CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The 94th season of Austin Peay State University basketball tips off against Union in a 7 p.m., Monday contest on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena. 

A pair of former Volunteer State Athletic Conference rivals prior to the Austin Peay joining the Division I ranks in 1963, Monday's contest marks the 57th regular-season meeting between the Governors and Bulldogs and the first since Dec. 1974. The Govs lead the all-time series – which began in 1938 – 44-12 and are 22-2 all-time against Union in Clarksville.

Austin Peay enters its season opener coming off a 90-80 victory in a charity exhibition at Tennessee Tech, Oct. 20. LJ Thomas led all scorers with 26 points in the win against the Golden Eagles, while Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection Isaac Haney followed Thomas in scoring with 20 points. 

Head coach Corey Gipson returns for season two at the helm of his alma mater after leading Austin Peay to a 19-16 overall record and a 10-6 mark in Atlantic Sun Conference play last season. Gipson's 19 wins from a season ago are tied for the most by a first-year head coach in program history, while the 10-win turnaround was the second-best in program history.

The 2024-25 Governors return six student-athletes from last year's that made the 2024 ASUN Men's Basketball Championship game, including five letterwinners. The group is highlighted by Preseason All-ASUN Team selections, Sai Witt and Haney.

Witt and Haney became the first duo to earn preseason recognition by the ASUN Conference and were the second and third all-time selections to the preseason list.

Nine newcomers, consisting of six veterans and a trio of freshmen, grace the 94th roster in program history. The six veterans bring a combined 17 seasons, over 410 games played, and over 300 starts of experience to Clarksville.

A 2023-24 NAIA National Champion and First Team All-American, Quan Lax transferred from Freed Hardeman where he spent the previous three seasons. The Bolivar, Tennessee native averaged 13.4 points and 3.7 assists per game last season, while sporting a 2.08 assist-turnover ratio.

Thomas joins the Govs after spending his first two collegiate seasons at North Carolina State where he appeared in 42 games for the Wolfpack. Thomas's first-collegiate came in a two-minute performance against Austin Peay in Nov. 2022. 

A pair of teammates from Moberly Area Community College – Akili Evans and Tekao Carpenter – also join the Govs this season. Carpenter was a 2023-24 NJCAA Division I Third Team All-American last season, while Evans averaged 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds across 27 games for the Greyhounds. 

After finishing fourth in ASUN Conference play last season and advancing to the ASUN Championship game for the first time in program history, Austin Peay was picked to finish second in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll and third in the Preseason Media Poll.

From the Jump

• Austin Peay tips off the 94th season in program history with Monday's game against Union.
• The season opener marks the 57th regular-season meeting between the Governors and Bulldogs, and the first since a 62-55 Austin Peay victory, Dec. 10, 1974.
• Austin Peay and Union were both members of the Volunteer State Athletic Conference from the 1940s until APSU joining the Division I ranks in 1963.
• Austin Peay is 55-38 all-time in season openers.
• Austin Peay is 1-0 in season openers under head coach Corey Gipson.
• The Governors have won five of their last six season openers and are outscoring opponents by an average of 17.3 points per game during that span.
• Austin Peay is 66-27 all-time in home openers and 1-0 in home openers under Corey Gipson and at F&M Bank Arena.
• Austin Peay has won eight-straight home openers and 11 of its last 12, outscoring opponents by an average of 29.4 points per game in that run.
• Monday's game marks the earliest the Govs have begun a season. 
• In last season's home and season opener, the Governors set the program record with 17 three-pointers in a 90-72 win against Life. Ja'Monta Black tied the single-game three-pointer record with seven triples in the win.
• Austin Peay enters the season having played 430 games against the nonconference schedule and 709 games against the entire 2024-25 slate. The Govs' most wins and total games against a nonconference foe are against Morehead State with 56 and 106, respectively. The two meet Nov. 20 in Morehead, Kentucky.
• Austin Peay went 14-3 in its inaugural season at F&M Bank Arena. Those 14 home victories are tied with the 2002-03 (14-0) and 2019-20 (14-0) seasons for the most in program history and were tied for the best in the ASUN Conference. The Govs outscored opponents, 1,384-1,238, or an average of 8.6 points per game last season and never lost back-to-back home games throughout the season. 
• When the Governors took to the court for their Oct. 22 exhibition against Tennessee Tech, it was not the first time the team had played or traveled together. The Govs traveled to Barcelona and Madrid, Spain for a three-game, nine-day International Tour, Aug. 4-12. The Govs won their final two games of the trip against National Teams from each of the two cities, saw multiple historic landmarks, and took in all The Land of Cervantes had to offer. A complete travel log and game recaps of all three contests can be found at LetsGoPeay.com.

Scouting the Bulldogs

• Union finished eighth in the Gulf South Confer­ence men's basketball standings last season after going 14-15 overall and 11-13 in league play. They were picked to finish eighth in the GSC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.
• The Bulldogs had their season come to an end following an 87-76 loss to current Atlantic Sun Conference member West Georgia in the quarterfinals of the GSC Championship. Last season, Jordan Pyke was named the GSC Fresh­man of the Year after averaging 13.8 points per game. Following the season, Pyke transferred to Incarnate Word.
• The Bulldogs added eight players ahead of the 2024-25 season, with five veteran newcomers and a trio of freshmen. Knoah Carver, a junior guard, highlights the newcomers after averag­ing 14.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game at Cape Fear Community College.
• Union returns its third and fifth-leading scorers from last season. Jeremiah Littlepage averaged 12.3 points per game while starting in all 29 games for the Bulldogs, while Devaki Garr aver­aged 8.1 points per game in 10 starts and 29 appearances last season.
• Union led the GSC in three-point defense a season ago, holding opponents to just 30.6 percent from beyond the perimeter.

Follow the Govs on Social

For offseason news and updates on all things Governors' basketball, follow the men's basketball team on X and Instagram (@GovsMBB) and Facebook (Austin Peay Men's Basketball) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.