Augusta State basketball coach Dip Metress keeps asking former Jaguar Tyrekus "A.J." Bowman the same thing time and again.

What are you going to do next year?

Bowman, a two-time All-American who helped lead Augusta State to a No. 10 final ranking and its first appearance in the NCAA Division II national championship game, is seeking an agent.

"He's trying to pursue a professional basketball career," Metress said. "That's the extent of it right now."

Known for his high-flying abilities and deft touch around the basket, Bowman has a few options in front of him. He can play basketball overseas or try out for a minor league basketball association in the U.S.

Metress said Bowman has until mid-August to sign a contract with a team because preseason camps start in September.

"I told him he needed to get on top of this and get an agent," Metress recalled.

Bowman finished his career at Augusta State as the second-leading scorer in school and Peach Belt Conference history. A two-time Peach Belt Player of the Year, Bowman is finishing up two classes this summer to complete his business and marketing degree.

Like Bowman, center Garret Siler is enrolled in summer school.

Siler, who mentioned going to a big man camp after the season, decided to get ahead on his studies. He will take a full load of courses in the fall to ease the burden of a busy spring semester.

Metress said the main thing the 6-foot-11 Siler needs to work on in the off-season to improve his game is to lose weight. He said Siler, who will enter his senior season this fall, is "310-ish," and he'd like him to get down to 290.

"That would be 82 pounds less than he was four years ago," Metress said. "That ain't easy. If it was, the whole world would be skinny."

Like Bowman, Siler likely will receive interest from professional basketball teams next year. Metress said he took a call from the San Antonio Spurs about Siler after last season.

While things are quiet this time of year, Augusta State is putting the finishing touches on its 2008-09 schedule. Metress said the Jaguars likely will play host to Division II foes Benedict and Virginia Union and possibly travel to Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba for region contests. Also, Augusta State will play Paine on the road this season with the neutral site to be determined.

The Jaguars will have no regular-season games against Division I opponents but they are trying to schedule an exhibition against one. Metress said he thought his team would play Georgia, but that fell through. Augusta State almost upset the Bulldogs at Stegeman Coliseum in December.

"A lot of state schools rotate the schools they play in the state," Metress said. "When we played (Georgia) Tech, the next year they played Morehouse. So it's hard for (Georgia) to justify playing us again, I guess.

"I just want to play the best people we can possibly play to find out about our team."

Across the river, things will begin to heat up next month for USC Aiken, which finished last season 27-4 and ranked No. 6.

Coach Vince Alexander said he's signed one player and is in the process of signing another. He'll release information on the players in the next three weeks.

The Pacers will welcome back a familiar face as 6-foot-8 forward Kevin Willis Jr. returns to the team. In 2006-07, Willis -- son of the longtime NBA star -- played in six games and averaged 8.7 points and 5.2 boards before sitting out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He didn't play last season.

"That's a very good addition for us," Alexander said. "He already knows the system."

The team's schedule is almost finalized, and Alexander said the Pacers will try to play Division I opponents in exhibitions but have none planned for the regular season.