Sources: Southeast basketball will face Mizzou

The college basketball season is more than seven months away but excitement already is building for the Southeast Missouri State men's team.

Southeast returns most of its top players from 2010-11, gains the services of Missouri transfer forward Tyler Stone and Missouri State transfer forward Michael Porter and has added several key recruits, including All-American junior college shooting guard Corey Wilford last week.

Another exciting aspect to the campaign, at least from a fan standpoint, is the Redhawks' season opener.

Although the schedule has not been finalized, I have been told by several reliable sources that the Redhawks will tip off 2011-12 at the University of Missouri. Southeast reportedly will receive $90,000 for one of its annual "guarantee" games.

That will mark the first meeting between the in-state programs since 1997-98, when Gary Garner's first Southeast squad nearly upset Norm Stewart's Tigers in Columbia, Mo., falling 65-64.

That completed a series that saw the squads square off in Columbia five straight seasons, including the final four of Ron Shumate's tenure at Southeast.

The Tigers won those by scores of 83-61, 84-77, 102-65 and 64-50. Southeast and MU have played just those five times.

It should be a fun opener, with Southeast sure to receive plenty of publicity along with making an appearance on statewide live television.

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Southeast basketball coach Dickey Nutt has to feel good after landing Wilford, who was his No. 1 recruiting target for the spring signing period.

That came after Southeast nabbed the two high school seniors from Memphis, Tenn., that Nutt had targeted -- power forward Nino Johnson and shooting guard Telvin Wilkerson -- during the early signing period in November.

Nutt would like to sign one more player, preferably a small forward/wing type, with his target reportedly being Dijon Farr, an all-region performer from Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, the same juco that produced current Redhawks standout Leon Powell.

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It's a shame the Southeast baseball team had Saturday's scheduled series finale against Jacksonville State rained out. Fans missed out on what likely would have been another great game.

The Ohio Valley Conference rivals had a terrific doubleheader Friday, Southeast winning the opener 9-8 and the Gamecocks taking the nightcap 5-2.

Southeast is in solid shape in its bid for the OVC regular-season title with three conference series left. The Redhawks are in second place, just percentage points behind Austin Peay.

And how crazy has OVC baseball been so far this year? Perennial league doormat Tennessee-Martin swept a series at Eastern Kentucky over the weekend while last-place Morehead State took two of three from defending conference champion Tennessee Tech.

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Southeast football ends spring practice Saturday with its annual intrasquad game, set for noon at Houck Stadium.

While a lot of people expect the Redhawks to take a major step back after last year's historic season, I think -- based on the talent returning and the incoming players -- they have a solid shot to be pretty good again and perhaps even make a run at a second straight OVC championship.

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After watching Eastern Washington star tailback Taiwan Jones against Southeast during last season's FCS playoff game, I came away thinking he had a future in the NFL.

Most people agree because Jones, who declared for the NFL draft as a junior, is almost certain to be selected later this week. Some projections have him going as high as the third round.

Jones evidently had a dazzling pro day, wowing scouts with his speed, quickness and overall athletic ability.

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Jacksonville State recently took another step toward a potential departure from the OVC, which has been discussed and speculated for a while by those both inside and outside the university.

The JSU Board of Trustees passed a resolution during last week's quarterly meeting that allows the university to explore the possibility of moving the football team to the FBS level, provided there is an opportunity in the future.

If JSU football does make that jump, which many people believe is likely, then all the Gamecocks' sports teams would no longer compete in the OVC.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.