Greener days ahead

Despite losing five seniors, including the players who provided the bulk of the team's scoring and rebounding, Southeast Missouri State basketball coach Gary Garner believes the Redhawks can be strong next season.

That's partly because he likes the players who are returning -- but perhaps more importantly because he believes the Redhawks' recruiting will take off now that the program has been given a significant increase in a recruiting budget that for the last few years ranked at the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference.

"I feel we can have a very good year next season," said Garner, whose squad went 15-14 for its first winning record since 2000-2001 and reached the OVC tournament semifinals for the first time since 1999-2000. "Now, why do I feel we're going to have a good recruiting year? I've been given a lot more money, and I have to thank [Southeast athletic director] Don Kaverman for that.

"It has already made a big difference. We're in on so many more players. We've just got a bigger base of players that we are recruiting, and that comes down to money. If you want to have a championship type team, you can't limit your recruiting base."

Garner said a problem with Southeast's recruiting over the past few years has been, due to financial restrictions, his program simply wasn't able to get in on enough quality players.

So if Southeast was not able to sign its absolute top-tier choices -- which often happens -- there was a considerable dropoff in the next level of players the Redhawks were able to land.

"At this level, it's just very hard to ever sign your top choices, because they're being recruited by some pretty good programs," Garner said. "But with more money to recruit with, you can just get in on so many more players all over the country, and then your second, third or even fourth choices are pretty good players who can help you win."

Southeast has five available scholarships right now, but in most programs a player or two leaves every year, so depending on potential departures, the Redhawks might sign an additional couple of players for next season.

One player already on the dotted line is 6-foot-7 forward Tyrell Curry of State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Mo., who signed during the early fall period. The spring signing period begins next month.

Curry had an injury-plagued sophomore season at State Fair, but as a freshman at Cincinnati State Community College he averaged 11 points and nine rebounds.

"We think he's a good player," Garner said. "He had a really good freshman year, but he hurt his foot this year and didn't have the same kind of sophomore year. But all he needs is some time off and he'll be fine."

Eric Jones, a 6-4 senior at Webster Groves High School who is regarded as one of the top prep athletes in the St. Louis area, has verbally committed to Southeast, although Garner is prohibited by NCAA rules from commenting on prospective recruits until they sign.

Garner does know, however, that the Redhawks need inside help after star senior forwards Dainmon Gonner and Reggie Golson completed their eligibility. They combined to average 37 points and just over 15 rebounds as one or the other led Southeast in most major statistical categories.

"We do need front line help," Garner said. "They won't have to be great scorers, but they have to be good defensive players and rebounders.

"We'll be able to score. If we can get guys who can rebound and defend, we'll be all right, because that was probably our two big weaknesses this year. And we've got to get more athletic overall."

Garner believes his backcourt will be in good shape, despite losing Derek Winans, fifth on the school's career scoring list; Brett Hale, who was injured much of the season; and key backup Mike Nelke.

Sophomore Terrick Willoughby, who technically played small forward although he is basically a guard in Southeast's three-guard lineup that many teams across the country use these days, came on strong in the second half of the season and Garner believes he will continue to emerge.

Garner is extremely high on Roy Booker, a transfer from Montana who practiced with the team all season but sat out under NCAA transfer rules. The former Portageville High School star was regarded as one of the nation's top junior-college two-guards before signing with Montana and Garner expects him to be one of the OVC's premier players during his final season of eligibility next year.

"We lost a lot, but we're not in as bad a shape as people might think because of the kid we had sitting out," Garner said, referring to Booker. "After seeing our league this year, he has a chance to be as good as anybody. I think he can be one of the top players in the league.

"I am really excited about Roy. He's a scorer, but he also makes plays for other people. He just makes other people better. And I think Terrick can be one of the top players in the league. We have two players who have a chance to be all-OVC, and that's a good place to start."

Also returning in the backcourt will be freshman point guard Paul Paradoski, who was pressed into a starting role and led the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio, although his lack of scoring and reluctance to shoot was a liability at times.

"Paul had a really good year for a freshman, and I think he'll be a lot better," Garner said. "He was a pretty good shooter in high school and all he needs is some confidence."

Also eligible to return are junior guard Ryan Belcher, a sparkplug off the bench; junior center Waylon Francis, who saw limited action but was a key inside backup; junior center Ketshner Guerrier, who played in just six games (starting twice) because of an injury; sophomore forward Cody Lewis, whose only action came at the ends of lopsided games; and junior forward James White, who missed the entire season with an injury.

"Recruiting is always very vital, but probably more so this year than other years," Garner said. " I think our recruiting is going well and I think we're going to have a good recruiting year, but you have to get them on the dotted line."

As for the season, Garner said it was overall a positive one, mainly because of all the injuries the Redhawks had, their slow start -- they were 6-10 overall and 1-4 in OVC play at one point before winning nine of their final 13 games -- and because of several notable accomplishments, including a blowout win at St. Louis University, two victories at Murray State and a seven-game winning streak.

"We had some negatives, but there were a lot of positives," Garner said. "The win at St. Louis U., the way we did it. To win twice at Murray State, I don't know the last time anybody did that. To have a seven-game winning streak, the ninth-longest in the nation at the time. There were definitely a lot of accomplishments.

"It's not a great year, 15-14, but when you look at what happened to us, with all the injuries and the slow start, with the tough games we lost, not to make excuses, but I think it says a lot about this group of guys."

Garner -- who emphasized that he is proud his five seniors are all scheduled to graduate this year, four in May and one in December -- said he would carry a lot better feeling about this campaign into the offseason if the Redhawks had not gotten blasted 69-52 by Eastern Kentucky in the OVC tournament semifinals.

"It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, the way we lost," Garner said. "It would have hurt to lose a close game, but it would have been a different kind of taste. To lose by 17 points ... you'd feel a lot better if you had lost it at the end."