Southeast Missouri State basketball coach saw improvement and underachievement in 2012-13 squad

A late-season surge allowed the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team to post a rare winning record and continue the program's upward trend.

Coach Dickey Nutt acknowledged that the Redhawks didn't quite live up to his expectations for his fourth season but they did achieve several notable accomplishments.

"A lot of good things happened, but we felt like we underachieved," Nutt said. "I felt like we were a much better basketball team than we performed this year. We let several games get away."

Nutt is proud of the fact that Southeast basketball has returned to respectability and relevancy after he took over a program that was on NCAA probation and ranked among the nation's worst.

Southeast improved its overall record for the fourth straight year under Nutt, although the Redhawks' 8-8 OVC mark was a game worse than last year's 9-7 ledger.

Southeast Missouri State’s Lucas Nutt pulls teammates Tyler Stone, right, and Nino Johnson in for a quick word during a game this season at the Show Me Center. All three players will return next season. (Laura Simon)

The Redhawks went 17-16 for the program's first winning season since the 2004-05 team went 15-14.

Southeast recorded the program's most victories since the 2000-01 squad won 18 games and claimed a win in the OVC tournament for the third consecutive year -- a first for the program.

"We made a good step, but we felt like we were primed to do better even though we broke some new ground, did things we hadn't done in a long time," Nutt said. "The first four years, my plan was to get the program up off the ground the right way with good people, good students, graduating people. I think we've done that."

The Redhawks, second in the OVC West Division -- as predicted in the preseason poll -- and tied for fifth overall in the 12-team league, finished among the top two in several of the league's major statistical categories.

Southeast was first in field-goal percentage defense (40.2), first in 3-point field-goal percentage (39.8), second in scoring (74.1 ppg), second in field-goal percentage (46.9), second in blocks (4.9) and second in assists (15.8).

Southeast Missouri State head coach Dickey Nutt looks on from the bench during the Redhawk's 74-66 loss to Murray State Racers Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Show Me Center. (ADAM VOGLER)

"A lot of positive things happened. We had a lot of individual accomplishments, a lot of team accomplishments," Nutt said. "We defended and we were scoring. ... There was just a stretch there where we weren't playing very well, and that hurt us."

Southeast sat at 11-13 overall and 3-7 in the OVC before ending the regular season with five wins in its last seven games. The Redhawks beat Eastern Illinois in the opening round of the OVC tournament before losing to Eastern Kentucky in the quarterfinals.

"I thought we played our best basketball at the end of the season," Nutt said.

The Redhawks will return a strong talent base and will have several key newcomers next season.

"I'm optimistic for next year. I feel like we've got a lot of pieces in place," Nutt said.

The Redhawks had just three seniors this year, all shooting guards and all key players who accounted for the bulk of Southeast's 3-point shooting.

Corey Wilford was Southeast's second-leading scorer with an average of 14.4 points per game and led the Redhawks during OVC play with a 15.1 average. He paced the squad with 82 3-pointers and ranked among the league's most accurate 3-point shooters at 42.5 percent.

Marland Smith, Southeast's career record-holder for 3-point baskets, averaged 10.1 points, fourth-best on the team. He was second with 63 3-pointers and shot 42.9 percent from beyond the arc to rank among the OVC's best.

Nick Niemczyk, a Bell City High School graduate, averaged 7.5 points and was third on the Redhawks with 46 3-pointers.

"We're certainly going to miss our three seniors, on and off the court," Nutt said.

But everybody else is eligible to return, led by the imposing front line of junior forward Tyler Stone, the team's top scorer and No. 2 rebounder, and sophomore forward Nino Johnson, the squad's leading rebounder who set the school single-season record for blocked shots; junior point guard Lucas Nutt, third on Southeast's career assists list; and junior guard A.J. Jones, who came on late.

"I feel like we have a good nucleus returning," Dickey Nutt said.

Stone, second-team all-OVC for the second straight year, averaged 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds while blocking 44 shots. He was eighth in the league in scoring, fourth in rebounding and fifth in blocks.

Johnson averaged 11.1 points and 8.8 boards while rejecting 84 shots. He was second in the OVC in both rebounding and blocks.

Jones averaged 8.6 points and hit 30 3-pointers while shooting 42.9 percent from long range.

Nutt (5.6 ppg) was second in the OVC with 178 assists and committed just 71 turnovers to rank second in assist-to-turnover ratio.

"Those guys are improving and getting better every day," Dickey Nutt said.

Southeast's freshmen all saw limited action. Guard Jared White (2.3 ppg) received the most playing time and displayed plenty of potential.

Forwards Colin Ferguson (0.9 ppg) and Notre Dame Regional High School graduate Jacob Tolbert (0.4 ppg), a redshirt walk-on, both saw a decent amount of playing time early but rarely got off the bench late in the season.

The Redhawks hope to receive a lift next year from junior forward Michael Porter, who has been hampered by injuries throughout his collegiate career. The Sikeston High School graduate played in just one game this season due to a broken foot that he fractured twice. He recently had hip surgery to hopefully rectify a problem that has plagued him for a while.

"We really missed Michael. He gives us that toughness, that experience. He's such a leader for us," Nutt said.

Dickey Nutt expects major contributions from several newcomers, led by Auburn transfer Josh Langford.

The 6-foot-7 Langford, an elite athlete who can play multiple positions, was rated Alabama's top high school player as a senior. He will become eligible after the first semester and then have one final year of eligibility in 2014-15.

"We're really excited about Josh. He's a guy that was highly recruited out of high school, a top-100 player. He's so athletic, so good," Nutt said.

Langford is not the only Division I transfer who will play for the Redhawks next season.

Central Florida transfer Wayne Martin Jr., a 6-7 forward, will have three years of eligibility.

Martin practiced with the Redhawks all season, while Langford and freshman point guard C.J. Reese practiced with Southeast during the second semester.

Reese redshirted, meaning he will have four years of eligibility beginning next season.

"We're excited about all three of those guys," Nutt said. "They're going to make us better."

Southeast landed two players during the early signing period and still has at least two more scholarships available for next season. A priority will be to find more shooters to replace the departing seniors.

Signing in November were 6-5 junior college transfer wing Darrian Gray, who will have two years of eligibility at Southeast, and highly regarded high school senior combo guard Martavian Payne, who helped lead Madison Prep of St. Louis to the Class 3 state title.

"We really like Darrian and Martavian," said Nutt, although he acknowledged that Payne has academic issues that put his Division I eligibility for next season in question.

With most of the key players on the OVC's top teams this year being seniors, Nutt expects Southeast to enter 2013-14 as among the OVC favorites and likely the West Division favorite.

Nutt is fine with that, and he believes the Redhawks are ready to take a big step forward -- not only next season but with the program in general.

"I feel like expectations will be high and rightfully so. I think we can be really good," Nutt said. "It took four years to get us off the ground, to get us where we are, and I feel like phase two is coming up. I do think the sky is the limit for this program."