INDIANS TO GET DANCE PARTNER TODAY

For Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team, the wait is almost over.

By very late this afternoon or very early this evening, the Indians will find out who, when and where they will be playing in their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance on the Division I level.

Not that coach Gary Garner and his team are sweating it out. On the contrary. Unlike many college hoop squads across the country, who are nervously wondering if they'll be invited to the 64-team party, the Indians have their reservation secured. Now it's just a matter of finding out the particulars.

"We're very anxious to find out who and where we're going to be playing," said Garner.

The Indians will gather with school administrators and fans at 5 p.m. today at the Drury Lodge to watch as the entire NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on national television. The NCAA selection show is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

"It's going to be a really a good evening, really exciting," Garner said. "It'll be a nice opportunity for our players and staff to get together with the fans who have supported us all season and watch together as we find out who and where we'll be playing."

The 24-6 Indians, in just their ninth Division I season, earned an automatic NCAA Tournament berth by beating Murray State 67-56 in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament last Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

Garner said he doesn't really care who the Indians are paired against, but he would like to see them assigned to a regional that is relatively close to Cape Girardeau. Nashville would be ideal, but he's not sure if that's going to happen.

"It doesn't really make any difference who we play, but it would be nice to go some place where it would be pretty easy for our fans to travel," he said. "We'd like to go to Nashville because we've played there and it would be easy for our fans to travel. Since we just played there, I don't know if we'd get sent there. If we don't go to Nashville, the next choice would be Birmingham."

Added Garner with a laugh, "But we'll go anywhere they tell us to go."

Garner has not even attempted to guess what team the Indians might play in the first round of the regional. They will definitely play either Thursday or Friday, when the opening-round games are held.

"My assistants have tried to guess who we might play, but there's just no way of knowing," Garner said. "We'll find out (today) when everybody else does."

Regardless of who the Indians are matched against, Garner said his team is ready to start preparing for a specific opponent.

"Our players are anxious to play, and they're anxious to start getting prepared for who we're going to play," said Garner, who added that his squad had solid practices Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. "Practice has been going good, they've been very spirited. It's not as hard as I thought it would be to practice not knowing who our opponent will be."

Southeast is likely to be between a No. 11 and No. 14 seed, meaning the Indians are virtually guaranteed of opening the NCAA Tournament against one of the nation's top teams. But Garner is confident his squad won't be intimidated.

"I think our players will go into the game with the confidence that we can win. I'll think that and I know they'll think that," he said. "You look at a Southwest Missouri last year and a Valparaiso a few years ago (both low seeds reached the Sweet 16). I think we're at about the same level as those teams. I think we have as good a chance as they have."

As thrilling as it is to have a coveted spot in the NCAA tourney, Garner wants to make one thing clear.

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