INDIAN PUZZLE FORMS A CHAMPION; SOUTHEAST PUTS ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER IN CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

Like virtually every college basketball team, Southeast Missouri State University's Indians have had their share of rocky moments this season.

But for the most part, the Indians -- who will this week be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time on the Division I level -- have been relatively consistent throughout a campaign that has seen them go 24-6 so far, including a co-championship of the Ohio Valley Conference's regular season and the title of the OVC Tournament.

"I think we've been pretty consistent all year long," said Southeast coach Gary Garner. "In today's college basketball, you look at probably 99 percent of the teams, they'll win five or six, then lose one or even two. Because of the parity in college basketball, teams won't go that many games without losing."

To demonstrate just how consistent Southeast has been throughout the season, the Indians lost as many as two games in a row just once. They posted a pair of five-game winning streaks and will carry a six-game victory string into the NCAA Tournament.

"For the way college basketball is these days, I'd say what we've done this year is fairly consistent," Garner said.

Entering the season, a lot of people might have thought the Indians would have trouble matching last year's 20-9 record that was at the time the school's best ever on the Division I level. After all, Southeast lost OVC Player of the Year Bud Eley along with its starting backcourt of Cory Johnson and Kahn Cotton.

But as Garner attempts to build Southeast basketball into a true program, he realizes that there will generally be important personnel losses every season. The key is to blend the returning talent with top-flight recruits.

Southeast has certainly been able to do that. Returning from last year's squad were starting forwards Roderick Johnson and Mike Branson, along with backup center Brian Bunche and backup point guard Fred Abraham.

Johnson and Branson continued as starters they have had impressive seasons and they were joined on the frontline by Bunche, who while not a big scorer has been a fierce defender and rebounder. Those three are the squad's only seniors.

Added to that trio were five key junior-college transfers. Point guard Michael Stokes stepped in to become one of the best at his position in the OVC while Antonio Short has been solid at shooting guard. Center Nyah Jones, guard Amory Sanders and swingman Emmanuel McCuthison became key players off the bench, a role Abraham continued, and redshirt freshmen forward Drew DeMond became an important reserve in the latter stages of the season.

It all added up to quite a combination of success for Garner's squad, something that doesn't surprise him.

"I knew we had lost some very good players, but realistically, going into the season, I felt like we had a chance to have a good team," he said. "I just had a lot of confidence in these guys and this team. I felt like we'd have a really good year.

"I felt like we had enough talent to do what we did. I felt like we could win both titles, if we could get them to come together and have the right chemistry."

While the Indians certainly have solid talent for their level, Garner credits team chemistry, a family atmosphere, work ethic and senior leadership as key ingredients to their success.

"Our work ethic all year long has been very good, and this is one of the better teams I've had as far as being a basketball family, which is something I believe you have to have," he said. "Our chemistry has been really good and I credit that as a big part of our success. We really play unselfish. A lot of teams have players who play for themselves quite a bit. Our team doesn't care about personal accomplishments, they just want to win.

"And our three seniors have been tremendous. We have had great senior leadership, which I felt was very important from the start of the season."

With so many new players, Garner knew getting off to a fast start would be vital. He set up a schedule that, while relatively challenging, would allow Southeast a chance for success. And success the Indians had at the beginning as they won their first five games.

"Your non-conference schedule is so important each year," Garner said. "A team has to develop some confidence and consistent play, which develops confidence. We were able to get off to a really good start, win some games and get to feeling good. That was really important."

Garner believes Southeast's most lopsided and perhaps disappointing loss of the season actually helped the Indians get to the point they are at now.

On Jan. 15, the Indians stunned Murray State 84-78 to break the Racers' nation's best 47-game home winning streak and also end a 15-game losing streak to the Racers.

Pumped and primed for a nationally televised rematch on Feb. 12, Murray State came into Cape Girardeau and routed the Indians 77-60 to seemingly take control of the OVC race.

But instead of reeling after that defeat, Garner said the Indians were able to learn plenty from it.

"I think we learned more from that game than any game since I've been here," he said. "They came into our home floor and dominated us, but we learned more about what it takes to play in a big game, and how one player is not going to win a big game like that, that no one player can take it all on his shoulders."

The Indians have not lost since that rout at the hands of the Racers, winning six straight. They were able to recover to gain a share of the OVC regular-season title, then beat Murray State 67-56 on March 5 to win the OVC Tournament championship.

"You hate to lose any game, but I have to think that (loss to Murray State) helped us," Garner said. "Not only did we learn from it, but I have to think, in a year like this, it would have been hard for us to beat Murray three times, just like it would have been hard for them to beat us three times. So I guess that game worked out well for us."

And now the Indians are getting ready for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament as a Division I program. What Southeast has accomplished already is far better than anything the team had done previously since moving up from Division II nine years ago.

But Garner doesn't want the Indians to be satisfied. He believes they have plenty of unfinished business left.

"We're not just satisfied with getting to the tournament," he said. "We want to win."