Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will debut with exhibition

The 2012-13 Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will test itself against outside competition for the first time today.

Southeast's 7 p.m. exhibition opener against Division II Ouachita Baptist at the Show Me Center also will be a family affair for fourth-year Southeast coach Dickey Nutt.

Dennis Nutt, Dickey Nutt's brother, is in his second season as the Tigers' coach. The former NBA player, who was with the Dallas Mavericks from 1986 through 1988, has also been a Division I head coach, at Texas State from 2000 through 2006.

Dennis Nutt is the youngest of four brothers who have found success in the collegiate coaching ranks. He was an assistant under his older brother at Arkansas State during Dickey Nutt's early seasons with the Red Wolves.

"He needed the game, and we did too. That's a neat thing," Dickey Nutt said. "Our family is going to be here, my mom, all my brothers. It's going to be an exciting night."

Nutt said he expects Ouachita Baptist, located in Arkadelphia, Ark., to have a solid season and give the Redhawks a stern test.

The Tigers are coming off a fourth-place finish in the inaugural season of play in the Great American Conference. They went 16-12 overall for their first winning record in four years.

"They had a good year, and they've got most of those players back," Nutt said. "There are a lot of good teams out there who aren't Division I. It's a good test for us."

Ouachita Baptist lost just three players from 2011-12 and returns the bulk of its offensive production.

Austin Mitchell, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, led the Tigers a year ago with an average of 15.8 points per game. He shot an impressive 45.3 percent from 3-point range, hitting 96 of 212.

Nigel Ramsey, a 6-4 senior guard, and 6-4 senior forward Michael Morris averaged 10.8 and 10.4 points per contest, respectively.

Morris was the Tigers' top rebounder last year, averaging six per game, and his 59 blocks also led the team. He shot 57.4 percent from the field.

The Tigers have added a Division I transfer in 5-11 sophomore guard Micah Delph, who averaged 1.5 points in limited action as a freshman at Stephen F. Austin last season.

Ouachita Baptist has already played one exhibition, beating NAIA Philander-Smith College 114-101. The Tigers trailed 54-53 at halftime before scoring 61 second-half points. They shot 53.4 percent from the field overall, including 50 percent from 3-point range.

Mitchell poured in 32 points as he hit 9 of 13 3-pointers. Morris scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Six Tigers scored in double figures.

"They'll pose some challenges for us," Nutt said. "They scored 114 points and shot 50 percent from three. We're not a very good defensive team right now."

The Redhawks play their second and final exhibition Nov. 5 against Division II Truman State before tipping off the season Nov. 9 at seventh-ranked Kansas, last year's NCAA runner-up.

Southeast had just one exhibition last season -- Nutt elected to play a closed scrimmage against another Division I team instead of a second exhibition against a non-Division I squad -- and it did not go well as Division II Harding upset the Redhawks 68-63.

Nutt will be looking for a better result today -- even if it does mean beating his brother.

"We need to win. We're expected to win," Nutt said. "These exhibitions are very important to us."