Southeast Missouri State basketball team opens season vs. powerful Kansas

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say coaches Nutt and Self worked on the same Oklahoma State coaching staff in the 1980s.

~ The annual Big 12 men's basketball power is ranked No. 7 in the nation

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team is not easing into the season.

Southeast faces a huge challenge today against one of the most storied programs in college basketball history.

The Redhawks are in Lawrence, Kan., to play seventh-ranked Kansas, last year's NCAA runner-up. The tipoff at legendary Allen Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Kansas coach Bill Self, right, talks with forward Perry Ellis, left, during the second half of an NCAA exhibition college basketball game against Washburn in Lawrence, Kan., Monday, Nov. 5, 2012. Kansas 62-50. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

"It's a monumental challenge for us. They're one of the best college basketball programs of all time," fourth-year Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said. "But we're looking forward to the challenge. Our guys are excited about it. It's going to let us know where we're at right away.

"This is a great opportunity for us. On any given night, anything can happen."

Today's contest is one of Southeast's annual "guarantee" games to raise money for the university's athletic department.

The trip to Kansas, along with a visit to 15th-ranked Missouri Dec. 4 and three games in Chattanooga, Tenn., Nov. 18 to 20 as part of the CBE Classic, will net about $240,000. The money benefits Southeast's general athletic department revenue.

"We have to play a couple of these. Why not play the best?" Nutt said.

Kansas represents the best of the best. The Jayhawks are the winningest NCAA Division I team over the past six years with a record of 197-29. Included are five 30-win seasons. Kansas is 100-13 over the last three campaigns.

The Jayhawks are even tougher to beat at Allen Fieldhouse. They are 91-1 over their last 92 home games and own a current 22-game home winning streak.

"Their record speaks for itself. What they've done over the years is phenomenal," Nutt said. "They've been just about impossible to beat at home."

Nutt probably knows more about the Jayhawks' recent history than most people because he and Kansas coach Bill Self are longtime friends.

Nutt and Self, both Oklahoma State graduates, were on the same Oklahoma State coaching staff in the 1980s. Self, as a favor to Nutt, was the guest of honor and featured speaker at Southeast's season tip-off fundraising reception in 2010.

"We went to school together, coached together," Nutt said. "We've been friends for a long time."

Self has led Kansas to eight straight Big 12 Conference regular-season titles and guided the Jayhawks to the 2008 national championship. He is 269-53 in nine seasons at Kansas and 476-158 in 19 seasons overall.

"He's one of the best coaches in the country," Nutt said.

Kansas, despite losing its top two players from last year's 32-7 squad to the NBA draft -- forward Thomas Robinson, the No. 5 pick, averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds while point guard Tyshawn Taylor, the No. 41 selection, averaged 16.6 points and 4.8 assists -- is again the Big 12 preseason favorite.

The Jayhawks return three starters and added one of the nation's top recruiting classes.

Elijah Johnson, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, averaged 10.2 points last year. He hit 69 of 204 3-pointers (33.8 percent).

Jeff Withey, a 7-foot senior center, averaged 9.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. The preseason honorable-mention All-American is one of the nation's top post defenders.

A third returning starter, 6-6 senior wing Travis Releford, averaged 8.5 points.

Also expected to start today are 6-8 senior forward Justin Wesley, who averaged 1.2 points in limited action, and 6-5 redshirt freshman guard Ben McLemore, among the nation's top recruits two years ago who could not play for the Jayhawks last season as a partial qualifier.

Among Kansas' other heralded newcomers is 6-8 freshman forward Perry Ellis. He and McLemore both stood out in the Jayhawks' two exhibition games.

The Jayhawks, after routing Division II Emporia State 88-54 in their exhibition opener, struggled with Division II powerhouse Washburn Monday before squeezing out a 62-50 victory that left Self less than pleased.

"Our offense stunk. It was just beyond bad. We scored 36 points in the first 16 minutes and 26 points in the last 24 minutes," Self said in his post-game press conference. "I'm disappointed in that, but we are going to be a team that plays in spurts, and we're going to be a team that labors to score. We just are. We don't have guys that you can throw it to and just go get a basket.

"When you live by the perimeter jump shot, you are going to miss them some. We didn't execute and our senior leadership was non-existent. We played like little babies tonight. They beat us to loose balls, and we didn't rebound it."

Added Self: "We're not what people think we are yet, so why not be humbled a little bit? We got their attention. I can get their attention now. We haven't had a good week of practice. You play like you practice normally, not all of the time. You can just go down the list of things we didn't do. ... We're so young, and we have so much to learn. We have to have better senior leadership without question."

Southeast also wasn't overly impressive in winning its exhibition games against Division II opponents, beating Ouachita Baptist 71-60 and Truman State 80-75.

Nutt believes the Redhawks are making progress but are far from a finished product.

"We're getting better," Nutt said. "We still have a long way to go. We have to get a lot better defensively."