Charleston's Farmer to play football at SEMO

When Charleston High School product Ashton Farmer left Arkansas State University earlier this year after playing two seasons of basketball, he announced his intention to pursue a football career at another school.

There was talk that he might choose SEMO — and that is apparently the case.

I happened to be checking out the SEMO football roster on the university’s web site and Farmer is listed on it, as a 6-foot-7, 240-pound junior tight end.

Farmer saw limited action on the basketball court for ASU, averaging less than two points per game in each of his seasons.

At Charleston, Farmer was among the state’s top basketball recruits. He played just one season of football but also starred in that sport during his senior campaign.

Also while scanning the SEMO football roster, I noticed that several underclassmen who saw limited action last season are not listed, meaning they are apparently no longer with the program. Nothing unusual there, because that generally happens every year, not only at SEMO but at most schools, considering the amount of numbers involved in the sport.

Among those players is offensive lineman Miles Stroter. I read on Mark Unterreiner’s blog that Stroter is transferring to Division II Morehouse College. That same blog stated that Stroter’s April arrest for misdemeanor shoplifting had nothing to do with his decision to leave.

Errick Aliifua and Jerald Williams, arrested with Stroter, are still with the Southeast program. Like Stroter, they were freshman reserves for the Redhawks in 2007.

The blog also mentioned that Jared Van Slyke plans to leave the SEMO football program, but his name is still on the roster.

Van Slyke received a few snaps as a freshman quarterback in 2007. He was impressive at wide receiver during SEMO’s spring game this year and could see action at that position this fall, provided he sticks around.

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For OVC men’s basketball teams who thought they might be spared from having to deal with one of the nation’s top players next season — that chance has gone out the window.

Tennessee-Martin guard Lester Hudson withdrew his name from next week’s NBA draft, saying he was coming back to UTM for his senior season.

Hudson, who participated in the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando last month and participated in private workouts for nine NBA teams, was considered a possible second-round draft pick.

Hudson put together one of the best all-around seasons in OVC history in 2007-08, including averaging 25.7 points per game to rank fifth nationally. He was the OVC player of the year.