![[semoball.com]](http://semoball.com/images/nameplate.png)
|
Login | Register |
 Email link
 Read comments (26)
 Blog archive
Share:
All-time SEMO D-I basketball teamPosted Friday, January 1, 2010, at 3:20 PM
I had a request to come up with my all-SEMO men's basketball team since 1990 (five players and a coach), but I decided to make the cutoff since they went D-I in 1991-92.
Here's my team, and I based it on talent and performance, along with having a hand in some team success (kind of slim pickings from that standpoint on the D-I level, except for a few squads) C -- Bud Eley (no brainer in my opinion) F -- Roderick Johnson F -- Dainmon Gonner SG -- Devon Lake (remember him - he was really good) PG -- Michael Stokes (also no brainer in my opinion) Coach -- Gary Garner (as much as I thought Ron Shumate was a great coach, if I'm just basing this on the D-I years, then it has to be Garner because he took them to the NCAA tournament) You could definitely make a case for some other players (Derek Winans included), but that's my team. If nothing else it should create some nice discussion. I've been at the paper 25 years. Maybe one day I'll try to come up with a team from that entire period, which will greatly expand the pool with candidates like Ray Pugh, Ronnie Rankin, Riley Ellis, Dwayne Rutherford and others. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
Hot topics SEMO falls short at Ball State 27-10(2 ~ 9:36 PM, Sep 2)
Don't expect Ball State to take SEMO lightly
Lucas Nutt receives SEMO's final scholarship
Time change for SEMO football scrimmage
Tabb not coming to SEMO
|
![[Feed icon]](http://semoball.com/images/icons/feed-icon-14x14.png){kind=icon}
I liked Roy Booker for the sg. He was only here 1 year but he was a scoring machine on a team where he was our only offensive threat and every team knew that and he still averaged 22 points a game. I also liked Golson better at forward. He was forced to play out of position his last year here where he really took off. Your right, Eley and Stokes are no brainers.
My first five would be:
Bud Eley, Tim Scheer, Rod Johnson, Michael Stokes, and Derek Winans.
My next five would be:
Brandon Griffin, Mike Branson, Reggie Golson, Kevin Roberts, and Brett Hale.
I've been around as long as Marty, and I believe he hit this one on the head. Lake was tough and would have been better with better talent around him. When it comes to 19 years worth of players, Scheer? Roberts? hmmm???
Tim Scheer was slower when he played than I am now, and I am over 60. He could shoot, but could not play defense, rebound, or run the court.
Kevin Roberts? You must be trying to get playing time for your kid. :)
Just recently I came upon some of the top career scoring lists, I was a little surprised to see Lake as high as he was. I really liked him as a player.
C Elco Dirks
F Elco Dirks
F Elco Dirks
SG Elco Dirks
PG Adam Crader
Ok, Ok. I know... Elco didn't play when they were D-1 but when they landed tallent of his caliber they knew it was time for D-1.
Winans and Hale? Come on... Marty got this right. Sweet, nice, adorable boys but we are not doing the SE all Academic team. And Kevin Roberts? lmao!
1st team:
PG - Michael Stokes
SG - Devon Lake
SF - Dainmon Gonner
PF - Roderick Johnson
C - Bud Eley
2nd team:
PG - Curtis Shelton
2G - Derek Winans
SF - Brandon Foust
PF - Jerome Days
C - Brandon Griffin
3rd team:
PG - Kahn Cotton
2G - Kenard Moore
SF - Mike Branson
PF - Reggie Golson
C - Jermall Morgan
Honorable Mention:
Pili Robinson, Matt Sisley, David Montgomery, Jerry Freshwater
4 of the 1st team 5 are no-brainers imo - Lake, Stokes, Eley & Johnson.
I only used players that competed in 2 seasons, or Booker would be on there somewhere.
Devin's list is pretty solid. Gonner is the only guy I'm not sure if he is first team, because I can't separate Gonner and Golson in terms of impact. Cotton was so clutch, you have to discuss him too.
I wish Brandon Foust wouldn't have been injured.
I know we're talking D-1 here, but since so many others have expanded the group, I'd have to place Ronnie Rankin and, ready to go "way back?"... Carl Ritter with the top players listed!
Too bad Allen Hatchett didn't stick around his final two years. Him and Ealy could've been a tough tandem.
I think Marty's list is spot-on. Gonner is the only one that is close. Schumate is still my coach though, if I am actually competing in games with that team. If it's just a team for "paper" then it is Garner.
My fav player of all time, now I am only 28, but I remember going to games with my dad and loving this player and that was Curtis Shelton. I remember one time he made a half court shot to win the game.
My Team would be:
C - Bud Eley
F - Roderick Johnson
F - Dainmon Gonner
SG - Derick Winans
PG - Michael Stokes
Coach - Gary Garner
Winans is my all-time favorite player. For you guys that think he should not be mention in this conversation - Go Check the Record Books. If not for injury his junior year, I really think Reggie Goldson could have been something special. Say what you want about Gonner - the guy was one heck of a player. Rembert & Foust were very good, but never played to their attention due to injury and coaching. Injury was a major factor in the last three years of Garners time here as SEMO. Last year, Williams was just about the best player and athlete that I've seen in a SEMO uniform - he just didn't know the game of basketball and had poor coaching - along with his attitude.
..............................
Boomerang,
You probably have missed five home games in the past 20 years....What is your team? I know your coach already...lol
Stokes was good but Kahn Cotton is horribly underrated, gotta go with him.
