CELEBRATION: ACCOLADES IN STORE FOR SEMO INDIANS TODAY

Indians fans will have a chance to cheer once again for the basketball team that made it to the NCAA Tournament.

Members of the Southeast Missouri State University basketball team and their coaches will be honored at a Championship Celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Show Me Center. Admission to the event, sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University and the Southeast Missourian, is free and open to the public.

"We're looking forward to getting with our fans and celebrating what we accomplished this year," said Southeast basketball coach Gary Garner. "Our fans have been great all season."

Those fans consistently turn out for basketball games. The Indians have led the Ohio Valley Conference in attendance every year except one since joining the conference in 1991, said Ron Hines, Southeast's sports information director and master of ceremonies at this evening's event.

He expects many of those fans to turn out for the celebration. "There's always been great interaction between our players and the fans," Hines said.

The university wanted to have the celebration when the team returned from Utah, where Southeast made its first appearance in the NCAA West Region Tournament after winning the OVC Tournament. The Indians lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to Louisiana State University 64-61 March 16.

"We talked about greeting the team, but their travel arrangements coming back from Utah were hard to define," said Diane Sides, interim director of university relations. The team's plane was leaving Salt Lake City at midnight and there was a chance an ice storm could delay the flight.

"We didn't want a lot of people to come out at 6 a.m. and then the team not show up for two hours," she said.

Hines said people are still excited about the Indians' trip to the NCAA, especially since the tournament is still going on, and that excitement will draw people to the event.

The Championship Celebration will begin with performances by the Southeast Show Band and the Sundancers. Then will come remarks by Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, Southeast president; Don Dickerson, Board of Regents president; Mike Kohlfeld, Booster Club president; and Doug McDermott, student member of the Board of Regents.

But the stars of the evening will be the basketball team. There will be video highlights of the season and introductions of players and coaches.

The team's three seniors, Mike Branson, Brian Bunche and Roderick Johnson, and coach Garner will speak.

"You always want your players to get as much recognition as they can possibly get," Garner said. "They're very deserving of it."

At the end of the evening, players will sign autographs.

"We think kids especially will enjoy getting autographs," Sides said. "The student athletes are such good role models."

"I think our fans and players will really enjoy it. It should be a very nice affair," Garner said.

AT A GLANCE

What: Event honoring Southeast Missouri State University Indians basketball team.

When: 5 to 7 p.m. today

Where: Show Me Center

Admission: Free