The Governors took care of business in 2008, not only taking the regular-season conference title outright, but blasting rival Tennessee State in the OVC championship game to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Five seniors finished their career in style for Austin Peay, including standouts Drake Reed and Derek Wright, as Austin Peay returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.

The season was as much of a success as head coach Dave Loos could have asked for, though the team played probably its worst game of the season in the first-round 74-54 loss to Texas in Little Rock.

Drake Reed once again proved to be one of the OVC's dominant post players, leading the Governors in scoring for a second-straight year and earning first-team all-league honors. The emergence of senior guard Todd Babington and Wright proved to be the added punch the Governors needed to get over the hump and into the Big Dance.

While the Governors do lose five seniors, there is a strong core returning, including Reed and sixth man Wes Channels, meaning Austin Peay should once again be a strong favorite to win the OVC in 2009.

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