SOUTHEAST GRANTED MORE TIME TO RESPOND TO NCAA ALLEGATIONS

Southeast Missouri State University interim athletic director Carroll Williams says the last thing the school wants is to not be as thorough and detailed as possible regarding the NCAA inquiry of the Southeast men's basketball program.

Toward that end, Southeast has asked for and been granted an extension of a written response that had been requested by the NCAA.

Late last month, Southeast received a letter of "official inquiry" from the NCAA concerning the men's basketball program and the letter requested that Southeast review the allegations and submit a written response to the NCAA by Oct. 17.

By gaining the extension, Southeast will have until Nov. 26 to submit a written response to the NCAA.

"In doing something like this, you don't want to rush," said Williams. "Everybody is entitled to 90 days to respond from when you get the letter. They (the NCAA) had wanted us to do it earlier, so it could be part of the (NCAA Committee on Infractions) November meeting.

"We were actually asked to do it (submit a written response to the allegations) in 30 days. But we just didn't want to rush it. It takes time. We don't want to delay it any longer than we have to, but we want to be as thorough as possible."

Until the NCAA's inquiry is completed and the Committee on Infractions has issued its findings, neither the NCAA nor Southeast will release any specific details concerning the allegations against Southeast's basketball program.

But it became clear earlier this week that at least one of the major allegations centers around five Southeast checks of more than $100 each that were made payable to Southeast player David Montgomery but instead were allegedly appropriated by former assistant coach Randy Curl.

Curl, who lost his job in May along with head coach Ron Shumate and two other assistants amid the NCAA investigation, was charged earlier this week by the Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney's office with one count of felony stealing by deceit.