Thornton offers Redhawks vital help on boards

~ The JUCO newcomer pulled down 10 rebounds in his Southeast debut.

Andrais Thornton was recruited by Southeast Missouri State to provide immediate and significant help for the Redhawks' inside game.

If the Nov. 4 exhibition opener is any indication, Thornton will give Southeast coach Gary Garner exactly what he is looking for.

Thornton scored 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Redhawks beat Missouri-St. Louis. He'll again be in the starting lineup tonight when Southeast hosts Arkansas Tech (7-17 last year) in its exhibition finale at 7:30 p.m.

"I'm just trying to find my role with the team," said the soft-spoken Thornton following the first exhibition game. "Defend and rebound, be an inside presence."

Thornton, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound junior forward, averaged 13.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season at SMS-West Plains Community College.

"I think he will consistently rebound. He's a natural rebounder, and we really need him to do that," Garner said. "And we're hoping he can give us 10 to 12 points a game.

"I thought he played well in the first exhibition game."

Thornton, who appears to have an accurate mid-range jumper and strong post moves, received recruiting interest from North Carolina-Charlotte and Arkansas State, among other programs, before deciding on Southeast.

"I liked it because it was a small community, small classes," Thornton said. "And I thought I could help on the court."

Thornton, a Chicago native who is one of seven Southeast newcomers, admitted to some nerves when he took the Show Me Center court for the first time in a game setting against UMSL.

"I had a few butterflies," said Thornton, who hit six of nine field-goal attempts. "It's a little different level, Division I. But I thought I played all right."

Along with Thornton, also figuring to aid the Redhawks' inside game this year are senior centers Ketshner Guerrier and Waylon Francis, two of just four returning Southeast players.

Garner believes Guerrier showed what he is capable of in the first exhibition game by scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He did not miss a shot, making six field goals and three free throws.

"The thing I was the most pleased with in that game was Ketshner's rebounding," said Garner, whose squad was outrebounded on average by two per game last year. "If we can just get up to plus two or so on the season, that will really help us."

Guerrier, a muscular 6-7, 230-pounder, missed all but six games last season with a knee injury. He had moved into the starting lineup prior to being hurt.

"It was frustrating, watching the team and not playing," said Guerrier, who averaged 4.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in his limited action last year. "But I worked hard all summer, and now I'm ready to help out."

So is the 6-8, 240-pound Francis, who averaged 1.8 points and two rebounds in primarily a reserve role last season. He had eight rebounds in the exhibition opener.

"Coach has drilled in my head I have to be a more dominant rebounder," Francis said. "I have to rebound and play defense, not so much offense."

While Francis started the first exhibition game, Guerrier is slated to start tonight. Garner has cited the improvement in both and figures they'll share the center spot all year.

"I think they've both really improved a lot," Garner said. "If they could combine to give us some decent numbers at that position, it would really help us."

Noteworthy

• Junior college transfer David Johnson, who missed the exhibition opener with a sprained thumb, was expected to see action tonight, but he took another shot on the thumb in practice and again won't play.