Redhawks sign forward

Other than senior center Missy Whitney, the 2007-08 Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team had little size.

The Redhawks' latest signee is another example of coach John Ishee taking steps to add size for next season.

Lesley Adams, a 6-foot-2 forward/center at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., inked a national letter of intent with Southeast on Wednesday as the spring signing period began.

Adams averaged nine points and 10 rebounds per game as a sophomore at MAC, earning all-region honors.

"She's a 6-2 kid that's really strong and athletic, and she's a very good student," Ishee said. "She's a real competitive kid who wants to be a player. I'm very happy to sign her."

Ishee said Adams, who played high school basketball at Career Academy in St. Louis, is built along the lines of Lachelle Lyles, who led the nation in rebounding as a Southeast senior during the 2006-07 season.

Ishee also compared Adams to Lyles in that both are strong rebounders and defenders, while being somewhat limited offensively.

"She's a little raw offensively right now, but she can really defend and rebound," Ishee said. "She got a lot better [offensively] as the season went along, and I think she'll continue to keep improving.

"She'll be able to contribute right away from the defensive and rebounding end."

Adams is the fourth inside player the Redhawks have landed for next season, with the other three making it official in November during the early signing period.

Inside players signing early were 6-1 Trevonna Cannon from State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Mo.; 6-0 Victoria Smith from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.; and 6-2 Amber Holmes, a high school senior from San Antonio.

"We've added a lot of size, and we'll have more depth up front," said Ishee, who loses the 6-2 Whitney from the 2007-08 Southeast squad that captured a third straight Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship.

Southeast now has signed five players for next season, the other being point guard Bianca Beck, a high school senior at Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis, who also made it official in November.

That will put the Redhawks at the limit of 15 scholarships allowed for NCAA Division I women's basketball.

Southeast was eligible to return 11 scholarship players, but Ishee said that little-used sophomore guard Mikal Bencomo plans to transfer to a lower-division program. She played a total of 16 minutes in seven games and scored eight points.

Men's basketball

The Southeast men's basketball program did not announce any signings Wednesday as the month-long spring period began.

Southeast coach Scott Edgar said recently that he plans to announce all of his spring signings at one time, after all of the letters of intent have been received.

The Redhawks signed two players in November — 6-5 forward Mark Caviness from Indian River (Fla.) Community College and 6-5 wing Martino Brock from Nashville Christian Advancement Academy, a prep school in Nashville, Tenn.

Track

Southeast track and field senior standouts Miles Smith and John Berry have been honored by the OVC.

Smith is the conference's male track athlete of the week after winning Saturday's 400 meters at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., in 45.84 seconds. That is the fourth-fastest time in the nation so far this year.

Berry, the league's male field athlete of the week, placed fifth in the long jump at the Sea Ray Relays with a career-best 25 feet 1 1/4 inches, which ranks 17th nationally.

Southeast will compete at the University of Arkansas Invitational this weekend.