JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the sixth time in the 96-year history of Austin Peay State University basketball, a Governor was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year, with Rashaud Marshall earning the honor with the announcement of the inaugural United Athletic Conference preseason awards. Zyree Collins also garnered Preseason All-UAC honors following his Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year campaign, while the Governors were picked to finish second by the league's coaches.
Marshall is the first Governor to earn Preseason Player of the Year honors since Terry Taylor was tabbed the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Five of six Governors to earn the league's top preseason honor also went on to be a Player of the Year recipient.
A pair of All-ASUN selections last season, Marshall and Collins are one of just three returning all-conference duos across Division I this season. They also are the first pair to earn preseason all-conference honors since Isaac Haney and Sai Witt in 2024, and the fourth and fifth under head coach Corey Gipson.
A Second Team All-ASUN selection and ASUN All-Tournament selection, Marshall averaged 16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Governors last season across 31 appearances and 28 starts. He shot 65.6% from the field, which ranked sixth in Division I and was the second-best mark in program history – trailing only Theanthony Haymon's 66.7% clip during the 2000-01 season. Marshall also led the Govs with 93 offensive rebounds, 212 total rebounds, 6.8 boards per game, and 28 blocks during his junior season.
The Blytheville, Arkansas native averaged 27.2 points per game from Feb. 21 – March 7 last season, which was the highest point total in the NCAA during that time. His 7.0 second chance points during the Govs' final five outings of the 2025-26 campaign also led the nation.
In addition to his ASUN Freshman of the Year honor – the ninth player in program history to be tabbed the league's top rookie newcomer – Collins also was a unanimous ASUN All-Freshman Team recipient and earned Third Team All-ASUN honors. The St. Louis, Missouri native earned 30 starts across 31 appearances, where he averaged 13.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Collins led all Division I freshmen and ranked 21st nationally with his 2.2 steals per game and was one of two players in the ASUN – APSU alum and current Hungarian professional player Collin Parker being the other – to sweep the league's weekly awards last season.
Central Arkansas was picked to win the league in the Preseason UAC Coaches Poll and received four first-place votes. The Governors received a pair of first-place nods, while Little Rock was selected third and received a trio of first-place votes. They were followed by Tarleton State, UT Arlington, Eastern Kentucky, and Abilene Christian, while North Alabama and West Georgia were tied for eighth in the poll.
2026-27 UAC BASKETBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Player of the Year: Rashaud Marshall, Austin Peay
Preseason All-UAC Team
Noah Bolanga, Abilene Christian
Zyree Collins, Austin Peay
Rashaud Marshall, Austin Peay
Tucker Anderson, Central Arkansas
Ty Robinson, Central Arkansas
Aaron Clark, Little Rock
Bradyn Hubbard, Little Rock
Jah'Likai King, Little Rock
Caleb Blackwell, Tarleton State
Chas Lewless, West Georgia
Preseason UAC Coaches Poll
1. Central Arkansas (4)
2. Austin Peay (2)
3. Little Rock (3)
4. Tarleton State
5. UT Arlington
6. Eastern Kentucky
7. Abilene Christian
T8. North Alabama
T8. West Georgia
