Southeast's NCAA sanctions could have been a lot worse

I'd say the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball program -- and the athletic department as a whole -- came out smelling pretty good from the NCAA sanctions announced Thursday.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions doled out several penalties against Southeast, primarily as a result of major and secondary violations committed in the men's basketball program between 2006 and 2008 when Scott Edgar was coach.

The university received three years of probation added to its current two-year probationary period, which was to conclude June 17, 2010, but now concludes June 17, 2013.

Probation doesn't really mean anything other than "keep your nose clean from now on." In Southeast's case, again.

Sanctions specific to men's basketball primarily were restricted to what the university had already self-imposed and that the NCAA accepted.

* Southeast will have one less scholarship for the 2009-10 academic year, from the NCAA maximum limit of 13 to 12.

* Southeast will have its number of off-campus contact and evaluation recruiting opportunities reduced by 15 for the 2009-2010 academic year.

* Southeast had the number of times players could be supervised by strength and conditioning staff reduced by 28 opportunities for this summer.

Not to diminish those penalties to the program of first-year coach Dickey Nutt, but Nutt's initial Southeast roster lists just 10 scholarship players and chances were the 2009-2010 Redhawks would not have carried 13 scholarship players even without the sanction.

Regarding the reduction in off-campus contact and evaluation recruiting opportunities, I'm sure those are important, but I doubt if the restrictions are devastating.

And as far as the reduction in what are basically voluntary offseason workouts, I doubt that will become any kind of factor.

All in all, things could have been a lot worse.

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Although it won't directly affect Nutt, another penalty against Southeast men's basketball is the vacation of 11 wins from the 2007-2008 season.

So that campaign, which ended 12-19 overall and 7-13 in the OVC, changes to 1-19 overall and 1-13 in league play. (Vacated wins don't turn into losses, they are just taken away.)

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Former Southeast assistant men's basketball coach Rodney Hamilton has landed a job for the upcoming season.

Hamilton recently was named an assistant at Lambuth University, an NAIA program in Jackson, Tenn., that went 17-12 last year.

Hamilton was on Southeast's staff the past two seasons, including the disastrous 2008-2009 campaign.

As far as I know, the other members of Southeast's 2008-2009 staff -- acting coach Zac Roman and assistant Tommy Suitts -- have not found another coaching gig.

Here's wishing Hamilton the best of luck in his new position and here's hoping Roman and Suitts get what they're looking for because, as I've written many times before, all three are class acts.

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It looks like Southeast isn't the only OVC men's basketball program to experience tough luck this summer.

According to the Anniston (Ala.) Star newspaper, two of Jacksonville State's top forwards from last season will not return to play for the Gamecocks.

Brandon Crawford is transferring to Northwest Florida State (formerly Okaloosa-Walton Community College).

Geddes Robinson also is leaving, but it was not known immediately where he was headed.

Crawford averaged 10 points and 3.7 rebounds as a true freshman. Robinson averaged 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds as a redshirt freshman.

Of course, Southeast and Nutt likely will be without the services of top incoming recruit Leon Powell, who suffered a torn ACL during a summer pickup game and almost certainly will miss the season.

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Former Southeast volleyball player Jamie Baumstark is headed to Switzerland to begin a professional career in the sport.

Baumstark, a native of Hermann, Mo., completed her collegiate career in 2006.

While preparing for her move to Europe, Baumstark has been working out with the East Central College volleyball team. She reports to Switzerland on Sept. 1, with matches starting in October.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.