If the latest transfer to the University of Southern Indiana men's basketball program has the game to match his name as coach Rick Herdes believes, the Eagles have recruited a gem.

Scott May Jr., the son of former Indiana University all-American Scott May, has transferred to the Division II Eagles.

The 6-foot guard, who did not play as a walk-on at Indiana last season, will have three years of eligibility with the Eagles beginning with the 2003-04 season. He must sit out this season but will practice with the team.

"Scott is a very good basketball player,'' said Herdes. "This is a guy from a basketball family who understands the game and will become a great asset to the program.''

Herdes feels that May's high school statistics were misleading, after he averaged 7.5 points, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals as a senior at Bloomington North in 2000-01.

"He was surrounded by great players in high school (including former IU star Jared Jeffries and his brother, Sean May, who will play at North Carolina), which is what we intend to do with Scott here,'' said Herdes. "He's his own man, an unselfish player who knows how to get guys the ball where they need it.

"We're glad to get him now because this gives him a year to learn our system and the pace we play. The thing most kids don't realize when they come here is the tempo at which we play. It's an adjustment for all of them.''

May, the eighth player to commit to USI this year, is similar in another respect to several of the other recruits, including senior guard Alan Goff and sophomore forward Dennis Coutee, a former Indiana all-star.

"Guys like Scott, Dennis and Alan are not the kind of guys we can recruit out of high school,'' Herdes said. "They have other dreams, and we respect that. But if those change, they know we're here because we sent them letters in high school.

"So now Scott comes to us because we share a goal. He wants to win a national championship, just like we do.

"In that respect, it's a good fit for us both. It moves us both in that direction.''

There is another plus by adding May to the Eagles' roster that Herdes can't ignore but can't quantify, either.

"When you're dealing with a name of that stature by bringing Scott into your program, it has to help,'' the USI coach said. "It's not just about the success his dad had, but the way they went about it. This association can't do anything but elevate our program.''

Contact Steve Ford of The Evansville Courier in Indiana at http://www.evansville.net.