~ The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16 points per game for Cincinnati's Harmony Christian during a 31-4 season.

A combo guard who reportedly was also recruited by the likes of Nebraska and Wichita State is set to join the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball program.

Marcus Rhodes, who played this past season for Harmony Christian, a prep school in Cincinnati, Ohio, said he signed this week with Southeast, but it won't be official until his mother's signature also is on the scholarship agreement.

Rhodes, who is from Gary, Ind., said he'll be going home this weekend so his mother can sign the papers, and he hopes to get them back to Southeast as soon as possible.

"I'm real excited," said Rhodes, who recently visited the Southeast campus. "They treated me real good when I went to visit. I liked the facilities, the players and the staff.

"It's a college town, and I liked that about it. I liked coach [Scott] Edgar. I feel like he's going to get it done. I liked everything about it."

Harmony Christian coach Mark Metzka said Rhodes is a shade over 6 feet, 2 inches and weighs about 190 pounds. He averaged about 16 points per game for a 31-4 team that featured several major recruits.

"I just got here in April, so I didn't coach Marcus," Metzka said. "But we've had guys sign with Tennessee and Virginia Tech, we have some guys coming back who are highly rated, and day in and day out, Marcus was the best player in open gym.

"He's a combo guard who can play the point or the 2 [shooting guard]. He's a productive guy who just helps his team win in so many different ways."

Metzka said Nebraska and Wichita State were among the Division I programs that recruited Rhodes, who in 2005 was reported to be headed for Indiana as a prop 48 player but chose another year of prep school instead.

"Marcus came back from his visit [to Southeast] very excited. He thought it was a great situation all the way around," Metzka said.

Metzka said Edgar, who was hired as Southeast's coach in mid-April, was familiar with the Harmony Christian program from his days as an assistant at Tennessee.

"When coach Edgar was at Tennessee, he recruited a player to their program, and I think that's how he got to know about Marcus," Metzka said.

Added Metzka: "I think he is a sleeper in this class of 2006, one of the best-kept secrets. He is an impact player in the OVC, and I have tremendous respect for that conference. Marcus is a guy, because of his experience and his ability, he has a chance to come in and contribute right away."

Edgar is prohibited under NCAA regulations from commenting on Rhodes until Southeast receives the scholarship papers.