Southeast Missouri State announces men's basketball schedule

Games at Saint Louis University and Memphis, along with a tournament in Mexico and the first meeting with Missouri State in a decade, highlight Southeast Missouri State's 2013-14 nonconference men's basketball schedule.

The Redhawks entire 30-game regular-season slate, including 16 Ohio Valley Conference contests, was announced Thursday. Southeast has 13 home dates, along with two exhibitions at the Show Me Center.

"I think it's a good schedule. It has a good balance," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said.

Southeast, after hosting exhibition foes Hannibal-LaGrange on Oct. 29 and Oachita Baptist on Nov. 2, open the season with a daunting challenge.

The Redhawks visit defending Atlantic 10 Conference champion Saint Louis on Nov. 8. The Billikens have played in the past two NCAA tournaments.

Southeast's game at Memphis is Dec. 21. The Redhawks have six players from that city, which is a hotbed of high school basketball.

"Saint Louis and Memphis, they're good for your schedule," Nutt said. "Saint Louis and Memphis are both big recruiting areas for us."

Southeast's home opener is Nov. 11 against Central Baptist. Other nonconference home dates are Nov. 22 against Mid-Continent, Dec. 14 against Illinois-Chicago, Dec. 23 against IUPUI and Jan. 29 against Missouri-Kansas City.

Southeast lost at Illinois-Chicago last year and won at UMKC.

The Redhawks also visit IUPUI Nov. 16 and travel to Ball State Nov. 18 in a return trip of last season's ESPN BracketBusters that saw the Cardinals win on a shot at the buzzer after Southeast erased a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes.

Southeast travels south of the border to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the Cure UCD Classic. The three-day tournament pits Southeast against Northern Kentucky Nov. 29, Tulane Nov. 30 and Texas State Dec. 1.

"I think it's a good tournament for us. Our players will be excited," Nutt said. "It's a beautiful place to go. A lot of my colleagues have raved about it."

Rounding out the nonconference slate are games at Southeastern Louisiana Dec. 7 and Missouri State Dec. 29. The Redhawks won at Southeastern Louisiana last season.

Southeast and Missouri State will play for the first time in a decade, with the Bears returning the game to the Show Me Center next season.

The Redhawks' OVC opener is Jan. 2 at perennial power Murray State, which visits the Show Me Center March 1 in the regular-season finale.

Southeast's first conference home game is Jan. 9 as perennial power Belmont comes to Cape Girardeau for the first time.