JACKSONVILLE – Austin Peay State University basketball freshman Zyree Collins was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week, both for the first time in his career, after leading the Governors to their fifth win of the nonconference season, the league announced Monday.
Collins led Austin Peay with a career-high 25 points in a 76-75 victory against ETSU, Friday. The St. Louis, Missouri native had a career-high six rebounds and seven field goals, while matching his young career's best performance with nine assists in the home win against the Buccaneers. Collins' 25 points are the second-most by an ASUN freshman this season, and the highest-scoring game by an Austin Peay rookie newcomer since Tate McCubbin's 31 points midway through the conference slate last season. Additionally, Collins' nine assists tie his own mark – set at Kent State, Dec. 3 – for the most by a Gov this season.
Collins went 7-for-12 from the field Friday night, while also making 10 of his 12 attempts from the charity stripe. APSU faced a 75-74 deficit with 1:18 remaining when Collins drew a foul, sending him to the line for a one-and-one opportunity. After making his first attempt to tie the game, he then connected on the would-be, game-winning free throw. One minute and 13 seconds later, Collins defended an ETSU attempt at a game-winning shot, but the attempt bounced off back-iron and he corralled the rebound, resulting in the Governors' fifth win of the season.
Through the opening 10 games of the 2025-26 campaign, Collins is second both on APSU and among ASUN freshmen with 13.6 points per game. His 25-point outing was the second-best by an ASUN freshmen and 13th overall in the league, while his nine-assist performance makes him just one of two players in the league – and the only freshman – to dish out at least nine dimes multiple times this season.
Collins is the second-ever Governor to be named the ASUN Player of the Week, with McCubbin earning the honor during the final week of last season and the first week of this year. He also is the first Gov to sweep the ASUN weekly awards since McCubbin last season, and is just the second freshman to accomplish the feat across the league this year. Additionally, Collins is the seventh player in program history to earn ASUN Newcomer of the Week honors, with it being the 13th time a Governor has received the weekly award since joining the league prior to the 2022-23 campaign.
Collins and the Governors prepare for their penultimate game of the nonconference season next weekend, when they take on Kansas City in a 5 p.m., Sunday contest at the Swinney Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
