Joe Harms, a 6-foot-9 center at Althoff, has made a verbal commitment to continue his basketball career at Austin Peay University next year, according to summer coach Terrell Ramey of Team Rameybasketball.com.

The Crusaders’ center chose Austin Peay over interest from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Tennessee-Martin, Eastern Kentucky, Quincy University and Washington University.

During his junior season at Althoff, Harms averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and was second on the team in blocked shots. He shot 85.5 percent from the field and 64.4 percent from the free throw line as the Crusaders went 22-6.

Harms is the second senior basketball player from the Metro East to pledge to Austin Peay. He will join Edwardsville 6-6 forward Will Triggs in Tennessee next year.

The Althoff center is the third area senior to make a commitment to a Division I school for next season, joining Triggs and Borgia swingman Nathan Scheer (Missouri State).

There were six Division I basketball commitments from the St. Louis area in the class of 2009: Lafayette’s Tyler Griffey (Illinois), McCluer’s Lonnie Boga (Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Oakville’s Keith Pickens (Missouri State), Miller Career Academy’s Jerome Jones (Missouri State), Summit’s Will Clark (Texas Southern) and St. Charles West’s Alex Bazzell (Missouri-Kansas City). A seventh player, Maplewood’s Bryant Allen, signed to play football at Minnesota but also agreed to walk on to the school’s basketball team.