INDIAN BASKETBALL LAMENTS THE FISHER THAT GOT AWAY

In college recruiting -- just like in the actual games -- there are going to be winners and losers.

Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team came up on the short end in the race to land highly-touted junior-college player Larry Fisher, but Indians' coach Gary Garner said those things happen.

Fisher, a 6-foot-4 forward at Three Rivers Community College who had been heavily recruited by Garner and his staff and had reportedly seriously considered Southeast, opted instead for Eastern Michigan.

"He's a nice kid and we wish him well," said Garner. "Every good player you recruit, you have to overcome something, you have to beat another school on. Sometimes it doesn't happen and the player goes to another school."

While Garner said he is disappointed in not being able to land Fisher -- the player the Indians' perhaps coveted the most this recruiting season -- he is far from disappointed in the three-player Southeast recruiting class that may or may not expand to four.

Southeast has one available scholarship and Garner said he and his staff are looking at some possibilities. But he said he won't sign a player simply for the sake of adding another body.

The Indians, with most of their key players returning, plus the addition of transfers Jeramy Biles and Roderick Johnson (who both sat out this past season) and the three new recruits, should be in solid shape for next season.

"We won't fill the scholarship unless there is somebody out there we really like," he said. "If we can't find anybody, then we'll hold the scholarship for next year."

Players signing with Southeast in the last couple of weeks have been 6-6 Mike Branson, 6-8 Brian Bunche and 6-7 Drew DeMond.

Branson and Bunche are both junior-college sophomores who will have two seasons of eligibility at Southeast. DeMond is a high school senior.

"I still feel good about the players we have signed," Garner said.