SE's ELEY JOINS OVC's FIRST TEAM

Southeast Missouri State University center William `Bud' Eley was named to the six-member All-Ohio Valley Conference first team on Thursday.

Southeast pulled in three additional honors. Junior Calvert White was named to the OVC all-newcomer team and Otahkians Jamie Koester and Kim Palmer were honorable mention selections.

Eley, a 6-foot-10 junior out of Detroit Michigan, led Southeast in scoring (17.9 ppg), rebounding (10.3) and blocked shots (1.2) during the 1996-97 season. Eley, named the OVC Newcomer of the Year last season, ranked second in the OVC in rebounds, third in scoring and fourth in blocked shots.

In his second season at Southeast, Eley establish a single season record for rebounds with 310 and occupies eighth on the all-time rebounding list with 570. He also became the 16th player in Southeast history to score over 1,000 points and the fourth player to reach the plateau in two years.

Southeast finished tied for fifth in the OVC with a 9-9 record and finished 12-18 overall.

Eley joined Austin Peay's Bubba Wells, Murray State's Vincent Rainey and Deteri Mayes, Middle Tennessee's Nod Carter and Tennessee Tech's Lorenzo Coleman on the first team.

Wells, 6-foot-5 senior, repeated as the OVC Player of the Year.

Wells, who was forced to sit out the first 12 games of the season due to a stress fracture, is the nation's "unofficial scoring leader."

The Russellville, Ky., native averages 32.2 points a game. Wells scored 30 or more points in 10 of his 17 games on his way to being named the OVC player of the year.

White, a transfer from Southeastern Illinois Community College, averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game while leading the Indians with 58 steals.

Koester, a 5-foot-11 junior led scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.4). Palmer, a 6-foot senior, averaged 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Southeast guard Sarah Frazier was also named to the All-Freshman Team after averaging 8.7 points.

The Otahkians finished 3-15 in the OVC and 5-21 overall.

Other major conference awards of note:

Men: Coach of the Year -- Dave Loos of Murray State; OVC; Newcomer of the Year -- Deteri Mayes of Murray State; Freshman of the Year -- Kevin Samuel of Tennessee State.

Women: Player of the Year -- Amy Kieckbusch of Morehead State; Coach of the Year -- Larry Inman of Eastern Kentucky; Freshman of the Year: Diane Seng, Tennessee Tech.

-- From staff, wire service reports