Scheer 'out indefinitely' as season winds down

It didn't end the way Tim Scheer had hoped, but all in all, he figures he's had a pretty solid college basketball career.

Scheer, Southeast Missouri State University's 6-foot-7 senior forward and second-leading scorer, will almost certainly miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered Saturday at Murray State.

Monday's MRI exam on Scheer's right knee revealed a partial tear in the medial collateral ligament as well as a deep bone bruise. Southeast officials released a statement saying that Scheer is out indefinitely, but with the season in its final two weeks, he's not hopeful of returning.

"I'm most likely done," Scheer said prior to Tuesday's game against Western Illinois at the Show Me Center. "It's disappointing to have an early ending like this, but it's part of the game, and I guess I just have to take it.

"I definitely think I had a pretty good career. I'm pleased. It's an unfortunate way to end it, but that's how it works."

Scheer, who probably won't need surgery but will likely have to put in at least a few weeks of rehabilitation, is averaging 13.1 points per game and is the Ohio Valley Conference's second-best 3-point shooter at 43 percent.

Scheer was also Southeast's second-leading scorer last year, at 13.4 points per game, and he averaged nearly seven points as a part-time starter during his sophomore season. As a freshman, Scheer was a member of the school's only NCAA Division I Tournament team, although he played little.

"Going to the NCAA Tournament is probably the major highlight of my career, even though I didn't get to play very much that season," Scheer said. "Just being around all the guys during the last four years, making friends, guys who will be friends for life, that really stands out."

Said Southeast coach Gary Garner, "You never want a kid to get hurt, but to get hurt late in his senior season, you really feel for Tim.

"He's had a good career for us, and we'll really miss him the rest of this year. He's a good shooter and a big body. He's just a very valuable player."

Scheer, soft spoken and personable, helped lead tiny New Haven (Mo.) High School to a pair of Class 1 state titles before signing with Southeast. Following his graduation in May with a degree in horticulture, he plans to return to his home town in order to run his own lawn/landscaping business that he said has already thrived on a part-time basis during the summer.

"I think that's going to be a good career for me, but I'll miss the time I spent at SEMO," he said. "It's been fun."