-ahead free-throw in the semifinal against UT Martin. Those teams were two buzzer-beaters away from three straight OVC Tournament titles and Reed, with a pair of All-Tournament honors to his credit as well, is a huge part of the reason why.

Reed rightfully took his place alongside the legends of Austin Peay with his induction to the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. As of 2020 he was still playing overseas, most recently with Saint-Quinten in the French Pro-B League.