Prize recruit Brown gives Otahkians an inside force

Chandra Brown was recruited by several upper-level Division I basketball programs, including hometown Louisville, yet she chose Southeast Missouri State University.

Brown, a 6-foot-3 center who was a second-team junior-college All-American last season, believes Southeast second-year coach B.J. Smith is building the type of program she was eager to be a part of.

"After him being here coaching just one year, and the turnaround he had on the program, I think it's going to keep going up," Brown said. "I think this year we can really do well."

Smith, who led the Otahkians to their best-ever Division I season last year, thinks landing Brown could be a key in helping his program continue to attract recruits who are pursued by more high-profile programs.

"She was the biggest recruiting battle we've won," Smith said. "We're used to winning those battles in junior college, but to win this one was big for us."

The slender, athletic Brown averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds per game last season at Southeastern Illinois Community College, shooting 60 percent from the field and better than 80 percent from the free-throw line.

Brown had a strong performance in her Southeast debut, scoring a team-high 15 points Thursday in an 84-66 exhibition win over Union University. Southeast plays its final exhibition game tonight at 7:30 p.m. against visiting St. Louis Goldstar.

"She's very talented," Smith said. "She looks good right now, but we have to get her to look great. She has the talent to dominate on a lot of levels."

Saying no to Louisville

Brown, from Louisville, Ky., chose Southeast over her hometown Cardinals.

"Being from Louisville, it was kind of tough not to go there," she said. "But I just felt more comfortable with the coaches and players here."

Brown, who said her strengths are rebounding, defense and scoring around the basket, believes she'll fit right in with Smith's up-tempo style of play. She's one of five Southeast newcomers who, added to seven returning players, helped the Otahkians land the No. 1 spot in the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll.

"If we stay together," Brown said, "we can go to the NCAA Tournament."

Among the first-year players are four junior-college products, including All-American 5-7 guard Brandi Russia, who played for Smith at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. Russia averaged 10.1 points and 3.2 assists as a sophomore two years ago following a freshman season that saw her average 12.9 points and 3.2 assists. She had a team-high six assists Thursday.

Sami Jo Cotton, a 5-7 guard, played for Smith as a freshman at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, and last season she averaged 16.7 points while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range to earn all-region honors. She scored 14 points Thursday, hitting four of seven 3-pointers.

"I think we have the potential to be really good," Cotton said. "Our goal is not only to win the conference but to go far in the NCAA Tournament."

Melissa Anthony, a 6-2 center, averaged 10 points and eight rebounds as a freshman last year at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College. Anthony, who will have three years of eligibility at Southeast, did not play in the exhibition opener. She is recovering from ankle surgery that probably will keep her out of games for a few more weeks.

Rounding out the recruiting class is 5-7 freshman guard Jessica Aebi from Enid, Okla. She averaged 15 points and four assists as a senior last year, helping lead Enid High School to its first-ever state tournament berth. Aebi scored eight points Thursday.

"We've added five very good players who should all help us," Smith said. "We've really helped ourselves at guard, and we've gotten bigger in the middle."

Competition, in fact, has been so fierce in practice between all 12 Otahkians that Smith said he doesn't know who will start Friday's season opener at nationally ranked Utah.

"I think all 12 players will be able to help us," Smith said.

mmishow@semissourian.com

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