Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team conducts public scrimmage

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team put the wraps on its first week of preseason practice with a public intrasquad scrimmage.

Coach Dickey Nutt saw good and bad during Saturday morning's session at the Show Me Center that consisted of two 20-minute halves with a running clock. About 100 fans attended on Southeast's homecoming.

"It was good. Any time you can get in front of a live crowd, it helps our young guys that don't have a lot of experience," Nutt said. "We have a lot of work to do. Our guys think we're ready. The bottom line, we're not very good yet. We have a chance to be."

Optimism surrounds the Redhawks, who made significant strides during Nutt's second season last year and have added significant talent.

"It's our first scrimmage. It's different than practice, with everybody in here," senior all-conference forward Leon Powell said. "It could have been better, but I think everybody did OK. We've got a long way to go. We've just got to keep working."

Senior guard Marcus Brister, junior guard Nick Niemczyk and sophomore forward Michael Porter are nursing minor ailments and did not participate.

"We didn't want to push it," Nutt said. "You get those three out there, you're looking at a much deeper team."

Assistant coach Jeremy Case was pressed into duty with the three players missing. Case led all scorers with 19 points, including three 3-pointers, as his White team beat the Red squad 63-46.

The 26-year-old Case was a senior guard on Kansas' 2008 national championship team.

"If we had him, we wouldn't have any problems," Nutt said with a laugh.

The White's second-leading scorer was freshman guard Telvin Wilkerson with 14 points. He hit two 3-pointers.

Southeast's other heralded freshman from Memphis, Tenn., forward Nino Johnson, was the Red's second-leading scorer with 10 points. He had two dunks, one a follow jam and the other off an alley-oop feed from junior guard Marland Smith.

"The freshmen looked good," Nutt said. "I thought Telvin Wilkerson really had a good day. He really has a chance to be good. Nino, he's talented. He doesn't know how good he can be."

Powell, who scored 11 points for the White, has seen enough of the two freshmen in practice to make him think they will be able to help the Redhawks early in the season.

"They're going to be ready to play. I think they're that good. I know they're that good," Powell said.

Sophomore forward Tyler Stone, a transfer from Missouri who sat out last year while practicing with the squad, led the Red side with 16 points. He had three dunks.

"He brings us so much athleticism," Nutt said.

Stone had nine second-half points to try and rally the Red, which trailed 34-19 at the break.

"It was nice. A little something before the season starts," Stone said about the scrimmage. "I wish we could have got the 'W,' but it was good."

Southeast hosts Harding in its lone exhibition game Nov. 7 and opens the season Nov. 11 at Missouri.