Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Clarksville, TN (Future150) -- The Big Dance is finally here and while everyone would like to cut down the nets, there can only be one champion. That being said, there is always the chance that the next season could be better than the last. With that in mind, Future150 would like to introduce "The Next Step", a segment dedicated to breaking down each program's recruitng class as they bow out of the tournament; because there's always next season.
Austin Peay became one of the darlings of the dance following a run through their conference tournament where they were an 8 seed. But what are the chances that they can return to the dance next year?
Replacing Chris Horton is going to be tough. The big man will go down as one of the best players in school history and possibly the best shot blockers as well. Losing guard Khalil Davis does not help one bit either. That being said, Austin Peay finishing 8th in the league in the regular season was lower than others thought they would.
Helping lessen the blow of Horton's departure are forwards Sam McCracken and Jartavious Dobbs. McCracken has great hands and good touch around the rim offensively. He can also step out and hit the mid-range jumper, especially from the foul line. Dobbs is the opposite, as he is a big time shot blocker who runs the floor well and is super athletic. Those two will both need to put muscle on, but with their skill sets, they can at least fill some of Horton's role between them.
As far as being able to return to the tournament, it is hard to see. The OVC is a one bid league, so it's a matter of who gets hot around the conference tournament. If this year's group has taught us anything, it's that we shouldn't count out next year's.
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