BRUSH WITH NCAA SECOND IN SOUTHEAST HISTORY

Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball program, which is in the final weeks of an NCAA investigation into alleged violations, has had another brush with the NCAA, that occurring nearly 20 years ago when violations at the school were deemed to be relatively minor.

The NCAA placed the Indians on a one-year probation in 1979 for violations that occurred under20Carroll Williams, now Southeast's interim athletic director but then the school's head men's basketball coach.

The violations primarily centered around former star player Desi Barmore, who during the 1978-79 season averaged 15 points and seven rebounds in helping lead the Indians to a 19-9 record and third-place finish in the Division II regional.

Among the violations committed were potential recruits receiving T-shirts and one receiving a small meal, which are both against NCAA regulations.

"One of the assistants took a recruit out for a hamburger, which was against the rules, and one recruit (Barmore) got a T-shirt while he was here, which is against the rules," said Williams.

The NCAA ultimately ruled that Barmore would no longer be eligible to play at Southeast and he wound up transferring. Also, the men's basketball program was placed on one-year probation, although Williams said, "The NCAA placed no restrictions on the program. The year's probation simply meant you had to behave yourself."

However, the old Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association that Southeast belonged to at the time did make the Indians ineligible for its league championship during the 1979-80 season.

Said Williams, "They (the violations) were all deemed to be relatively minor. Barmore was declared ineligible here because the NCAA felt we got a recruiting advantage for him to come here."

Williams continued as Southeast's basketball coach until 1981 when Ron Shumate, under whose direction the current allegations took place, took over the program and eventually became the winningest basketball coach in school history until his dismissal in May.

Ironically, at the same time Southeast's men's basketball program was placed on probation nearly 20 years ago, the school's track and field program was also hit with a similar one-year NCAA probation for violations that were also deemed to be relatively minor.

As with basketball, the track program -- under the director of former coach Marvin Rosengerten -- was not given any specific restrictions by the NCAA but the MIAA did make the track squad ineligible for its conference championship.