Gotta agree with devin and semoredhawk's lists all the way. What a great trip down memory lane, Marty! We have had some great times reminiscing with this post.... our whole family has memories and our kids, who are young adults now, have some favorites too. They all grew up on SEMO basketball and it was always a family event to go to the games. We would even travel to away games back in those days and really had some awesome times... and if we couldn't make it away, we'd never miss the radio broadcasts! Sure would like to see the glory days of the SEMO Indians again.
Oh ya - Roy Booker - now he could play. Had he been a 4 year SEMO player, it's untelling what he would have done. Tim Tebow has some records at Florida, but I laugh everytime someone says he is the best college football player ever. Come on! Winans does have some stats. He was a nice, solid player.
I have to disagree that a player wasnt good because of coaching. Thats a cop out. A gym is always open. And if a player needs improvement, get in the gym. If you are getting steals, rebounds, or putting up points your coach will play you.
Like Shumate but have to go with Garner.
What do you think our OVC record will be?
informed,
I see your point. A coach can put a player in successful situtions and play to that players strengths. Case in point Williams last year. If a coach would have had him posting at the low blocks and posting early on the weakside....and put his focus on blocking out and rebounding...He would have been AWESOME... I understand that you can lead a horse to water, but the horse has to drink....believe me - I know first hand.....but Williams was not even lead to the water....
Ray Pugh is SEMOs best player ever....
I really liked Winans, both as a player and person. However, he would have only been a role player on the 99-00 NCAA Tourney team.
Stokes is the BEST point guard I've EVER seen at SEMO, but I've only followed SEMO sports since I started school here in 1998. Sorry I missed all of the great D-2 years.
I also thought Mike Branson was a heck of a player.
But TOP 5 have to be Eley, Roderick Johnson, Stokes, Cotton, and Gonner. Best coach is Garner.
Next 4 would be Branson, Golson, Booker and Winans in NO specific order. Antonio Short also had a very nice 2-year stint at SEMO and made a huge impact.
Unfortunately Foust, Rembert, and Calvin Williams never got to play under Garner. Golson's injury was unlucky....so was Rembert's.
Hell it seems that everyone gets injured at SEMO.
In honor of Ron Hines, here is the All-Hype Team for Southeast:
1. Kostas Avgerinos, 7' 1" Center, the Greek legend that was reportedly coming to save Southeast three different times. He bounced around a couple junior colleges and wound up at Boise State, where he played sparingly averaging less than two points and one rebound per game. Got to see him once in a television game and he was horrible.
2. Tshitenge Mutombo, 6'6 ½" Guard, the younger brother of retired NBA superstar Dikembe, appeared to have loads of athletic ability but "Manute", as he was known around town, never could put it together on the basketball court.
3. Joel Shelton, 5'9" (listed height) Point Guard, was Mr. Show-Me Basketball coming out of the formerly great Vashon program. He later was a junior college All-American at Mineral Area College in his one year under Vashon and Mizzou legend Corey Tate, but did not graduate, and I do not know where he went after that.
4. Bobby Smith, 6'2" Guard, a Chicago area star who played his prep years at four different schools, left the Villanova team in mid-season in spite of being one of the team leaders. He transferred to Southeast and was touted as a potential OVC player of the year, but got into trouble with the law and was dismissed from the team without ever playing.
5. Michael Colon, 6' Guard, was, and is still, a legend around the playgrounds and rec leagues of Cape Girardeau where he often averaged over thirty points per game, mostly on shots from way downtown. Most of the hype was not in the newspapers or on television, but the talk around the basketball arenas was that he could start at most major college programs around the country. Depending upon which story you want to believe, he gave Southeast basketball a brief try during the Shumate era, but gave it up because of academics, disagreements with the coach's basketball philosophy, or because he just loved to play basketball in a less structured environment.
Sorry Mike, just messing with you.
Corey Tate is actually from Pattonville, not Vashon. And I'd hardly call him a Mizzou legend, although he did make a legendary shot against Kansas.
this is devon lake himself and i appreciate the nice comments made about me as one of the best at semo div. 1, having played 9 years after college in europe and south america and really understanding the game, ray pugh is the best ever at semo as far as size and skills, he had the package to go all the way, booker and eley were tough and everyone else i dont knotw much about. about me, i was better than people knew at southeast but averaging double figures 3 out of 4 years under shumate speaks for itself, and shumate is the best coach there ever period! hands down any sport!!! if we all went at it head up right now i can assure you at 38 i would be the best!!! i never stopped playing
Upon further review - I stand corrected on Tate. It later came back to me that his connection to Joel Shelton was that he and Joel's brother(s) played together in the neighborhood where they lived. He first knew Joel he was there to chase the balls that got away from the court.
Also an update on Kostas Avgerinos. I found on the Internet that he died of a heart attack at age 24 in Greece. The people at Boise State said that they remembered him for for what a great person he was than for his basketball playing.
Devon, great to hear from one of our former players. The mention of you on here had me digging through the old media guides looking for some of your outstanding stats.
lets not forget the d2 days!! southeast,central missouri, southwest baptist, and kentucky weslyan is probably better than any of our division 1 teams so far at semo with maybe the exception of the team that made it to the tournament. so the d2 players we can not forget about. we need players at southeast!! it is time to get those packed houses and winning ways back. I wish i were coaching cause i would be bringing these young great players in this area that way. we are overlooked down this way!!
Great list but I have to give a plug for Mike Branson