Southeast men to open season against Bradley

Both teams have suffered three straight losing seasons and will be looking for an opening victory.

By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian

A young and inexperienced -- yet quite talented -- basketball team figures to greet Southeast Missouri State University's men during their season opener tonight.

That's the opinion of Bradley coach Jim Les, whose Braves host Southeast in a 7:05 p.m. tipoff in Peoria, Ill.

"We're young but very talented," Les said. "We're trying to restore the program back to what Bradley was before. We think we've done a good job bringing in some talent, now it's just a matter of getting things together."

Bradley last reached the NCAA Tournament in 1996 and the Braves' most recent winning season came in 2001.

Less, a former star Bradley point guard in the mid-1980s who helped lead the Braves to the NCAAs, is 27-34 in two seasons at his alma mater. Bradley went 15-16 last year, including a 7-11 Missouri Valley Conference mark.

The Braves, who lost eight players from last season's squad, have no seniors on their current roster, which is spiced with six freshmen and two junior college transfers. Partly because of that, Bradley is picked to finish just seventh in the 10-team MVC.

"There are a lot of unknowns on this team, even to the coach," Les said. "I don't know how you could pick us any higher."

One known commodity for Bradley is 6-foot-7, 225-pound junior forward Marcellus Sommerville, the reigning MVC newcomer of the year and a first-team all-conference selection. He averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season.

Sommerville, who led the MVC in rebounding and was third in scoring after transferring from the junior college ranks (he originally signed with Iowa), is listed by most publications as the MVC's top professional prospect.

"If not the best, he's one of the best players in our conference," Les said. "Certainly, I'm going to lean on him quite a bit."

No other returning player averaged more than 3.2 points per game last year, but Bradley appears to have plenty of size and talent, including a pair of 7-footers and two 6-9 players.

Sommerville and company certainly have Southeast coach Gary Garner plenty concerned as he tries to lead his squad back from three straight losing seasons.

"I don't think they'll be a great team, but they'll be a good team," Garner said. "And Sommerville is probably the best player in the MVC. He's an NBA prospect. We'll have to do things on him to try and keep him from getting 30 on us. He's that good."

Garner is hoping his squad has enough healthy bodies to hang with Bradley. Southeast had only eight available players during its final exhibition game -- a loss to Division II Harding on Saturday -- but should be closer to full strength tonight.

While senior guard Derek Winans, the team's leading scorer each of the past three years, has still not practiced because of a stress fracture, senior guard Mike Nelke (sprained wrist) and junior guard Ryan Belcher (sprained ankle) both returned to practice this week and should be available. Junior forward James White (knee) probably won't play.

Scheduled to start tonight are four returning players -- senior forward Dainmon Gonner (12.3 points per game last year), senior forward Reggie Golson (7.1), senior guard Brett Hale (7.2) and sophomore point guard Terrick Willoughby (3.3) -- along with junior college transfer Ketshner Guerrier at center.

Garner knows how much an opening win could do for his squad's confidence.

"A fast start is always important, but probably more important for us, coming off last season," Garner said. "It's going to be a really tough game for us, but if we play well, I think we're capable of being right in there."