THE LATEST LINE: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING SEMO BASKETBALL

With Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team not having nearly as good a season as its coaches and players -- not to mention the Indians' rabid fans -- had anticipated, I figure it's time to address some of the questions/comments I get regarding the squad.

Wherever I go around town, and even at work, fans drill me about the state of the Indians, either with a question or opinion. That's good, because it shows that a lot of people really care about the team.

Some people -- including a couple who voiced their opinions in Speak Out recently -- seem to be a bit down on coach Gary Garner and the program. Everybody asks me what's wrong.

My general response is nothing. Sure, all fans want to see their favorite team win more. And I think most people expected the Indians to challenge for another Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title.

But it's not easy to be on top every year. Do people think you just snap your fingers and automatically win an OVC championship and make it to the NCAA Tournament, as the Indians did last season?

Before Garner took over the program four years ago, SEMO fans would have probably given anything to even win 17 or 18 games in a season, which the Indians are almost certain to -- at the very least -- still do during this relatively 'down' campaign.

And even if the Indians wind up with 'only' 17 or 18 victories -- they could still surpass that with a strong finish -- they will have averaged more than 20 wins over the past three seasons, which is no small feat.

When Garner first came to Cape Girardeau, if somebody had told SEMO fans that the Indians would, over a three-year period, reach one OVC Tournament title game, win one OVC regular-season co-championship, win one OVC Tournament crown to advance to the NCAA Division I tourney for the first time and average 20 victories, I think they'd have taken that in a second.

In addition to wondering what's wrong with the Indians, people ask me why they've played so bad this year.

Well, they haven't. The Indians have actually played quite well in many of their defeats, particularly the numerous close losses they've suffered.

Whenever a team is not doing as well as anticipated, the general perception from fans is that the squad is simply performing poorly. Win, and people think you played great. Lose, and people think you stunk. Often times, it's totally the opposite.

Rather than performing poorly, the Indians have probably been hampered by simply not having quite the talent level that had been anticipated entering the season. But that's a subject matter best addressed after the campaign is over.

And last, but not least, is a comment I get all the time, and really makes me laugh: "We need a good big man."

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that every team needs a good big man. But do people think talented, tall players just grow on trees?

Many of the nation's major programs struggle to find quality players who stand, say, 6-8 and above. There just aren't that many of them out there. And the ones who are out there usually don't wind up at mid-major conferences like the OVC, which are generally guard-oriented leagues.

It's no coincidence that, of the OVC's top 20 scorers, 16 are either guards or swingmen and only three are as tall as 6-6 (the tallest is 6-8, and he's not among the league's top 10 scorers).

The bottom line? Everybody Garner included agrees that the season has been a disappointment so far. And to Garner's credit, he has made no excuses, saying simply that the Indians have just not been good enough.

But for people to be down on the program in general is ridiculous.

And fans would be well advised to reserve total judgment until the season is completely over. After all, stranger things have happened than a low seed winning a conference tournament and making the NCAA field.