COLUMN: Hall of Fame class, first-place Redhawks may lead to rare sellout

Southeast Missouri State's men's basketball game against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Feb. 15, has the makings of being the biggest game in modern memory.

The images of the Show Me Center being filled to the brim with fans watching two local high schools battle it out for the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament title can finally apply to the true tenants of the venue.

The Redhawks return home for a final three-game homestand with sole possession of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference. As much credit as the community gets from the players, the fans will only flock to the Show Me Center to see a winning team, especially on a Saturday.

SEMO's recent home game against Tennessee State saw an attendance of 2,379. The Redhawks' clash against the Trojans of Little Rock was attended by 2,585 spectators. Both of those are the most recent Saturday home games while the Redhawks were rising in the standings.

The Redhawks taking on Tennessee Tech comes at an ideal time, given that it's the OVC Tournament title game matchup that sent SEMO to its second March Madness appearance.

This Redhawks team is completely different from the 2022-23 squad that won the conference tournament. SEMO was forced to rebuild the next year after Chris Harris graduated and Phillip Russell transferred. The Redhawks went from winning 19 games to just nine. The elements of last year's team (Rob Martin, BJ Ward, and Braxton Stacker) have risen to impactful roles, once joined by Teddy Washington Jr. Both Washington and Martin average 13 points per game, while Brendan Terry averages 10 points as the highest-performing junior college transfer.

At 16-10, 11-4 in conference play, and riding a six-game winning streak, SEMO has a chance to finish not just with the regular season and tournament championship, but also its first 20-win season since the year 2000, the Redhawks' first March Madness appearance.

On top of the matchup and its place in the conference standings, SEMO is also honoring its Hall of Fame class of 2024 at halftime. A handful of legendary athletes from multiple eras will meet on the court as a reminder of what can be achieved as a college athlete in Cape Girardeau.

Zach Borowiak (2000-03) finished his baseball career as SEMO's all-time doubles leader. A three-time All-OVC shortstop, with first-team honors in 2001, Borowiak was a 17th-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2003 and played in their minor league organization for six years.

Antonius Cleveland (2013-17) was a bright spot in an otherwise dull period in SEMO basketball. Cleveland scored 1,556 points for a 12.9 ppg average and was a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a senior in 2016-17. Cleveland played in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks and went on to become the first former SEMO men's basketball player to play and score in an NBA playoff game Aug. 25, 2020.

Paul Ebaugh (1962-67) played on the football team as both an offensive and defensive lineman, but also excelled in track and field as a discus thrower. He was then a three-time MIAA champion in the discus and graduated as the school's record holder. Ebaugh went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he became a captain and earned the Navy Commendation Medal, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.

Emily Scannell (2000-03) was a volleyball star who became the Redhawks' only OVC Freshman of the Year after leading the team to 23 wins and a perfect 16-0 record in the OVC as well as the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She ended her career as the school's record holder in assists and was named to the OVC 75th Anniversary Volleyball Team.

Carroll Williams (1968-75, 1975-81, 1990-2005) spent five decades at SEMO as a coach for the golf team and women's basketball team and was an acting athletic director. Williams first enrolled at SEMO in 1955 and has been involved in the teaching and coaching ranks in the area for 67 years.

Between hosting the last team they beat to make their second NCAA Tournament appearance and honoring the Hall of Fame class, there is the potential for attendance numbers of a rare sellout.