Kaverman has about 10 candidates in mind

As Southeast Missouri State draws closer to naming several finalists for its vacant men's basketball coaching position -- that should happen in the next few days -- it's not too soon to begin paring down a somewhat short list of potential candidates.

While a host of names have been thrown about by me and other media outlets over the past few weeks, it looks like Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman has narrowed his focus to about 10 people.

Sources have told me the likely finalists and eventual new coach will, barring some late developments, probably come from that group, many of whom Kaverman planned to meet with over the weekend during the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Now, remember what I wrote last week, about Kaverman basically being the one in charge of selecting the finalists, with president Ken Dobbins then likely having a major say in who is ultimately hired.

That being said, the two names I'm hearing the most as far as being highest on Kaverman's list are Tennessee assistant Scott Edgar and former Mississippi head coach Rod Barnes.

Edgar, who had success as Murray State's head coach from 1991 to 1995, also is said to be interested in the Alabama-Birmingham job, and he would no doubt pick that gig over Southeast, although it is not known how seriously he'll be considered at UAB.

Barnes had success during his first four seasons at Mississippi, but the Rebels struggled the past four years and he was dismissed following the 2005-06 campaign.

I also wrote last week about how my gut feeling is that Kaverman is looking for somebody with head coaching experience to take over the Redhawks.

Among that group, Kaverman is also said to be impressed with former Rutgers head coach Gary Waters (who recently resigned that post, although some reports say he was let go ),Furman head coach Larry Davis, Utah Valley State head coach Dick Hunsaker, Northwest Missouri State head coach Steve Tappmeyer (who played for Southeast in the late 1970s), Southern Indiana head coach Rick Herdes and Oklahoma assistant Bob Hoffman.

Hoffman, a former head coach at Texas-Pan American, is the newest name to surface. He is reportedly not following former Sooners head coach Kelvin Sampson to Indiana after Sampson recently was hired to take over the Hoosiers' program.

My gut feeling says the Redhawks' new coach will not be a current assistant who has never run his own college program, but if Kaverman and Dobbins were leaning that way, two former Southeast staff members -- Central Florida assistant Tom Schuberth and St. Louis assistant Anthony Beane -- along with Washington assistant Jim Shaw have been mentioned prominently.

So there's 11 names for Southeast fans to chew on, and only eight if you remove the assistants with no previous head coaching experience.

As regular readers of my column know, if I had a nickel for every time I've been wrong -- I'd probably be retired by now.

That being said, I'll be surprised if the eventual winner of the Southeast coaching lottery is not somebody mentioned above.

Of course, plenty could change before now and the time the hire is announced in a couple of weeks.

Stay tuned.

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The two high school boys basketball players from Raytown, Mo., who signed early with Southeast both recently received Class 5 all-state honors.

Point guard Roderick Pearson made the first team, and forward JaJuan Maxwell made the second team despite missing about a month of the season with mononucleosis.

Southeast will have at least one more scholarship to dole out during the spring signing period that begins April 12, but that could increase if some players leave the program, which generally happens even if there has not been a coaching change.

Freshman guard Eric Jones is reported to be on shaky academic footing, while seldom-used junior center Tyrell White might not return, although that is pure speculation.

But the bottom line is that, the sooner a new coach is in place, the better chance Southeast will have in landing the type of recruits it needs to become an Ohio Valley Conference power.

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Forgive me if I might be going a bit overboard, but what George Mason accomplished in the NCAA men's basketball tournament just might go down as the most amazing feat in the history of the event. If not, it's certainly on the short list.

It's one thing for a mid-major program to pull of an upset or two. Maybe even reach the Elite Eight.

But to get all the way to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed, after many people didn't even think the Patriots would be selected for the 65-team field?

Now that is truly remarkable.

All the Patriots did was, in order, knock off Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut.

Michigan State made the Final Four last year, North Carolina won the national championship and top-seeded Connecticut was ranked No. 1 much of this season, with many rating the Huskies the title favorite.

Even though the Patriots' run ended Saturday with a semifinal loss to Florida, what they accomplished will not soon be forgotten, and it's probably given added hope to every other so-called mid-major program across the country.

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Major kudos to coach Tom Farden and his Southeast gymnastics squad, which gained an NCAA regional berth for the first time since 1997.

Gymnastics flies somewhat under the radar with most area fans, but making the NCAA field in any sport is a major accomplishment.

Here's wishing the Redhawks the best as they compete in Saturday's South Central Regional in Fayetteville, Ark.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.