SOUTHEAST BASKETBALL: BRING ON THE BIG SHOW!

The Big Show is back at the Show Me Center tonight as the Southeast Missouri State basketball Indians open the regular season against the Purple Aces of Evansville. The Otahkians take to the parquet floor for their home opener on Monday against Cleveland State.

In just his third year of Division I, Coach Ron Shumate has assembled a basketball team capable of winning 20 games. Given the history of schools making the move to Division I, this would be a feat in itself. Most schools do not achieve a winning record in Division I until the fourth or fifth year after the transition has been made, if then. Shumate and the Indians accomplished a winning record in just their second season of Division I, going 16-11 last year.

In many ways, this early success in Division I did not come as a total surprise to Indian fans. Listening to Coach Shumate, the winningest basketball coach in Southeast history, in post-game interviews two years ago, we wondered how such an intense competitor would survive in a situation with all the odds apparently stacked against him and his team. His response: work even harder and win.

Remarkably, Shumate has been able to build his team while under NCAA restrictions regarding post-season play. This year, he has recruited a talented roster of student athletes who are aware Southeast must still wait three years to play in the Ohio Valley Conference post-season tournament. In addition, Southeast has higher entrance requirements than those stipulated by the NCAA.

Only the winner of the OVC post-season tournament gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Should Southeast win 20 or more games this year, however, a bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) would more than likely be extended. Southeast nearly made it to the NIT Tournament last season.

This year, the Indians promise even more fun and excitement than in the past, with a lot of backcourt action and their trademark press. Much is expected from senior leaders Curtis Shelton, Keith Brooks, Mike Crain and Matt Sisley. One senior leader to keep a special watch on is Luther Bonds. Shumate has called him the most talented player he has ever had at Southeast. In fact, if Bonds could tap his potential, Shumate says, he would be a draft pick in the NBA.

As Shumate is quick to point out, not all of the Indians' success throughout the years is because of those who sit on the bench at the edge of the floor. A major factor in Southeast's winning record is the home crowd, what the coach calls "the sixth man." While the Indians will need to win on the road if they are to reach the next echelon, there is no underestimating the importance of the loyalists who root their team on in the Show Me Center.

According to tradition, Southeast fans set a new record last year, averaging 5,590 people per game. In 104 total games at the Show Me Center since it opened, over 550,700 fans have walked through the turnstiles. This is a phenomenal mark, which impacts not only the team but, as well, the economy of the region.

For closer insight into the foundation of the Indians' success, we suggest you turn to a new book by Southeast professor Robert Hamblin, "Win or Win. A Season with Ron Shumate." Hamblin's book takes you behind the scenes with the Southeast coach, exploring why he has become so successful over the years. It also goes beyond the realm of athletics, offering lessons about the power of spirit and soul. The book is expected to be introduced in book stores Dec. 3.

Of course, Ron Shumate is not the only successful basketball coach on the Southeast campus. Otahkian coach Ed Arnzen enters this season hoping it will be a turning point for his program. After qualifying for the OVC post-season tournament two seasons ago with a record of 16-12, the Otahkians failed to qualify last year while fielding one of the youngest teams in school history. They still finished a respectable 13-13.

This year the Otahkians will showcase four seniors, and Arzen is expecting them to grab the reins. The key, however, according to Arnzen, will be the Otahkians junior class with Roberta Granderson, Tonia Harris and Julie Meier. With the combination of experience and strong recruits, Arnzen feels he has a team to challenge for one of the top spots in the conference.

Ron Shumate and Ed Arnzen are two of the most successful collegiate coaches in the nation -- their teams among the most exciting in the OVC. The Show Me Center crowd is the finest in the OVC and among the tops in the country.

We welcome another season of Southeast basketball: Bring it on! And, See you there!