GARNER SHOWS NO INTEREST IN SLU OPENING

Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball coach Gary Garner said nobody has contacted him about the vacant coaching position at St. Louis University -- and that he is extremely happy at Southeast, where he just completed his second season.

Garner was responding to his name being included in a recent piece that ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch titled `An unofficial list of coaches who might be considered candidates to replace Charlie Spoonhour at St. Louis U.'

The list included seven other names and a list the Post-Dispatch had earlier in the week contained some other names.

Spoonhour, whom Garner knows well, retired Friday after seven seasons at St. Louis.

"It's always flattering if your name pops up into something like this," said Garner. "But I haven't been contacted at all. I'm not looking for a job. I'm really happy where I'm at."

Garner, who just completed his second season at Southeast, was courted for an assistant coaching position with the NBA's Chicago Bulls last summer. He decided to remain at the college level and received a contract extension from Southeast in August. He is under contract with Southeast through June of 2005.

The Indians just wrapped up a 20-9 season that featured a second-place Ohio Valley Conference finish and a last-second loss to Murray State in the OVC Tournament championship game that kept Southeast out of the NCAA Tournament.

Of the fact the Indians didn't receive a bid to the National Invitation Tournament, Garner said, "I was disappointed. I kind of felt like we might get one, but I wasn't surprised."

Southeast wasn't alone in being left out of the NIT despite having 20 wins. Nine other squads that won at least 20 games this season were not invited. All of those teams have been Division I a lot longer, and have had a lot more Division I success in the past, than the Indians.

"What holds us back is we have no tradition of any kind in postseason play," Garner said. "Now, if we have another good season next year, and are in the relatively same position, we should have a better shot. I think what we did this year has got to help us for the future."

* In other coaching news, Southeast assistant Tom Schuberth is not among the finalists for the head coaching position at Tennessee-Martin.

The four finalists who were recently announced are Austin Peay assistant Bret Campbell; Jackson State Community College head coach Mike Greer; Illinois assistant Bobby McCullum; and LSU assistant Donnie Tyndall.

UTM expects to name a replacement for Cal Luther within the next two weeks. Luther retired following the 1998-99 season.