Maxwell eager to resume career

Don't be surprised if Jajuan Maxwell is a bit more excited than most players who take the court for Southeast Missouri State's exhibition opener.

It's been a long road back to health for Maxwell, a sophomore forward who said he is licking his chops just thinking about Saturday's game against Missouri Baptist at the Show Me Center.

"I'm super excited about Saturday," Maxwell said Wednesday at Southeast's basketball media day. "I can't wait to get out there."

Maxwell won't have to wait once the 7 p.m. tipoff arrives because Southeast acting coach Zac Roman said Maxwell will be in the starting lineup.

"Jajuan has been practicing well and doing a good job," Roman said. "After taking a year off, he's bounced back well."

The 6-foot-6 Maxwell, who is from the Kansas City suburb of Raytown, Mo., had a lot to bounce back from.

After turning in a solid freshman season in 2006-07 while primarily coming off the bench, Maxwell seemed poised for bigger things last year.

But in May of 2007 -- just weeks after his rookie campaign ended -- Maxwell tore the ACL in his right knee during an offseason workout and needed reconstructive surgery.

"I just came down wrong and it popped," Maxwell said. "I knew right away [it was serious]."

There was some hope that Maxwell could play last year, but he had a setback with the knee that required arthroscopic surgery. So Maxwell had to miss the season as a medical redshirt.

"It was frustrating not being able to play," Maxwell said.

This past May he had to have another arthroscopic procedure, meaning three surgeries in the span of about a year. There were points where Maxwell started doubting he'd be able to return.

"It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

But Maxwell remained as upbeat as possible and attacked his rehabilitation as hard as he would a defender trying to keep him from getting to the basket.

"I was very confident I would come back," he said. "Rehab was a long process -- three, four times a day."

It paid off because Maxwell said his knee feels as good as ever.

"It was a long journey, but my knee is excellent now," he said. "It's definitely 100 percent."

If so, Maxwell figures to be a key player for the depleted Redhawks, who started practice with only 10 available scholarship players and currently are at nine pending the status of suspended junior forward Calvin Williams.

Maxwell showed promise two years ago as a freshman, playing in 30 games -- including three starts -- while averaging 14.2 minutes a contest.

Maxwell averaged 5.1 points and three rebounds. He shot a solid 34.7 percent from 3-point range.

"He's a four man [power forward] who can go inside and out, which is what we need," Roman said.

Despite missing an entire season, Maxwell said he feels more comfortable now than he did as a freshman.

"First year, big eyes and everything," said Maxwell, an accounting major. "I'm a sophomore [in eligibility], but I feel like I'm a junior. I feel like I should be able to pick back up pretty good."

While Maxwell feels good about his game, he also is confident the Redhawks will be able to overcome the turmoil that has hit the program and prove the skeptics wrong.

The week before practice started, coach Scott Edgar was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an NCAA hearing on alleged rules violations. Roman, a second-year assistant, was named acting coach the day before practice started.

Then last week, Williams, the squad's only proven inside presence at 6-9, was suspended following his arrest on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, driving without a license and driving without proper headlights.

That's all in addition to several key players transferring following last season and Southeast's top two recruits for this year being ineligible.

No wonder the Redhawks were picked to finish eighth in the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference after they lost 14 of their final 15 games last year.

"It's unfortunate these things have happened, but we still have to go out and compete," Maxwell said. "We'll go out with the mindset to win every game.

"Just because they [others] don't expect anything from us doesn't mean we don't expect anything. We expect to do well."