Southeast Missouri State women's basketball freshman Bradshaw adjusts to speed of game at Division I level

Allyson Bradshaw said it's easy to identify her freshman status as she goes through basketball practice at Southeast Missouri State.

"You can definitely tell. I don't have as much experience," she said. "It's a huge difference from high school -- the tempo of the practices, how good all the players are."

Bradshaw, a former standout guard at Notre Dame Regional High School, knows she has a lot to learn on the collegiate level.

First-year Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler acknowledges as much, but he also believes Bradshaw is far enough along that she likely will receive early playing time during her rookie campaign.

"She's working extremely hard. She's a kid that really picks things up quickly, which is nice. She's doing a good job," said Margenthaler, whose squad hosts Harris-Stowe in its lone exhibition game Nov. 7 and opens the season Nov. 11 at North Carolina State. "She can really shoot, really stretch the defense. She adds scoring punch. That's what she brings now.

"She needs to continue working on her defense. She knows that. And the speed of the game is a little faster than what she's used to."

The 5-foot-7 Bradshaw, Notre Dame's starting point guard since her freshman season, earned all-state honors during her junior and senior campaigns.

Bradshaw averaged 11 points, 3.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds as a junior to help Notre Dame reached the Class 4 state championship game. She averaged 17.1 points, 3.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds as a senior last year.

Bradshaw, also a volleyball and soccer standout for the Bulldogs, said her personal goals for her freshman season are to earn playing time and learn as much as possible.

"Right now, of course I want to contribute, but mainly learning, catching up to all the other girls," Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw likes the direction Margenthaler has the program headed and is looking forward to being a part of turning around things in her hometown.

"That's really cool," Bradshaw said about playing in the city where she grew up. "I've had a lot of people come up to me and say they're buying season tickets."