I know I'm not supposed to cheer, but I'll be rooting for John Riek when he takes the floor tonight.

The 7-foot-1 native of Sudan has endured quite a journey to his first collegiate game, which comes tonight at 7 p.m. ET when Mississippi State plays Wright State.

It feels like an eternity that Riek dominated every big man that stood in his way at the LeBron James Camp.

Greg Monroe, Samardo Samuels. It didn't matter who he went up against in July of 2007, Riek did his best Dikiembe Mutombo impersonation swatting shots from every which way.

That was 2 ½ years ago.

There were multiple NBA scouts in attendance that pegged him as a lottery pick after his performance. Some even said he could be the No. 1 overall pick.

Then all hell broke loose as Riek became a household name and a hot commodity. He was pulled out of Our Savior New American (N.Y.), briefly attended the Winchendon School (Mass.) and limped around at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando.

He was committed to Cincinnati, then back looking for a school. His age was in question – as were his academics, his eligibility and his health. Then, he wound up down in Florida at IMG Academy for the past year.

The entire saga became painful to watch because Riek wasn't making his own decisions throughout the process. He had no idea who to trust – like many who come from other countries.

Riek finally signed with Mississippi State and after the NCAA imposed a nine-game suspension, he's finally eligible to play his first college game tonight.

And he'll have at least one fan.

HUNTER'S CATAMOUNTS

Texas 73, Western Carolina 41.

However, the score wasn't indicative of how the game went.

"We frustrated them and defended them well," Western Carolina coach Larry Hunter said. "They had 27 turnovers. We just didn't make any open shots."

The loss in Austin was exactly one month ago.

It was also the last time the Catamounts have tasted defeat.

It's been nine straight wins since – including a victory in Freedom Hall against Louisville this past weekend.

"It's certainly one of the biggest wins in the history of our program," Hunter said.

Hunter admits the team has been a work-in-progress since he took over in April of 2005.

"Our guys have seen the low of the lows, but they hung in there and stayed committed to each other," he said.

Hunter's first season at Western Carolina resulted in a 13-17 record. However, Catamounts followed with 11 wins and then 10 two years ago.

Finally, last season Hunter was able to get over the .500 mark and go 16-15 with an 11-9 record in SoCon play.

This season, the Catamounts were picked to win their side of the Southern Conference in the preseason.

"We've been the hunted this year because of the preseason prognostications," Hunter said. "People give us their best shot, and that’s new for our guys."

Harouna Mutombo, Dikiembe's nephew, is one of five players averaging between eight and 13 points per game.

Hunter has raved about his senior class and its toughness – guys like Brigham Waginger, Jake Robinson and Brandon Giles. Hunter also said there's far more quality depth than in his first four years.

"This group isn't concerned with how many minutes they play or their stats," Hunter said. "They just want to win."

They go for 10 straight at Clemson next week.

RANDOM NOTES: Talented and athletic big man Rashanti Harris, a top 100 player who signed with Georgia State last year, is still trying to become eligible to join the program for the second semester.

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