The Herald Online

Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Ashley Heliwel Freshman guard Logan Nutt dribbles upcourt against the defense of guard Ryan Wedel during practice Tuesday afternoon.

While it's been a disappointing season for the Arkansas State basketball team, the squad will still have plenty of motivation left when they take on Louisiana-Monroe Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

The game is the latter part of a doubleheader and will follow the Lady Indians and ULM game that gets underway at 5:35 p.m.

Besides attempting to end a nine-game losing streak, ASU (9-19, 4-13 Sun Belt West) will be saying goodbye to the Indian mascot as it will be the final time they dress out as Indians for a home game.

During halftime of the men's game, the university will conduct a special ceremony to honor the mascot, which has been an ASU tradition since 1931.

Freshman point guard Logan Nutt said it'll be a bittersweet moment for him as he grew up watching his dad, former ASU head coach Dickey Nutt, coach the team.

"I've grown up here in Jonesboro watching my dad coach for so long. I've always wanted to be an Indian," said Nutt, who turned down a scholarship offer at UALR to be an Indian. "The Indians are what we are and the people that know about it are probably what we're going to think about at Arkansas State until longer down the road when they'll think about the Red Wolves or whatever we are."

Besides Nutt, the Indian roster includes injured freshman forward Jeremy Thomas and third year assistant coach Jay Cook, who have closely experienced the Indian tradition in their lives.

Thomas, a freshman forward who is out for the season with an ankle injury, grew up in Jonesboro, while Cook lettered as a member of the Indians from 1992-94.

Nutt added that his favorite Indian memory was the team's 1999 run to the NCAA Tournament.

"It was just a good team. It's just I was young at the time and it's just fun to see," Nutt said. "Now, being in college I wish we could do it and I guess I got four more years to try, three more years to try."

Incidentally enough, it will be the ULM Warhawks in town for ASU's final game as Indians. Until two seasons ago, ULM's mascot was the Indians, but they gave into mounting pressure from the NCAA and changed.

While the mascot ceremony will hold particular importance to fans and alumni, all the Indians and the Warhawks are concerned about is winning.

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