Backup center Perry will not return

~ Assistant coach Scepter Brownlee is also leaving the program.

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball program is losing another player and assistant coach.

As had been rumored, junior backup center Dionte Perry has decided to transfer after one season with the Redhawks.

In a move that had not been rumored, assistant coach Scepter Brownlee is leaving Scott Edgar's staff after only one season to take a similar position at Georgia State.

The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Perry primarily came off the bench for the Redhawks last season after transferring from Santa Fe (Fla.) Community College. He averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

But Perry saw extensive action after Mike Rembert suffered a knee injury late in the campaign. Perry averaged 11 points and eight rebounds over the last three games, all of which he started.

Perry could not be reached for comment and Edgar said he would have no comment at this time.

Sources said Perry is leaving because he feared his playing time would be limited next season with a healthy Rembert and the addition of two inside players, Colorado transfer Calvin Williams and Bell City High School senior Will Bogan.

Perry's leaving means Southeast will have an additional scholarship for next season.

Previously transferring out of the program was junior point guard Paul Paradoski, a starter for much of his Southeast career who saw his playing time limited last season with the emergence of freshman Roderick Pearson.

As for Brownlee, he came to Southeast with Edgar prior to last season after spending the previous year as a graduate student manager at Tennessee, where Edgar was an assistant coach.

Brownlee said he is leaving Southeast primarily because his fiance recently accepted a position in Atlanta, where Georgia State is located.

"We've been together for six years, but during that time we've been apart for four years," Brownlee said. "She could only come to Cape for four days. It's just time to be together and start a family.

"I absolutely enjoyed my time at Southeast. Coach Edgar gave me my chance, my first full-time coaching job, and I will be forever grateful to him. I'll really miss him and all the guys here."

Said Edgar: "I appreciate all the great work Scepter has done, and like Toby [Lane], I'll consider him a lifelong friend."

Lane recently left the Southeast coaching staff to join the staff at Miami (Fla.) University.