Five days after freshman Jordyn Adams announced his decision to enter his name into the NBA draft, fellow teammate Terry Taylor has done the same.
The Governors wing announced his declaration to test the waters as well, via his Twitter account.
The junior averaged 21.8 points, 11 rebounds and more than one block and steal per game. His statistical accomplishments led to a 2020 Lou Henson All American nomination, as well as the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year award.
The forward’s 21.8 points per ranked 13th among all of division one. His POTY award is the first by a Gov since Drake Reed earned the accomplishment during the 2006-07 season.
“I wanna thank all my coaches that I’ve had during my time at the Peay,” Taylor said in the tweet. “Through your assistance, I have been molded and guided into the man I am today and it is very much appreciated.”
Similar to Adams, Taylor will maintain his collegiate eligibility as he enters the draft process. If his stock is not favorable, this allows the opportunity for the junior to return to APSU. The deadline for withdrawal is June 15.
“I’ve been talking to coach Figger about it for a while,” Taylor said on the process to reach his draft decision. “We talked about it before the season and it was something that me and him really thought that I should explore. After the season, I stayed away a little bit from basketball, just to clear my mind and my body and we got back to it: it was just on my mind a lot.
“I even prayed about it and it just felt like it was the right time to do it. In the normal world, I feel confident that I could put myself in a great position to get drafted. I just want the feedback to see where I’m at, see what the NBA thinks of my game and how I can improve.”
If Adams and Taylor were to remain in the draft beyond the eligibility deadline, the Govs would look to replace 51% of the team’s total scoring. This, combined with departures from starters Eli Abaev and Antwuan Butler, raises said percentage to 74%.
If Taylor is to return to Clarksville, the junior envisions unfinished business, both personally and organizationally.
“I can improve on being a leader, even more than I was this year,” He said. “I can improve on my three-point percentage, being a better defender and just trying to get Austin Peay an OVC championship. That’s the one thing that I feel like is holding me back out of all of the things, because teams want winners and they want people who can win. I won games at Austin Peay, but I think I and Austin Peay need to win the OVC championship for that to push me over the threshold.”
