Whitney earns OVC preseason player of the year honor

~ Ishee hopes his senior forward can continue to improve this season.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Missy Whitney had a strong rookie season for Southeast Missouri State last year, ranking among the Ohio Valley Conference's top players and earning second-team all-OVC honors.

Things are expected to be even better for Whitney during her senior campaign as she has been selected the OVC preseason player of the year.

The announcement came Wednesday during OVC basketball media day as the league's head coaches and sports information directors did the voting.

"I think it's a great honor for Missy," Southeast coach John Ishee said. "She's very talented, and I think people around the conference see that talent. She was really big for us last year."

Whitney, a 6-foot-2 forward, averaged 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last year after transferring from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

A former Charleston High School standout, Whitney was 10th in the OVC in scoring and sixth in rebounding. She also ranked third in blocked shots with 45.

"I'm extremely happy for Missy," Ishee said. "She came back to school in extremely good shape."

Ishee will be even happier if Whitney earns the league's player of the year award after the season. He figures that would mean the Redhawks likely won their third straight OVC championship.

"If we're going to defend our title, we need her to be the player of the year," Ishee said. "If she wins that after the season, then we've probably had a really good year."

Joining Whitney on the 10-player preseason all-OVC women's team was Southeast junior guard/forward Sonya Daugherty, who led the Redhawks in scoring last year with 14.2 points per game, which tied for sixth in the league.

Daugherty did not make either the all-OVC first or second teams last season, but she was the MVP of the conference tournament that Southeast won for the second year in a row.

"Sonya really came on for us last year," said Ishee, who felt that his other two returning starters -- junior point guard Tarina Nixon and senior guard Ashley Lovelady -- could have also made the all-OVC preseason squad.

Foust on men's team

Southeast senior forward Brandon Foust was selected to the 10-player preseason all-OVC men's squad.

Foust earned OVC all-newcomer honors last season after transferring from Oklahoma. He led the Redhawks in scoring with 12 points per game and was second in rebounding with 5.6 a contest.

"Brandon has the talent to be one of the top players in the league," Southeast coach Scott Edgar said. "It's good to know that the other coaches share that opinion."

Austin Peay junior forward Drake Reed, who was the OVC player of the year for the regular-season champion Govs last year, also earned that preseason distinction Wednesday.