Strong sense of family at Austin Peay leads Blue Devils’ Clay to commit to play for Governors

QUINCY — Dom Clay’s junior season with the Quincy High School boys basketball team ended with a lot of people curious where his natural gifts and improving consistency might take him.

They now know.

It’s carrying him to the NCAA Division I level.

The 6-foot-3 Clay recently committed to Austin Peay State University, making him the second Blue Devil to land with a D-I program this summer. Point guard Bradley Longcor III committed to Santa Clara last month.

“This relieves a lot of the pressure that comes with recruiting,” Clay said. “It makes a lot of things open up where we can get ready for the season and try to win a state championship,” 

At the same time, he will relish the opportunity of a lifetime.

“It’a dream I’ve had ever since I was capable of playing,” Clay said of playing at the D-I level.

Clay came off the bench to help the Blue Devils finish 31-4 last season and reach the Class 4A sectional championship game, averaging 7.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. He was second on the team with 39 made 3-pointers and was among team leaders with 40 steals.

He elevated his game throughout the summer playing with the Michael Porter Jr. Elite AAU program.

“I feel like I put in a lot of hard work to get the attention I needed to be seen,” Clay said. “Playing AAU played a really big part, and the coaches I was surrounded by really cared about my future and playing at the next level because they knew I could.”

He made a connection with Austin Peay assistant coach Tim Ward, whose parents are former Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Terri Ward and former Highland boys basketball coach Tom Ward.

Clay also liked the message Governors coach Corey Gipson delivered during his recruiting visit to the Clarksville, Tenn,, school.

“They talked a lot about family and they were really engaged on that,” Clay said. “I really loved it. They kept drilling down on family, family, family. That’s how (QHS coach Andy) Douglas is. He talks a lot about family. That’s what I wanted.”