Preview: Unfinished business

Southeast Missouri State coach B.J. Smith firmly believes Tatiana Conceicao has a solid chance to become the program's first player to compete in the WNBA.

Conceicao would like nothing better -- but right now, reaching the highest professional league for women's basketball is the furthest thing from her mind.

Of most immediate concern for Conceicao is helping the Redhawks have their best Division I season ever -- and helping get them into the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time.

"Yes, I would love to play in the WNBA, and coach B.J. thinks I have a chance," Conceicao said. "But I'm not worried about that right now, because you never know what will happen.

"I'm more focused on the team. We have a chance to have a really good season, and that's what we all want."

Conceicao certainly played a major role in the Redhawks' best Division I season last year, when they went 22-8 overall, finished a second-place 14-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference and lost in double-overtime to Eastern Kentucky in the finals of the OVC tournament -- after the Colonels forced overtime with a shot at the buzzer.

Conceicao, a 6-foot-2 senior forward/center, averaged 17.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as she was voted the OVC's player of the year. She is also this year's conference preseason player of the year.

"Tatiana had just a tremendous season, and the great thing about her is she's so humble, even though she's so good," Smith said. "She's more worried about the team than herself, which is not typical of a star player."

That Conceicao performed so well during her first Division I season last year is probably not a surprise, considering she was one of the nation's top junior college prospects at Western Nebraska Community College.

In fact, the native of Brazil could probably have had her pick of offers from major programs following a sophomore season that saw her average 25 points during the national junior college tournament and make first-team All-American.

But Conceicao had by then already signed with Southeast early, following a strong freshman season -- and it's a decision she doesn't regret in the least.

"Everything I've done here, I'm very glad. Coach B.J. gave me a lot of opportunity," said Conceicao, who was already familiar with Smith when he recruited her for his former school at Northeastern A&M Junior College before he took the Southeast job. "It was a good choice, and I wouldn't want to be any place else."

Said Smith, who has led Southeast to an OVC-best 57-32 record in his first three years: "She was the No. 1 vote-getter in all of junior college basketball for the All-American team. There's no level she couldn't play at."

Including the WNBA, according to Smith, who cites Conceicao's versatility that allows her to dominate on the inside while also being adept enough to score from the outside.

"I've had two people [players he coached at Northeastern A&M] drafted into the WNBA, and Tatiana is as good if not better than they were," Smith said. "She maybe doesn't have the exposure of other players, but I do believe she can play in the WNBA. People who have seen her play really like her."

But, as Conceicao -- who is majoring in physical education and would like to eventually become a coach -- mentioned earlier, that is far from her primary focus.

Her No. 1 goal is leading the Redhawks -- featuring six returning seniors who all saw considerable action last year, along with several talented newcomers -- where no Southeast squad has ever gone on the Division I level.

"We were so close to the [NCAA] tournament last year," she said. "This year I know we can do it, and that's what we're all shooting for.

"It would be so great to play in the WNBA, but right now it's all about the team."

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SOUTHEAST WOMEN

Coach: B.J. Smith, fourth season (57-32)

Assistants: Lisa Pace, Michelle Fortier, Katrina Colwell

Last season: 22-8 (14-2 OVC, second place), lost to Eastern Kentucky in finals of OVC Tournament

Returning starters

Tatiana Conceicao 6-2 Sr. F/C

Natalie Purcell 6-0 Sr. F

Simone Jackson 5-9 Sr. F

Wanika Owsley 5-7 Sr. G

Rest of roster

Katrisha Dunn 5-3 Sr. G

Tiffanne Ryan 5-7 Sr. G

Aisha Moreno 5-5 So. G

Lachelle Lyles 6-2 Jr. C

Joiceline Thesing 6-6 Jr. C

Rachel Blunt 6-0 Fr. F

Tarina Nixon 5-6 Fr. G

Chytearra Kintchen 5-5 Fr. G

Sonya Daugherty 5-7 Fr. G

Szandra Pal 5-7 Fr. G

Heather Diebold 5-7 Fr. G

Remaining Schedule

Nov. 22 -- Arkansas-Monticello, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 25 -- Wisconsin-Milwaukee (HealthPoint Plaza Thanksgiving Classic), 7 p.m.

Nov. 26 -- Henderson State (HealthPoint Plaza Thanksgiving Classic), 7 p.m.

Nov. 29 -- Southern Illinois, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 2 -- at Wisconsin-Milwaukee , 7 p.m.

Dec. 8 -- Tennessee State*, 5 p.m.

Dec. 10 -- Tennessee Tech*, 5 p.m.

Dec. 18 -- at Samford*, 3 p.m.

Dec. 20 -- at Jacksonville State*, 5 p.m.

Dec. 28 -- at East Tennessee State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 2 -- Eastern Kentucky*, 8:30 p.m.

Jan. 5 -- at Eastern Illinois*, 5:15 p.m.

Jan. 7 -- at Murray State*, 5:15 p.m.

Jan. 14 -- Austin Peay*, 5 p.m.

Jan. 19 -- at Tennessee State*, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 21 -- at Tennessee Tech*, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 26 -- Morehead State*, 5 p.m.

Jan. 28 -- Murray State*, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 30 -- at Austin Peay*, 5:15 p.m.

Feb. 4 -- Tennessee-Martin*, 5 p.m.

Feb. 9 -- at Morehead State*, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 -- at Eastern Kentucky*, 1 p.m.

Feb. 16 -- Eastern Illinois*, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 18 -- at Tennessee-Martin*, 4 p.m.

Feb. 23 -- Samford*, 5 p.m.

Feb. 25 -- Jacksonville State*, 5 p.m.

Feb. 28 -- OVC Tournament first round, campus sites, TBA

March 3 -- OVC Tournament semifinals, Nashville, Tenn., TBA

March 4 -- OVC Tournament finals, Nashville, Tenn., TBA

* -- Ohio Valley Conference game