Southeast Missouri State men's basketball trio will play last home game vs. Ball St.

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt has a simple mission for Saturday's final home game of the season.

Send the Redhawks' three seniors out in style as they play in the Show Me Center for the last time.

The trio of Nick Niemczyk, Marland Smith and Corey Wilford -- all shooting guards -- will be honored before the 5:30 p.m. Senior Night BracketBuster matchup against Ball State.

Southeast (14-14, 6-8), which has won three of its last four games, is second in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division and sixth in the 12-team league overall.

BSU (10-14, 4-8) is fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division and ninth in the 12-team league overall.

Southeast Missouri State's Nick Niemczyk prepares for a free throw in the first half against Morehead State Thursday, Jan. 17, 2012 at the Show Me Center. (Laura Simon)

"Your senior class is always special, and this is certainly a special group," Nutt said. "I'm really pleased and proud of our seniors. They've really done a lot for our program. They've helped us set the foundation, and they've all had good careers. They're all going to get their degrees, which is the most important thing. We're going to miss them."

Smith is the only one of the group who came to Southeast right out of high school, signing with the Redhawks shortly after Nutt took over the floundering program. He has been a four-year contributor who has made his mark on the school record book.

"You talk about a foundation guy, a character guy. That's what Marland is," Nutt said. "Our program was at the bottom and he could have gone a lot of other places. He decided to come with us, and he's been a big part of helping us turn things around."

Smith, a native of Little Rock, Ark., is the program's No. 6 all-time scorer with 1,356 points. He also ranks among the top 10 in steals.

Most notably, Smith recently broke the school record for career 3-point field goals. He's at 238 and counting.

Southeast Missouri State guard Corey Wilford tries to fire up the crowd during the Redhawk's 74-66 loss to Murray State Racers Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Show Me Center. (ADAM VOGLER)

"Being a shooter, that was one of my big goals when I got here," Smith said. "It's a great accomplishment. I'm proud of it."

Smith recently tied the school single-game record by making nine 3-pointers against Eastern Illinois.

Smith has been hot lately from beyond the arc after a slow start to the season, boosting his scoring average to 9.5 points per contest while hitting 41.7 percent of his 3-pointers. He has 18 3-pointers in the last three games.

"I'm just real focused right now, playing with a lot of confidence," said Smith, who is scheduled to graduate in May with a major in recreation and a minor in sport management. He said he ultimately would like to attend culinary arts school and become a chef.

Niemczyk, a graduate of Bell City High School, came to Southeast after playing at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Niemczyk has been one of Southeast's top shooters since joining the squad. He recently scored a season-high 21 points at Tennessee-Martin as the Redhawks notched their first OVC road win of the season.

Niemczyk is averaging 6.5 points after averaging 9.2 points last year. He averaged 13.4 points in just five games during the 2010-11 campaign that ended due to an injury for which he received a medical redshirt.

Most impressively, Niemczyk has sparkled in the classroom. Earlier this year he garnered first-team Capital One Academic All-District honors as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. He has a 3.80 grade point average in higher education as a graduate school student after earning his undergraduate degree last year.

"You don't find them better than Nick. He's one of the best character guys I've ever been around. He's probably achieved every academic award you can possibly receive," Nutt said. "Any time you can get a local guy it's an added bonus, especially when he can play like Nick."

Niemczyk, who said he hopes to be a college coach some day, said it has been a thrill playing so close to home and following in the footsteps of his father Pat, who played basketball at Southeast in the 1970s.

"It's going to be sad, my last home game, but it's been really enjoyable," Niemczyk said about his career. "Playing where my dad played and having all my family and friends come to see me play, it's been great."

Wilford also came to Southeast out of junior college. The Hopkinsville, Ky., native has had a breakout senior season, ranking second on the team with a 14.3 scoring average and leading in 3-pointers with 63.

"He's developed into one of the top guards in the league," Nutt said. "More importantly, he's worked hard off the court and he's been able to develop into a fine student-athlete. I'm very proud of Corey and all the seniors."

Wilford, shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc, is Southeast's top scorer in OVC play with a 14.2 mark.

"I always had confidence and all the hard work finally paid off," said Wilford, who is scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in general studies and who also has his sights set on becoming a college coach. "I worked harder this year and coach finally built that trust in me."

While Saturday will mark the seniors' final home game, there is more basketball remaining. Southeast still has two regular-season OVC games and has virtually secured a berth in the conference tournament.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Wilford said.

About Ball State

The Cardinals feature three double-figure scorers, led by 6-foot-2 senior guard Jauwan Scaife at 14.7 points per game. He has made a team-high 47 3-pointers but is shooting just 29.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Jesse Berry, a 6-2 junior guard, is averaging 12.4 points and is BSU's most accurate 3-point shooter at 34.6 percent. He has hit 44 3-pointers.

Majok Majok, a 6-9, 245-pound junior forward, is averaging a double-double of 11.3 points and a MAC-leading 10.3 rebounds.

BSU is shooting just 41.6 percent and only 30.4 percent from 3-point range. The Cardinals also have struggled from the free-throw line at 63.5 percent but are strong on the boards, outrebounding their opponents by more than three per contest.