[h=2]Tournament could show Govs where they stand[/h]
A busy week of basketball could reveal plenty about an Austin Peay team hoping to establish itself as a contender in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Govs got off to a solid ? if somewhat shaky ? start to a key five-day stretch by holding off a furious Southern Illinois rally for a 72-70 win in Clarksville Tuesday night. After spending nearly all of Wednesday on the bus with a quick stop for practice near Indianapolis, they?re ready to get back to work Thursday night in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
?We came into this week saying that this was a huge week for us because we played a good team (Tuesday night),? Loos said following Austin Peay?s second win of the season. ?Now we?re going to go play on Central Michigan?s homecourt, so I think this week will give us a better feel for where we are.?
The hosts of the tournament await the Govs for a 7 p.m. tipoff Thursday night, perhaps the biggest challenge of three games in the next three days. APSU has lost its last eight away from home in nonconference dating back to last season, and the Govs? last win on an opponents? homecourt outside of OVC play came in December 2011 at Tennessee.
This year?s team full of newcomers hopes to distinguish itself it from those of the first back-to-back losing seasons in Austin Peay history. Already, the Govs are 2-1 for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the last time they posted a winning record.
Transfers like Ed Dyson and Damarius Smith have played critical roles, but Will Triggs and Travis Betran have also stepped up as returners for the Govs. They combined for 33 points in Austin Peay?s win over SIU, the only victory against Division I competition by the four teams competing at Central Michigan.
?I think we?ve just got to go over there with the mindset that, ?Hey, we?ve got to play to our full potential,?? Triggs said. ?We?ve got to go out there, play strong, play together and be physical, rebound, do everything in the book to be able to get the win.?
Rebounding continues to be a struggle for Austin Peay, despite 11.7 rebounds per game by sophomore center Chris Horton. The Govs have been outrebounded by an average of six boards per contest through three games and allowed more than 16 offensive rebounds against both Memphis and Southern Illinois.
Zone offense proved to be another weakness at times against the Salukis, who switched to a 2-3 zone to stifle an Austin Peay team not shooting well from beyond the arc so far this year. After making more 3-pointers than all but three teams in the OVC a year ago, APSU ranks dead last in the league with 14 threes after nearly two weeks.
Still, the Govs? have made up for that deficiency with significantly improved play at point guard and on defense, the two biggest areas of concern for Loos during the offseason. Opponents have shot less than 41 percent in Austin Peay?s two wins, and newcomers Smith, Zavion Williams and occasionally Fred Garmon have all proved capable at the point.
In fact, the Govs committed just 13 turnovers Tuesday against SIU despite some heavy fullcourt pressure for much of the game. It was a huge improvement from the 22 turnovers committed in a 95-69 loss at Memphis a week ago, and Betran said he expects more of the same pressures from defenses in Michigan.
?I felt real good,? Betran said. ?I think we?re playing, not slower, but more under control.?
A busy week of basketball could reveal plenty about an Austin Peay team hoping to establish itself as a contender in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Govs got off to a solid ? if somewhat shaky ? start to a key five-day stretch by holding off a furious Southern Illinois rally for a 72-70 win in Clarksville Tuesday night. After spending nearly all of Wednesday on the bus with a quick stop for practice near Indianapolis, they?re ready to get back to work Thursday night in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
?We came into this week saying that this was a huge week for us because we played a good team (Tuesday night),? Loos said following Austin Peay?s second win of the season. ?Now we?re going to go play on Central Michigan?s homecourt, so I think this week will give us a better feel for where we are.?
The hosts of the tournament await the Govs for a 7 p.m. tipoff Thursday night, perhaps the biggest challenge of three games in the next three days. APSU has lost its last eight away from home in nonconference dating back to last season, and the Govs? last win on an opponents? homecourt outside of OVC play came in December 2011 at Tennessee.
This year?s team full of newcomers hopes to distinguish itself it from those of the first back-to-back losing seasons in Austin Peay history. Already, the Govs are 2-1 for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the last time they posted a winning record.
Transfers like Ed Dyson and Damarius Smith have played critical roles, but Will Triggs and Travis Betran have also stepped up as returners for the Govs. They combined for 33 points in Austin Peay?s win over SIU, the only victory against Division I competition by the four teams competing at Central Michigan.
?I think we?ve just got to go over there with the mindset that, ?Hey, we?ve got to play to our full potential,?? Triggs said. ?We?ve got to go out there, play strong, play together and be physical, rebound, do everything in the book to be able to get the win.?
Rebounding continues to be a struggle for Austin Peay, despite 11.7 rebounds per game by sophomore center Chris Horton. The Govs have been outrebounded by an average of six boards per contest through three games and allowed more than 16 offensive rebounds against both Memphis and Southern Illinois.
Zone offense proved to be another weakness at times against the Salukis, who switched to a 2-3 zone to stifle an Austin Peay team not shooting well from beyond the arc so far this year. After making more 3-pointers than all but three teams in the OVC a year ago, APSU ranks dead last in the league with 14 threes after nearly two weeks.
Still, the Govs? have made up for that deficiency with significantly improved play at point guard and on defense, the two biggest areas of concern for Loos during the offseason. Opponents have shot less than 41 percent in Austin Peay?s two wins, and newcomers Smith, Zavion Williams and occasionally Fred Garmon have all proved capable at the point.
In fact, the Govs committed just 13 turnovers Tuesday against SIU despite some heavy fullcourt pressure for much of the game. It was a huge improvement from the 22 turnovers committed in a 95-69 loss at Memphis a week ago, and Betran said he expects more of the same pressures from defenses in Michigan.
?I felt real good,? Betran said. ?I think we?re playing, not slower, but more under control.?
