THE LATEST LINE: IVERSEN A PROFILE IN COURAGE

Pam Iversen probably won't go down as the best basketball player Ed Arnzen has ever coached, but she already rates as one of his most courageous.

Iversen is a sophomore center for Arnzen's Southeast Missouri State University women's squad. She's a solid performer, averaging more than 12 points and seven rebounds per game to rank first and second, respectively, on the squad.

Those are pretty impressive numbers, but Arnzen figures they're not nearly as impressive as the way Iversen tried to put her team ahead of herself recently.

On Feb. 3, Iversen suffered a knee injury against Tennessee State. She had to be helped off the court, and tests done the next day revealed that she had completely torn her anterior cruciate ligament, a major injury that would require reconstructive surgery.

Just about any other player in the country would have automatically been done for the season. But Iversen didn't want to simply leave it at that. She knew her team needed her, and she wanted to try her best to help out.

So, the Iowa native decided to attempt to play with a knee brace. After missing three games, she finally was able to take the court Feb. 12 against Murray State and was fairly effective before the knee buckled again.

This time, there would be no returning to the court. That contest against Murray State marked Iversen's final action of the season and she will have her surgery in the spring.

Arnzen is confident that Iversen will recover to eventually resume her strong career for the Otahkians next season. In the meantime, he continues to be amazed at the courage she showed in even attempting a comeback.

Arnzen told me he had plenty of respect for Iversen even before her injury. But now, he says he's never respected a player more.

Considering that Arnzen has been coaching on various levels for more than 30 years, that is truly high praise.

But, considering what Iversen went through, it's definitely worthy praise.

* Derek Winans, a senior at Shawnee (Ill) High School, was recently nominated for the prestigious McDonald's All-American team.

Winans is one of several hundred players across the nation who are nominated for the squad, which will eventually be pared down to what are deemed to be the nation's top 20 prep players.

While Winans almost certainly won't make the elite 20-man squad, just being nominated is quite an honor. The guard, who averages more than 25 points per game, is receiving quite a bit of Division I interest.

* Here's wishing Jackson boys basketball coach Steve Burk all the best as he steps away from the game.

In 20 mostly highly successful seasons with the Indians, Burk built a reputation as a coach who generally got the very most out of the talent he had to work with.

Burk, always a class act, will definitely be missed on the area coaching scene.

And the same goes for Kelly coach Kent Mangels, another extremely classy individual who also recently said that he will not return to the sidelines next season.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian