By: Alex Allard, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications
ATLANTA – After being named the 2022-23 Southland Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year last season at Northwestern State, Austin Peay State University basketball graduate student newcomer DeMarcus Sharp has become the first player in program history named to the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Conference Team, Monday, the league announced.
Sharp is one of 12 newcomers highlight first-year head coach Corey Gipson's inaugural roster, and is one of six Governors that come from Northwestern State, where Gipson was the head coach during the 2022-23 season.
"'Step Back Sharp' is one of the best players in the country," said Gipson. "He is always engaged to engage."
In addition to being tabbed as last season's Southland Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year, Sharp native also earned First Team and All-Defensive Team Southland Conference honors and was a finalist for the Lou Henson Award, an honor given to the best Division I mid-major basketball player. Sharp also was named Louisiana State Writers Association Newcomer of the Year and earned National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 22 honors last season.
The Charleston, Missouri native averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game for the Demons last season and helped lead NSU to the Southland Conference Men's Basketball Championship. He and Gipson also helped orchestrate the largest single-season turnaround in Northwestern State history after posting a 22-11 record, after NSU went just 9-23 prior to their arrival.Â
Before his season at Northwestern State, Sharp spent two seasons at Missouri State – where Gipson was the Bears' Associate Head Coach – starting in 17-of-29 games and averaging 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists despite having his senior season short due to injury.
Sharp averaged 8.2 points and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field during his junior campaign at Missouri State, earning Missouri Valley Conference All-Newcomer honors.
Prior to his rise to Division I basketball, Sharp spent his first two seasons at Colby and Moberly Area Community College. During his sophomore season at Colby CC, he earned NJCAA DI All-America honors, was named the Jayhawk Conference West Offensive and Defensive Player, garnered All-Region VI First Team Honors, and led the program to its first JC Regular-Season title.
Sharp averaged 16.5 points, 5.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and a league-best 2.5 steals per game while shooting 44.0 percent from beyond the arc as a sophomore, and had a triple-double in his second and third games at CCC.
During his first collegiate season, Sharp appeared in 35 games at Moberly Area CC where he averaged 4.4 points per game with 28 made three-pointers.Â
Sharp is the first Governor to receive preseason all-conference honors since Terry Taylor and Jordyn Adams were selected to the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason All-Conference Team.
Sharp and the new-look Governors offer a preview to their 2023-24 season in a 7 p.m., Nov. 1 charity exhibition against Tennessee Tech with proceeds benefiting Operation Stand Down Tennessee. Following the exhibition, Austin Peay opens its season with a 7:15 p.m., Nov. 6 game against Life. Both the exhibition and regular-season opener are at the new home of Austin Peay men's and women's basketball, F&M Bank Arena.
2023-24 Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year:Â Devontae Blanton, Eastern Kentucky
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year:Â Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky
ASUN Men's Basketball Preseason All-ASUN TeamÂ
*Devontae Blanton EKU
*Terrell Burden Kennesaw State
*Jacob Ognacevic Lipscomb
DeMarcus Sharp Austin Peay
Garrett Tipton Bellarmine
Camren Hunter Central Arkansas
Isaiah Cozart EKU
Isaiah Thompson FGCU
Jacari Lane North Alabama
AJ McKee Queens
Jalen Blackmon Stetson
* - Denotes unanimous selection
2023-24 Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Polls
ASUN Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
Place   Team (1st Place Votes)                    Points
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Kentucky (8)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 140
2          Florida Gulf Coast                106
3          Stetson                         105
4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kennesaw State (1) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 103
5          Lipscomb                        99
6          Bellarmine                       81
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Alabama (1) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 74
8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Peay (1) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 71
9          Jacksonville                      51
10        Queens                         47
11        North Florida                     36
12        Central Arkansas                 23
ASUN Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
Place   Team (1st Place Votes)                        Points
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Kentucky (32) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 552
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kennesaw State (6) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 444
3          Lipscomb                          432
4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Florida Gulf Coast (2) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 382
5          Bellarmine                        350
6          Stetson                            334
7          North Alabama                    284
8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Florida (4) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 252
9          Queens                           226
10        Jacksonville                      176
11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Peay (2) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 170
12        Central Arkansas                  110
