THE LATEST LINE: EX-SEMO STARS PLAY BALL OVERSEAS

Southeast Missouri State University has turned out plenty of talented basketball players in recent years, although none of them have been able to ascend to the sport's highest level.

But while there are no SEMO products in the National Basketball Association, that doesn't mean quite a few ex-Indians haven't been able to earn money performing overseas.

A recent search of the internet revealed that the seven former Indians playing professionally on various levels are all faring well.

Leading the way is Bud Eley, the powerful center who at one point appeared headed for the NBA.

Well, Eley still might be. At least that's the word out of Istanbul, where Eley -- who competes in by far the highest-level league of all the SEMO products -- is tearing up the Turkish Professional League.

The 6-foot-10 Eley, whose brilliant four-year career at SEMO ended with him being named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1998-1999, leads his league in scoring at 24 points per game and is second in rebounding at 12 a contest.

Eley, who also put up solid numbers in Turkey last season and is reportedly earning well over $100,000 annually, is said to be getting strong overtures from the NBA, where he just might wind up in the next year or two.

Forward Roderick Johnson, who helped lead the Indians to their first NCAA Division I Tournament berth in 1999-2000, is playing in Poland, which is probably the next highest level league (behind Eley) among the ex-Indians.

Some exact statistics on foreign leagues are hard to get and Johnson's were unavailable, but he is scoring well into double figures as one of his squad's top players.

Four former Indians -- including forward Mike Branson and center Brian Bunche, who were two of Johnson's teammates on the 1999-2000 squad -- are all playing on the same team in the Netherlands, which has a league somewhat below the level Eley and Johnson compete in, but it's pro hoops nonetheless.

Guard Calvert White, who played two seasons at SEMO from 1996-98, averages 17 points per game; Branson is at 16; Bunche nine to go along with eight rebounds; and forward Eelco Derks, who played at SEMO from 1989-93 and is a native of the Netherlands, averages 10 points.

Finally, guard Devon Lake -- who played at SEMO from 1989-93 and has competed in various overseas spots since then -- is averaging 11 points in Slovakia.

No, it's not the NBA. But a bunch of ex-Indians hoop stars are getting to see corners of the world that most of us only dream about -- and making money in the process.

That seems like a pretty good deal to me.

* Yet another area product, former Scott County Central High School and SIU basketball great Marcus Timmons, is a veteran professional player in Australia who has carved out quite a niche for himself on the hardwood in the land down under.

* Area track fans need to make some space on their calendars for next weekend.

That's when SEMO will host the 20th annual ALL SPORT Invitational at the Abe Stuber Track & Field Complex.