Southeast hoops teams prepare to prove worth against OVC foes

Now that the majority of their tough nonconference schedules are behind them, Southeast Missouri State's basketball teams are ready to jump back into Ohio Valley Conference play almost exclusively for the rest of the season.

Southeast's men and women get the new year started with OVC home games against Tennessee Tech on Saturday and Jacksonville State on Monday.

The men, 4-8 overall, are 1-1 in the OVC after splitting their conference-opening road trip to Austin Peay and Tennessee State early this month.

While it's way too early to call them one of the OVC's surprises, first-year coach Dickey Nutt's rebuilding Redhawks have opened at least a few eyes around the conference by not only already surpassing last season's league win total but also taking perennial OVC power Austin Peay to overtime in a loss.

No conference victory figures to come easily for the Redhawks, but they have an opportunity to make a statement if they somehow beat Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State, two squads not predicted to finish in the OVC's upper division.

The women, 3-7 overall entering tonight's nonconference game at Arkansas-Little Rock, are 0-2 in the OVC after being swept at Austin Peay and Tennessee State.

While not yet in desperation mode, coach John Ishee's young Redhawks can't afford to dig too big of a hole early if they hope to continue their tradition of being a major player in the OVC race.

It should be an interesting two nights of hoops at the Show Me Center beginning late this week.

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Speaking of hoops at the Show Me Center, the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament continues today.

The 65th annual event, featuring 16 area high school boys basketball teams, got underway Saturday with eight first-round games.

As is often the case, the opening round mostly featured major mismatches, although things were even more lopsided then usual this year as seven of Saturday's eight contests were decided by at least 28 points.

There are a few intriguing quarterfinal matchups set for today, including longtime rivals Central and Jackson squaring off at 7:30 p.m. Jackson is seeded third and Central sixth.

Based on seedings, No. 4 Charleston and No. 5 Advance should have a competitive affair at 9 p.m. to finish the tournament's second day.

While No. 2 Notre Dame will be a big favorite, the Bulldogs do take on the tournament's only undefeated squad -- No. 7 Oak Ridge -- at 6 p.m.

Also a heavy favorite will be top-seeded and defending champion Scott County Central, which plays No. 8 Oran in the first quarterfinal at 4:30 p.m.

Despite all the big blowouts, I took in every first-round Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament game and had a blast doing so.

There's no better way to spend the day after Christmas than watching high school hoops at the Show Me Center.

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The Notre Dame girls basketball team put on quite a performance in dominating last week's Saint Francis Medical Center Holiday Classic.

Notre Dame won all three games by at least 25 points, including Wednesday's 50-23 rout of gritty but outmanned Jackson in the finals.

I haven't covered much high school girls basketball in recent years, but the 8-1 Bulldogs -- whose lone loss was a competitive affair to nationally ranked Incarnate Word Academy of St. Louis -- are among the better area squads I've seen in a while.

The Bulldogs have the look of a solid state contender. It will be fun to follow their progress the rest of the season.

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Two new football coaches recently took over at OVC schools, with Chris Hatcher being hired at Murray State and Rod Reed assuming the reins at Tennessee State.

Hatcher most recently was coach at Georgia Southern after previously leading a dominant Division II program at Valdosta State.

Reed, a former TSU player, was the Tigers' associate head coach last season. This is his first head coaching position.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.