Redhawks face first OVC road trip

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will be without another key performer when it resumes Ohio Valley Conference play.

It was announced Friday that junior college transfer guard/forward Nate Schulte is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

Schulte left a recent practice with a blood clot in his right shoulder that later required a medical procedure.

Schulte ranks fourth on the squad in scoring and second in rebounding with averages of 7.7 points and 5.5 boards. He started the last five games at small forward and scored 39 points while grabbing 23 rebounds in the past two contests.

"Nathan was really playing well," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said.

The Redhawks also are without second-leading scorer Nick Niemczyk, a juco transfer guard averaging 13.4 points who hasn't played in the past five games and will likely miss the rest of the season with knee problems.

Southeast (1-10, 0-2) faces its first OVC road trip, playing Jacksonville State (2-9, 0-1) at 4:30 p.m. today and Tennessee Tech (3-5, 1-0) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Despite the injury problems and rough start to the season, Nutt never has questioned the Redhawks' work ethic and character.

"Our confidence is low. It's all about confidence, and winning gives you that," Nutt said. "But even though our record doesn't show it, we are improving.

"Our record is not anywhere we want it to be, but our kids are still working very hard. They've got great heart, a lot of character. They really want to win in the worst way."

While Southeast was picked to finish ninth in the 10-team OVC, Jacksonville State was tabbed for eighth and Tennessee Tech sixth.

Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech each have played one league game, the Eagles' 64-62 victory over the Gamecocks in Jacksonville, Ala.

Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech both have a preseason all-OVC pick, 6-foot-4 senior guard Nick Murphy for the Gamecocks and 6-6 junior forward Kevin Murphy for the Eagles.

Murphy leads the Gamecocks in scoring with a 15.6 average, which ranks third in the OVC.

Also in double figures are 6-6 junior forward Stephen Hall (11.9) and 6-3 senior guard Jeremy Bynum (10.1). Bynum is the OVC's second-best 3-point shooter at 45.5 percent (20 of 44).

The Eagles are paced offensively by Murphy (13.3 ppg).

"It's always difficult on the road in college basketball," Nutt said. "These will be two tough games for us. In our situation right now, everybody is tough for us."