Ishee chooses youth to restock roster

~ Southeast's coach decided to sign freshmen instead of juco players.

There won't be many younger college basketball teams in the country than Southeast Missouri State's women next season.

That doesn't seem to concern Southeast coach John Ishee, who likely finalized his recruiting class by landing two more high school seniors during Wednesday's opening of the spring signing period.

Ishee nabbed seven high school seniors during the early signing period in November. The nine new players make up the largest incoming recruiting class in program history.

"They're young in years, but all nine come from very accomplished high school and summer programs. They've played a lot of basketball," Ishee said. "We just felt it was best to go with freshmen instead of junior college kids.

"I'm really high on all nine of them. They're all going to play."

Southeast's tentative roster for next season will include the nine freshmen, along with two sophomores, a junior and a senior.

"We will be young, but I think we'll be as talented as we've been since I've been here," Ishee said.

Jasmine Davis and Patricia Mack signed letters of intent Wednesday.

Davis, a 5-foot-7 guard from Cincinnati, was a four-year starter at Hughes Center High School, where she is that program's all-time leading scorer.

Davis averaged 19 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game for an 18-4 team as a senior. She was rated the 35th best prep player in Ohio by Ohiovarsity.com.

"She's a prolific scorer from a tradition-rich program in Cincinnati who can also play the point," Ishee said. "She can shoot the 3 and score off the dribble."

Mack, a 6-0 forward from Columbus, Ohio, averaged 12 points and eight rebounds as a senior at Mifflin High School.

"She's a real athletic forward/post who can run and jump," Ishee said. "She's very much in the mold of a Crysta Glenn."

Signing in November were 6-1 forward Brittany Harriel and 6-1 center Shanece Miller, both from Cincinnati; 5-10 guard Jasmine Lewis from Knoxville, Tenn.; 5-6 point guard Shelah Fields from St. Louis (Riverview Gardens); 5-11 forward Ballie Roberts from Maryville, Tenn.; 5-7 guard Erika Lane from Knoxville, Tenn.; and 5-9 wing Monica Miller from Memphis, Tenn.

Ishee confirmed Wednesday that four players with eligibility remaining are no longer with the program. All four did not finish the season with the Redhawks.

Junior college transfers Trevonna Cannon and Daumonique Lenhardt, along with sophomores Tore Fite and Rochelle Ikeni, all saw limited action for the Redhawks this past season.

That means Southeast will have just four returning players next year, with center Lesley Adams being the lone senior.

Others scheduled to return are wing Lauren Sharpe, who will be a junior, along with point guard Bianca Beck and center Amber Holmes, who were both freshmen this past season.

Sharpe is the leading scorer among the returnees at eight points per game.

"We're going to be young, but we've got experience returning at the right positions," Ishee said.

The NCAA maximum scholarships for Division I women's basketball is 15. Ishee did not rule out signing any more players, but didn't seem to be leaning that way.

"At this point we think we're done, but you never say never," he said.