All Business on the Way to the Top

Austin Peay’s Terry Taylor Taking it All in Stride

(St. Louis, MO) – Austin Peay leads the Ohio Valley Conference race and ‘Player of the Year’ candidate Terry Taylor is taking it all in stride. The preseason ‘Player of the Year’ has tied the league record for weekly ‘Player of the Week’ awards, but he is all business when thinking about conference championships and individual awards.

Thursday the Governors defeated Southern Illinois Edwardsville and Murray State lost at Eastern Illinois. Taylor had a very workman-like, 16 point-11 rebound night and his team won by 18 points. The 6’5 junior leads the OVC with 14, double-doubles while leading the league in scoring and rebounding.

He’s playing better because he cares about his own production less.

Taking the Team Approach

While Taylor has been an Austin Peay star from the first day he showed up in Clarksville, it hasn’t always been an easy ride. He has had to put on weight, add muscle and learn how understand his demanding head coach. Taylor is one of eight current Division 1 players with over 1,800 points and 800 career rebounds. He is the only junior on that list.

Earlier in his career, he worried about his scoring and his personal performance, but he has learned to adjust his approach.

During his freshman season, he and NOT JA MORANT was the OVC’s ‘Freshman of the Year’. However the Bowling Green, Kentucky native is still learning teamwork lessons this season.

 

 

Taylor’s freshman scoring totals were the second best by any Governor in history. His sophomore totals were the second most for any APSU sophomore. He is blowing up the APSU record books.

Speaking of freshmen, APSU rookie Jordyn Adams is having a stellar season. He has a legitimate shot of topping Taylor’s freshman scoring totals. His 17.1 points-per-game average lead all OVC rookies and Taylor says the 6’3 guard has NBA skills.

 

 

All Business Approach

The unquestioned leader of the APSU squad is all business when it comes to personal accolades and the heady place the team holds. While there are three games to play the Governors (19-9, 13-2) lead Murray State and Belmont (both 12-3) by one game. They split two games with the Bruins and defeated Murray earlier this month. The two tangle again on February 29.

Taylor says the it took his team a while to learn how to play with one another. Nine newcomers and a difficult schedule that included Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, West Virginia, Duquesne and Georgia resulted in an uneven 6-and-7 non-conference record.

It wasn’t an easy start to the season.

 

 

While head coach Matt Figger was trying to motivate the players with the right kind of vision for the season, Taylor wanted to keep it all business.

 

 

What’s Ahead?

Taylor wants to keep it all business and they are currently on a ‘business trip’ to Charleston, Illinois. Eastern Illinois’ miraculous come back win over Murray State is what opened the door for the Governors to leap into first place. Figger’s squad doesn’t want to suffer the same fate at Lantz Arena.

APSU edged EIU 68-64 at Dunn Center, so they know the Panthers are very capable of derailing their title hopes. Following Saturday’s game, the Governors entertain Morehead State Thursday before the super showdown with Murray next Saturday.

Then to Evansville for the OVC Tournament where anything can happen. If it’s up to Terry Taylor, the Governors will be all business, win a trophy and head to the NCAA Tournament.

Do Good,

 

Editor: Cover photo courtesy of letsgopeay.com.