Bogan will be ineligible for first semester

Bell City High School graduate Will Bogan had a solid freshman season for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team.

But Bogan's sophomore campaign will begin a bit late — if it begins at all.

Southeast coach Scott Edgar said Tuesday that Bogan will not be academically eligible for the first semester of the 2008-09 academic year.

"At this point in time he's academically ineligible for the fall semester," Edgar said.

Bogan can regain his eligibility for next year's second semester if he performs well enough in the classroom this summer and during next year's first semester.

There is speculation that Bogan might transfer to a junior college and play on that level next season, although that has not been confirmed.

Asked whether he expects Bogan to play for the Redhawks during the second semester next season, Edgar said: "We hope so. We'll see."

Although Southeast has not officially released its 2008-09 schedule, nine games will have been played by the time the first semester ends Dec. 20. That includes two Ohio Valley Conference contests.

Bogan, a 6-foot-10, 300-pound center, averaged seven points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 2007-08 while hitting a team-high 56.6 percent of his field-goal attempts.

Bogan was Southeast's sixth-leading scorer and fourth-leading rebounder. Among returning players for 2008-09, he would be the Redhawks' No. 3 scorer and No. 2 rebounder.

Bogan played in 28 games and made three starts as a freshman. He averaged 15.4 minutes per contest.