CURTAIN FALLS AT 14-13; GARNER PLEASED WITH OPENING ACT; OPTIMISM ABOUNDS

All things considered, Gary Garner came away extremely pleased with his first season as the head coach of Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians.

Despite several key injuries and numerous heartbreaking defeats, the Indians managed only the school's second winning record in seven NCAA Division I seasons.

And, since only one senior saw considerable action -- in addition to a pair of key transfers being eligible next season and the likely return of Bud Eley -- Garner's second Southeast team figures to hold plenty of promise.

"Naturally, you'd always liked to have won more games, and that last game of the year (a 76-46 loss to Austin Peay last week in the first round of the OVC Tournament) kind of leaves a sour taste in your mouth," said Garner. "But I was definitely pleased with our effort, I thought we made pretty good strides in all areas and I thought we came together as a team.

"Overall, I thought the first year went very well. I'm extremely satisfied and I'm really optimistic as to what kind of program we can build here."

The Indians finished Garner's first season in Cape Girardeau with a 14-13 record, including a 10-8 OVC mark that netted them fifth place and marked the school's most-ever OVC victories. Southeast won six of its final eight regular-season games.

Along the way, the Indians lost four OVC games in overtime and dropped non-conference contests to Colorado and Missouri by a combined four points.

Also along the way, Southeast endured the loss of all-OVC center Bud Eley to a pair of foot injuries which allowed him to play only 11 games. The 6-foot-10 Eley averaged 15 points in those contests. Junior forward Demetrius Watson also missed several games with an injury while nagging ailments hampered some other players.

"Those injuries gave other people a chance to step forward and show what they could do," Garner said.

Southeast will sorely miss senior forward Calvert White, an exceptional athlete who averaged just over 10 points and almost six rebounds per game in addition to being second on the team in assists and steals.

The other two seniors -- forward Travis Smith and guard Lakeo Keller -- saw only limited action.

Eley, as long as he graduates by the end of the summer -- which he is reportedly on schedule to do -- will regain the year of eligibility he lost when he entered Southeast as a Proposition 48 student.

Also returning will be the Indians three leading scorers after Eley: junior guards Cory Johnson and Kahn Cotton and junior forward/center David Montgomery.

Johnson averaged nearly 15 points per game while setting a school record for 3-pointers in a season and leading the OVC in 3-pointers per game and free-throw percentage.

Cotton, Southeast's point guard, averaged nearly 12 points per game while leading the Indians in assists and steals.

Montgomery averaged 12 points a contest and shot nearly 63 percent from the field.

The next-leading scorer, White, will be lost, but also back will be Watson, who averaged almost nine points per game, and freshman guard Nathan Owen, who had a solid rookie season by averaging better than five points per contest.

Junior guard Dewayne Saulsberry had his moments off the bench while freshman walkon guard Matt Morris became a key reserve late in the season. Both averaged just over two points per game.

"I thought we got a lot of good play from all of our guys," said Garner. "Cory just had a tremendous season shooting the ball, David and Kahn really came on, Demetrius was very consistent, Nathan improved so much as the season went on and Matt really did a great job for a walkon."

Joining all those returning players next season will be two highly-touted transfers who practiced with the Indians all season but were not eligible for games: point guard Jeramy Biles from St. Louis University and forward Roderick Johnson from Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"They're talented players who are really going to help us," Garner said.

The Indians' primary recruiting priority will be to find a replacement for White, who at 6-4 played small forward but could also handle the ball and shoot 3-pointers like a guard.

"Our top need is a three man to replace Calvert," said Garner. "We need a 6-4 or 6-5 kid who can play inside and also step out on the floor."

Garner said he and his assistants have been getting good responses from a number of recruits, but most of them are not willing to commit until they learn the result of the NCAA investigation into the program. An announcement on possible penalties or sanctions is expected soon.

"I feel very good about the reception we've gotten, but just about everybody is waiting to see what will happen with the NCAA," said Garner. "We're all anxious to find out what happens."

The spring signing period begins April 15. Although Garner is not allowed to comment specifically on players his program is recruiting, it is known that two of the region's premier junior-college players have Southeast high on their list.

Considering the Indians seriously are 6-foot-4 Larry Fisher of Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff and 6-5 Mike Branson of Meramec Community College in St. Louis. Both are forwards who possess the all-around talents to step in for White next season.

"We'd ideally like to sign three or four players," Garner said. "If we can sign some good ones, which I think we'll be able to do, and with Bud and everybody else coming back along with the two transfers, I think we've got a really good nucleus."

When he was hired by Southeast last summer after former coach Ron Shumate and his staff were dismissed amid the NCAA allegations, Garner emphasized just how happy and excited he was to be in Cape Girardeau to try and build what he considered to be a program with tremendous potential.

After one season on the job, Garner's optimism and enthusiasm have not waned. If anything, they've increased.

"I'm just really happy with what has gone on here, all the great support, the potential," he said. "I think we can just have a great program. I'm as excited now as when I took the job."