Nutt's contract extension was needed, deserved

I'm glad that the Southeast Missouri State administration moved quickly to address men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt's contract status -- one way or the other -- following the season that ended less than two weeks ago.

Nutt would have been entering the final year of his contract next season and that's never an ideal situation for a coach or a program, especially in the area of recruiting.

Just about everywhere I went, people were asking me about Nutt's status and whether or not I thought he would receive an extension.

I actually wasn't sure, because although the Redhawks went 17-16 for the program's first winning record since 2004-05, by most accounts -- including Nutt's -- they did not live up to their expectations or talent level.

As it turned out, Nutt was given a one-year extension through the 2014-15 season.

From a personal standpoint, I'm happy about that because it would be hard to imagine a better person to work with than the personable and perpetually upbeat Nutt. I've dealt with a lot of coaches who were media-friendly and cooperative -- along with some who weren't -- and Nutt is at least tied for first on my all-time list.

And from an objective standpoint, I believe Nutt deserved a contract extension.

Sure, I thought the Redhawks had the talent to win at least 20 games and finish among the Ohio Valley Conference's top four teams -- they wound up tied for fifth, although they were second in the OVC West Division -- but you can't deny just how much Nutt has elevated Southeast basketball in his four years.

Nutt inherited a program that was saddled with NCAA probation and ranked among the nation's worst after going 3-27 overall and 0-18 in OVC play the season before he took over.

Southeast improved its overall record for the fourth straight year under Nutt. This season the Redhawks posted the program's most victories since the 2000-01 squad won 18 games and notched an OVC tournament win for the third straight year -- the first time that has happened in program history.

Nutt always handles himself with class and dignity. He also has, by and large, recruited solid citizens who don't get in trouble and who graduate.

Whether Nutt is able to take Southeast's program to the next level -- an OVC title and an NCAA tournament berth -- remains to be seen and probably will help determine just how long he remains on the job. The 2013-14 team, which should rank among the league favorites, figures to afford him his best chance so far.

But no matter what the rest of Nutt's future at Southeast holds -- I hope he's here for as long as he wants to be -- even Nutt's critics would have to agree that he's done a lot for the program.

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Georgetown sophomore Otto Porter winning the Big East player of the year award last week moved me to dig up one of my columns from early during Porter's senior season at Scott County Central High School.

I can't say that I predicted Porter -- projected as a likely top-10 or even top-five NBA draft pick -- would be this good this soon, but I also can't say that his success has totally surprised me.

After Porter and the Braves romped to the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament title during the 2010-11 season, I wrote the following:

"About the only thing the rail-thin Porter doesn't have going for him right now is a major-college-type body, something he'll probably grow into as he matures.

"But as far as skills, Porter has pretty much everything you could imagine for a player only a few inches short of 7 feet. In fact, I'll bet Porter is as skilled as most of the top high school players his height in the country.

"The odds of anybody making the NBA are long, and I'm not predicting Porter will reach that level. But I also wouldn't be surprised if he gets there. That's how good I think he is and how much potential I think he has."

Not a bad assessment, I guess, but it fell a bit short of just how great a player Porter has become.

As somebody who followed Porter's high school career extensively and got to interview him several times -- it would be hard to imagine a more humble and polite young man -- it's exciting to see how good a college basketball career he is having.

Porter will be a rich man soon -- probably this year because most people believe he's going to declare for the NBA draft -- and perhaps even an NBA star some day. He deserves everything that comes his way.

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Two ex-Southeast basketball coaches who left amid allegations of NCAA violations that resulted in the university being placed on probation have continued their junior college success this year.

Scott Edgar has led Eastern Oklahoma State College's men to their second straight national tournament berth. The Mountaineers were fourth last year after making the event for the first time since 1961.

Edgar, in his third season at Eastern Oklahoma, saw his two-year tenure as Southeast's coach end with his firing in December of 2008.

B.J. Smith, after leading the Highland (Kan.) Community College women to their most successful season ever during his rookie campaign last year, has led Highland to its first national tournament berth on the Division II level.

Smith was Southeast's coach for four seasons from 2002 through 2006 before resigning under pressure.

Eastern Oklahoma opens play in the national tournament in Hutchison, Kan., on Tuesday, while Highland plays its first national tournament game Tuesday in East Peoria, Ill.

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I rarely blame officiating for a team's loss, but it's hard not to dole out criticism after watching highlights of Thursday's Class 4 state semifinal high school boys basketball matchup in Columbia, Mo., between Sikeston and Normandy.

The squads were tied 72-72 in overtime when, with just six seconds left, Sikeston was whistled for a hand-check foul at least 20 feet from the basket. The alleged foul had no impact on the dribbler as he attempted to weave his way for what likely would have been an attempt at a game-winning shot.

To the Normandy player's credit, he made both free throws, and that was the difference in the Vikings' 74-72 victory.

I don't know that I've ever seen a worse call, considering the situation, in all my years of watching sports.

Also to Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield's credit, and attesting to the type of class person he is, he never mentioned the foul during his post-game press conference -- at least not during the part that aired on KFVS -- and he wasn't quoted about the foul in the Sikeston Standard-Democrat article on the contest.

I'm not sure I would have been able to show similar restraint.

By the way, Sikeston bounced back Friday to beat Liberty North 55-54 for third place.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.