EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Terry Taylor Era of Austin Peay basketball is over – 12 hours later and it still burns to write that.

This wasn't how it was supposed to end. The great ones are supposed to finish with a storybook ending. Think Peyton Manning – win Super Bowl 50, hoist the Lombardi Trophy, and hang 'em up after 18 years of football. But not everyone gets the fairy-tale ending and now we move on to a new day and a new era of Govs basketball.

I was a freshman at Austin Peay when Chris Horton's career ended against the Kansas Jayhawks after a magical four-day title run as the No. 8 seed at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Municipal Arena in Nashville. I'm sure when Horton's career in Clarksville was over, people were worried about what was next for the future of Austin Peay basketball; luckily for all of us, some skinny kid from Bowling Green showed up with a headband and a left-handed jumper two years later.

Now Terry's time as a Gov is done, and before we turn that page, let's take one last look back at all the memories we shared with him: beating out the future No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft – some guy named Ja Morant – for OVC Freshman of the Year, 42 points at Morehead State as a sophomore, OVC Player of the Year, a game-winning three at Eastern Illinois in the middle of an empty gym amidst a global pandemic, pulling down an offensive rebound and dunking it to become the program all-time leading scorer, and then one more OVC Player of the Year award – just for good measure.

*Turns the page*

For Terry, his basketball career is just beginning. I don't know where and I don't know for who, but he is going to make money playing this game. Maybe it's in the NBA, maybe it's the G League, and maybe it's overseas, but Terry Taylor is a professional basketball player.

For the Govs, when November rolls around and it's time to ball in the Dunn Center, five guys will take Dave Loos Court with Austin Peay on their chest. Some of them will have played with Terry Taylor and others will have simply heard the legendary tales, but when the ball goes up, Matt Figger's squad will play basketball without Terry Taylor for the first time in a while.

We move to the next chapter of Austin Peay men's basketball and replacing Terry Taylor is not the way forward. It's not possible; you can't replace a player like that. So we look forward to seeing who will step up and be the guy for the Govs next year. 

Carlos Paez becomes a better and more confident shooter every time he takes the court. Mike Peake shows flashes of brilliance, driving the lane and knocking down the three-point shot. Maybe, just maybe, a 100 percent healthy Jordyn Adams returns to lethal scorer he was as a freshman. Alec Woodard becomes more of a lockdown perimeter defender every time he plays and when he finds the touch from three-point range – watch out. 

None of them are Terry Taylor and they can't replicate what he meant to the program, but that's okay. We move on to a new era of Austin Peay basketball and Terry moves onto the next chapter of his life, but Terry will never really be gone from Governors basketball.

"Austin Peay is a second home to me," said Taylor after his final game. "I'm forever grateful for my time in Clarksville and Austin Peay; it made me who I am, it made me more grateful, it made me hungrier to play the game. Austin Peay forever has my heart and I'm forever a Gov."

Sure, it's a sad day right now as we all sit and reminisce about Terry's time as a Gov. But as we move into the era of Austin Peay basketball after Terry Taylor, I'll close with this; thanks for everything T. We'll see you at the jersey retirement.