Govs host Samford in hoops opener tonight

By James D. Horne | November 9, 2012 |

Austin Peay opens the 2012-13 season when it hosts Samford at 7 p.m. tonight in the Dunn Center.

This is Austin Peay’s first season opener at home since the Govs defeated Knoxville College, Nov. 24, 2003, to open the 2003-04 season.

This is the first time Austin Peay has played Samford since the Bulldogs left the OVC for the Southern Conference after the 2007-08 season. APSU owns a 14-6 all-time record against Samford. However, this is the first time the Govs ever have opened the season against the Buldogs. APSU won the last meeting between the two teams on Feb. 9. 2008, 67-49 in Clarksville.

Head coach Dave Loos owns an 11-5 coaching record against Samford.

The Govs are expected to start AJ Lynch and Travis Betran at guard, Chris Horton at center and Anthony Campbell and Will Triggs at forwards.

Austin Peay is coming off an uncharacteristic 12-20 2011-12 season, including an 8-8 Ohio Valley Conference record. The Govs were picked to finish third behind Murray State and Southeast Missouri in the newly formed OVC West Division in the preseason poll.

Samford has a new coach in place in Bennie Seltzer, who replaced long-time coach Jimmy Tillette after the 2011-12 season. Seltzer took the Bulldogs reins after spending the previous four seasons as an Indiana assistant and former Kentucky star and long-time NBA player Scott Padget serves as a Samford assistant coach.

Guards Will Cook (8.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Raijon Kelly (9.4 rpg) and SoCon All- Freshman Team forward Tyler Hood (11.1 ppg) return as Samford starters.

Samford-APSU Notes

THE SERIES: This is the 21st meeting between Austin Peay, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, and Samford, a Southern Conference member. The Governors hold a 14-6 advantage in the series and were 9-3 against the Bulldogs when they were OVC members from 2003-04 through 2007-08.. The two teams last met in the 2007-08 season, the two teams splitting the two contests.

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN: The Govs would take a 1-0 mark into the Triple Crown Cancun Challenge…they would improve to 15-6 all-time in the series…head coach Dave Loos would improve to 12-5 against the Bulldogs…the Govs would improve to 48-33 all-time in openers, with Loos going to 10-13 in season openers.

WHAT A LOSS WOULD MEAN: It would be the second straight season the Govs opened with a loss…the Govs would drop to 32-25 all-time against current Southern Conference teams…it would drop Dave Loos to 0-1 against new Samford coach Bennie Seltzer…it would be Dave Loos’ 311th APSU loss and 364th all-time.

 2012-13 APSU Govs Basketball Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Time (CT)	Results
Canadian Exhibition Tour presented by Basketball Travelers Inc.
Sat, Aug 18	Seneca College (EXH)	at Toronto, Canada	3:00 p.m.	79 – 71 (W) STATS
Sun, Aug 19	A-Game Hoops (EXH)	at Toronto, Canada	1:00 p.m.	71 – 81 (L) STATS
Mon, Aug 20	ABC All Stars (EXH)	at Toronto, Canada	6:00 p.m.	85 – 52 (W)
Sat, Nov 03	Central Missouri (EXH)	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:30 p.m.	75 – 66 (W) STATS
Fri, Nov 09	Samford	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
2012 Triple Crown Cancun Challenge
Tue, Nov 13	Western Kentucky	at Bowling Green, Ky.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 17	DePaul	at Chicago, Ill.	1:00 p.m.
Tue, Nov 20	Western Carolina	at Cancun, Mexico	12:30 p.m.
Wed, Nov 21	Howard/Gardner-Webb	at Cancun, Mexico	TBA
Wed, Nov 28	Berea	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Dec 01	Fairfield	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:30 p.m.
Wed, Dec 05	Oakland City	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Dec 08	Memphis	at Memphis, Tenn.	12:00 p.m.
Sun, Dec 16	Arkansas State	at Jonesboro, Ark.	2:05 p.m.
Tue, Dec 18	Lipscomb	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Dec 22	Illinois State	at Normal, Ill.	2:00 p.m.
2012 Dr. Pepper Classic
Fri, Dec 28	Utah Valley	at Chattanooga, Tenn.	3:30 p.m.
Sat, Dec 29	Chattanooga/High Point	at Chattanooga, Tenn.	TBA
Thu, Jan 03	Southeast Missouri *	at Cape Girardeau, Mo.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 05	UT Martin *	at Martin, Tenn.	6:00 p.m.
Wed, Jan 09	Morehead State *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 12	Murray State *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:30 p.m.
Thu, Jan 17	SIU Edwardsville *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 19	Eastern Illinois *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:30 p.m.
Thu, Jan 24	Jacksonville State *	at Jacksonville, Ala.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 26	Tennessee Tech *	at Cookeville, Tenn.	7:30 p.m.
Sat, Feb 02	Murray State *	at Murray, Ky.	12:00 p.m.
Thu, Feb 07	Tennessee State *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Feb 09	Belmont *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:30 p.m.
Thu, Feb 14	Eastern Illinois *	at Charleston, Ill.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Feb 16	SIU Edwardsville *	at Edwardsville, Ill.	7:00 p.m.
Wed, Feb 20	Eastern Kentucky *	at Richmond, Ky.	6:00 p.m.
ESPN Sears BracketBuster
Sat, Feb 23	Opponent TBA (Feb. 1)	at TBA	TBA
Thu, Feb 28	Southeast Missouri *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m.
Sat, Mar 02	UT Martin *	Clarksville, Tenn.	7:30 p.m.
2012 Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Championship
Wed, Mar 06	First Round	at Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
Thu, Mar 07	Quarterfinals	at Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
Fri, Mar 08	Semifinals	at Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
Sat, Mar 09	Championship	at Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
Tue, Mar 19 - Wed, Mar 20	First Round	at TBA	TBA
Thu, Mar 21 - Fri, Mar 22	Second Round	at TBA	TBA
Sat, Mar 23 - Sun, Mar 24	Third Round	at TBA	TBA
Thu, Mar 28 - Fri, Mar 29	Regional Semifinals	at TBA	TBA
Sat, Mar 30 - Sun, Mar 31	Regional Finals	at TBA	TBA
Sat, Apr 06	National Semifinals	at Atlanta, Ga.	TBA
Mon, Apr 08	National Championship	at Atlanta, Ga.	TBA

* Conference Games

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