Austin senior Joe Aase has verbally committed to play Division I basketball under a full athletic scholarship at Davidson College next year, according to his father Lee Aase.

The 6-8 big man led the Packers with 15.4 points per game last season and he added 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest, while hitting on 42 percent of his three-pointers and 47 percent of his field goals.

Davidson, which is located in North Carolina, went 25-8 overall last season before bowing out to Louisville in the NCAA Tournament. Davidson also upset Kansas during the regular season last year.

Coach Bob McKillop has been at Davidson 23 years, and he has taken teams to the NCAA tournament in 5 of the last 11 years.

In 2008, Davidson upset the University of Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 and nearly went to the Final Four.

Austin advanced to its first state basketball tournament in 30 years this past winter.

Aase is the first Austin player to receive a basketball scholarship offer since Brian Elwer signed with a Division II school in 1999.