INDIANS `EXHIBITING' SKILLS TONIGHT; HOME EXHIBITION BEGINS GARNER ERA

Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians have spent the past three weeks bumping and grinding against one another during practice.

Tonight, the Indians will finally get to show what they can do against outside competition.

The 7:30 p.m. contest against Dream Builders at the Show Me Center won't count on Southeast's record because it's only an exhibition. Still, first-year Indians' head coach Gary Garner is extremely anxious to see his squad in a game for the first time.

"Our coaches and players are really looking forward to finally playing an outside opponent," said Garner. "They are tired of playing against each other."

Even though the Indians have had several intrasquad scrimmages so far, Garner said he has never been able to learn all that much about his teams by how they perform against themselves. He believes playing an opponent gives the best indication of where a squad stands.

"I've never really seen a good (intrasquad) scrimmage," Garner said. "That's why this game along with our other exhibition game (Friday night against Albacomp, Hungary, at the Show Me Center) will be so good for us.

"This game will give me a chance to see how well we have progressed in practice. I know the players have been practicing hard and this game should tell us where we are at this point in the pre-season."

The Indians, coming off a 12-18 season last year that included a 9-9 Ohio Valley Conference record, will tonight be facing a Dream Builders squad that should provide plenty of competition.

Dream Builders, comprised basically of former players from Iowa State and Drake, plays a schedule of exhibition games against collegiate teams.

Southeast is the first Division I team Dream Builders will face this year. Prior Dream Builders games have been against Division II and junior-college squads.

"Dream Builders has a lot of talented players and they will be very physical," said Garner. "It will be a good test for us."

Garner will want to get a good look at a lot of players tonight, particularly some of his newcomers that he will be counting on.

Players like 6-foot-10 senior center Bud Eley and 6-4 senior forward Calvert White are proven commodities. Eley averaged team highs of 17.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season while White was second on the squad in scoring at 13 points a contest.

Others back from last season are forwards David Montgomery and Travis Smith, point guard Lakeo Keller and walkon guard Aron Rauls.

Southeast fans will be getting their first look in game competition at the likes of touted point guard Kahn Cotton, an Idaho State transfer who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules; shooting guards Cory Johnson and DeWayne Saulsberry, who transferred in from junior college with impressive credentials; forward Demetrius Watson, another juco transfer; and freshman Nathan Owen out of Cape Central High.

"I'm looking forward to getting a look at all our guys in action," Garner said.

INDIAN NOTES: Friday's final exhibition game against Albacomp from Hungary will also begin at 7:30 p.m. Albacomp will have played Utah, Brigham Young, San Francisco and Murray State prior to the Southeast contest...

The Indians will open the regular season Sunday with an 8 p.m. game at Colorado. Southeast's first home game will be Nov. 21 against Central Methodist.