Conceicao to play in Pan Am Games

~ Southeast's former OVC player of the year is representing her home country of Brazil.

Former Southeast Missouri State women's basketball standout Tatiana Conceicao played on some age-group national teams in her native Brazil when she was a youngster.

But these days Conceicao can officially stamp herself as one of the premier players in a nation that ranks among the world's best for women's basketball.

Conceicao is a member of Brazil's senior national team that is preparing to compete in the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Pan Am Games, which are already under way, feature 5,662 athletes from 42 countries competing in 41 sports.

Former Southeast player Natalie Purcell is a member of the New Zealand national team. (Southeast Missourian file)

Women's basketball competition begins Friday and concludes July 24.

"To make the national team for Brazil, that's pretty big time," said B.J. Smith, who coached Conceicao at Southeast. "She played on some [national] age-group teams when she was younger, but to make the top national team is very impressive."

Brazil's women were No. 4 in the latest world rankings, behind only the top-ranked United States, Australia and Russia.

Conceicao played two seasons at Southeast from 2004 through 2006. She led the squad in scoring both years and was a two-time first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference selection.

As a junior in 2004-05, the forward/center averaged 17.6 points per game and was OVC player of the year.

The next season, Conceicao averaged 19.4 points and led the Redhawks to their first OVC championship and first NCAA Division I tournament berth.

Smith said Conceicao played professionally in Spain last year.

"She's obviously doing very well," Smith said.

So is one of Conceicao's teammates at Southeast who is also playing at her country's highest level.

Natalie Purcell, a forward who also played at Southeast for two years from 2004 through 2006, is with the New Zealand senior national team.

Purcell is currently competing for her country in Beijing, China, in a four-team tournament that serves as preparation for an Olympic qualifying tournament.

Purcell averaged 11.7 points -- second behind Conceicao -- on Southeast's first NCAA Division I tournament team.

New Zealand was No. 17 in the latest world rankings.

"Basketball is not that strong in New Zealand as far as the world level goes, but it's still a great thing for Natalie," Smith said.

Smith still waiting

Smith continues to live in Cape Girardeau as he awaits results from an NCAA investigation regarding alleged rules violations in the women's basketball program that the university has acknowledged.

Smith resigned after four seasons as Southeast's coach in December, after he had been placed on paid leave the previous month. He did not coach a game during the 2006-07 season.

In June of 2006, after an investigation initiated by Southeast, the OVC cited several NCAA rules violations and the university imposed various sanctions, including a reduction in scholarships to 12 from 15 for the 2006-07 school year.

"I'm kind of in limbo until all of this gets resolved," said Smith, who was 79-41 overall at Southeast, including 51-17 in the OVC.

Smith said he has been staying busy conducting a youth basketball school that he holds once per week. It involves nearly 50 players.

"I started that in February. It's going well and I really enjoy it," Smith said. "I've also been spending a lot of time with my son, which is nice."

Smith said he would eventually like to coach in college again, but he pretty much needs the NCAA situation to be resolved before he can move ahead with those plans.

Although the NCAA has not said when it will announce the results of its investigation, it is believed that will happen when the NCAA infractions committee next meets beginning Aug. 10.