CLARKSVILLE—Austin Peay State University head men's basketball coach Nate James is excited to announce the addition of long, athletic wing Jalen Ware to the program for the 2021-22 season.

Ware's path to Clarksville began in Asia—first in Seoul, where he was born, and in Okinawa, Japan, where he spent much of his adolescence as a child whose father served in the military. He returned stateside to Winston-Salem, North Carolina ahead of his junior year and displayed enough promise in two short seasons—earning all-conference honors and Triad All-Star Classic MVP as a senior at Walkertown High School—to earn a spot at Hargrave Military Academy, the prestigious prep school which has produced countless collegiate and professional players.

At 6-8, Ware fits the mold of the prototypical stretch big in the Ohio Valley Conference, and he used his time at Hargrave to fill out his lithe frame, checking in at 185 pounds by the time he enrolled at Allegany College of Maryland for his first season of junior college ball in 2020-21, which saw him make 10 appearances and average 11.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per night during a shortened season. He had committed to Tallahassee Community College for the upcoming season before electing to instead come to Clarksville and join the Governors.

Blessed with size, a quick release, range beyond the arc and high basketball acumen, the left-handed Ware projects as a solid contributor for the program.

"He's a great, high-character kid with a lot of potential," James said. "He's got a lot of potential. He's big, he's agile, he's talented and he's improving all the time. We're really happy to have him in Clarksville."

Ware will be classified as a redshirt freshman for the upcoming season.