Evolving SEMO hoops squad to be tested on road tonight

The cynics of Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball (4-7) will point to the fact that the Redhawks' 3-1 record in their past four games has been achieved against three non-Division I programs, and they would be correct. However, the fact is, SEMO also played well in the one recent loss at Purdue Fort Wayne, which is 11-2 on the season.

The remainder of the SEMO schedule (with the exception of a January game against Bethel) will remain very challenging, as the program faces no non-Division I opposition moving forward, beginning with tonight’s test at Illinois State (7-4) at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

“We’re still playing a lot of guys,” fourth-year SEMO coach Brad Korn said recently, “and they are still getting in there and making things happen.”

Korn has played a dozen of his 15 players at least in nine of the team’s 11 games, thus far, as he tries to figure out this roster and which players can consistently produce at both ends of the court.

His dilemma has been, and this could be construed as a positive in some regard, that each player he has utilized has shown an ability to play well at varying times, if not always consistently.

“We try to make plays,” Korn explained, “going back to what caused us struggles early in the season, was trying to make home run plays off the first action, and not getting a little bit deeper into the shot clock.”

In a recent win against NAIA program Lindsay Wilson, Korn cited the play of redshirt sophomore Gavyn Elkamil, who made a poor decision on an early play, but settled down to play very well in the 12 minutes that he was on the floor.

“His value isn’t just in scoring,” Korn said of Elkamil, “and it is hard to get guys to understand that.”

Only four Redhawks (Rob Martin, Adam Larson, Aquan Smart, and BJ Ward) are averaging g 20 minutes or more per game. That type of wide distribution of minutes leads some inexperienced players (of which SEMO has a lot) to think that they have to shoot (and score) quickly or they will be pulled out of the game.

Korn disputed that notion.

“There is so much that you can do to impact the game,” Korn explained. “I’ve been there. I have been in their shoes. You think your value is, if you’re not playing a lot, ‘If I make shots, I’m going to stay in the game.’

“They don’t think that the coaches are going to see me get a deflection or he’s not going to see me get a rebound. Actually, we are going to see that.”

In the case of Elkamil, he eventually settled down against Lindsay Wilson and had a very productive outing.

He made 2 of his 3 shots (both being 3-pointers), grabbed a couple of rebounds, made a steal, and most impressively, passed for four assists without a turnover. All in just 12 minutes.

“I watch Gavyn every single day,” Korn said, “I know he can make a couple of shots.”

Korn said what “makes the coaches mad” is when you discuss aspects of play prior to the game or even during a timeout, and then the young players don’t go out and execute what was just discussed. THAT is more aggravating than a missed shot to end a patient, smart offensive possession.

“It’s not necessarily that particular play,” Korn continued, “it’s the lead-up before that that led to the (bad) play. We just talked about that. You can’t drive into the lane and force shots up.”

Poor shot selection will result in a problem against Illinois State, which has already won a pair of Missouri Valley Conference games and is outrebounding its opponents by nearly three per game.

“Sometimes things happen,” Korn said of poor decisions, “and guys are trying to make plays. I don’t think that we have that selfish kind of guys, where they just aren’t passing to one another. They just need to understand ‘When I draw two (defenders), I’ve done my job, now I have to let it go to the next guy.”