Nutt adds three to Southeast men's basketball team

Each of the three additions to the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team represents something different to Southeast coach Dickey Nutt.

One is a missing piece of the puzzle for next year's team, one is a piece of the foundation for the future and the other is a proven winner who will get a chance to prove himself at the Division I level.

Forward David Williams and guard Marcus Wallace both signed national letters of intent on Wednesday while Sikeston High School senior JT Jones will join the team as a preferred walk-on.

Williams, who started for three seasons at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, has one year of eligibility remaining after he decided not to play his senior year at UNC-Greensboro.

He graduated in December and will enroll in graduate school at Southeast.

"David Williams is one of those guys, he's a really, really good piece of the puzzle because he's a defender and is a rebounder first and he's played Division I basketball for three years," Nutt said. "I usually don't take one-year guys, but after talking with him and his family and researching and talking to his former coach, this is a guy I felt like we needed in our program. And we certainly welcome his size, anywhere from 6-6, 6-7 inside player that can really help us in a lot of different ways."

Williams averaged 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds during his career at UNC-Greensboro, and while Nutt was impressed by his size and defense Williams' former coach gave him a glowing review.

"I talked to his former coach and I'll tell you his exact words were that, 'You want this guy on your team for leadership reasons, for defensive reasons, for tenacious rebounding reasons and athleticism,'" Nutt said. "He said he's really been a joy and a pleasure to coach and he said he couldn't say that about everybody, but he could certainly say it about David Williams, and that kind of threw us over the top with him because we felt like we needed a guy like him that could come in. ... We look to him to play immediately and play a lot."

Wallace, on the other hand, is a 6-foot-1 senior guard from Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark., who averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game during his senior season.

"We've been watching him for a long time," Nutt said. "I've been knowing all about him and his program. Marcus brings us a 6-1 very, very good perimeter player. Now, I know that he's been playing point guard all of his life, but he has played the 2 position. He shoots the ball well, but more importantly he's really a good defender. Athletically I think you're going to be amazed at his athleticism, at the way he runs and jumps and is able to defend people."

Wallace received interest from other schools such as Sam Houston State, Wright State, Florida Atlantic, South Alabama, Bowling Green, Portland State and Central Arkansas, according to a press release from the Southeast athletic department.

"Marcus is one of those foundation guys," Nutt said. "I've said this all along back when we signed Marland Smith and Lucas Nutt and those guys way back when. Marcus Wallace is one of those guys. I think, I really feel like he's the future, and I think our fans are going to enjoy watching him play because here's a guy I think his upside is really good. I think he has a chance to be really good."

Southeast added to its players that hail from Sikeston, Mo., with Jones joining the team as a preferred walk-on.

Jones follows in the footsteps of Will Holifield and Michael Porter, who both played at Sikeston and are currently at Southeast, although Porter's career was cut short by injury.

"JT has a lot of respect for coach Nutt and his program and coach Nutt's doing a great job of recruiting our area," said Sikeston boys basketball coach Gregg Holifield, who is Will Holifield's father. "It's one of those things where there's a lot of interest there, so I think it's a positive situation."

Jones, who said he talked about becoming a Redhawk with Holifield and Porter, averaged 17.8 points and 10.2 rebounds his senior season along with four assists and 3.5 steals a game.

"He thinks I can play a major role just by bringing my winning attitude and just being tough and working hard," Jones said of Nutt's expectations. "Because I had such a good career here at Sikeston, just bringing the winning way and just trying to get it to come up there."

Jones' preferred walk-on status means that he is not on an athletic scholarship but still has a spot on the team without having to go through any sort of walk-on tryout.

"I think he's the sleeper out of all of them," Nutt said. "Here's a guy that we've watched for three or four years and he's the winningest player to come out of Sikeston High School. And any time you've got a guy that plays for Gregg Holifield we think we've gotten something because they know how to win. And this guy has one speed and it's full speed, and if you're in his way he'll probably run over you.

"But I think JT's one of those guys you're going to look up in a year or so and say, 'Where in the world did this guy come from?' because this guy's IQ is as strong and as good as anybody I've ever been around. I've watched him play a bunch of times over the years, and I've watched him night in and night out shoulder his team and take them to victory because the passion and the way he plays the game -- it really is special. He's on the borderline. He's on the borderline, and I think that if we didn't have the perimeter guys that we have in place, our younger guys, then he'd certainly been worthy of a scholarship. But I do fully expect him to earn himself a scholarship and be very much a part of this."

Nutt said he'd like to sign one or two more players during the month-long signing period.

"We've got some offers on the table and guys are just trying to make their decision," Nutt said. "This is a waiting game right now that makes us all pretty nervous and we all kind of stay by the phone and try to turn every angle we can just to convince our young people that we're recruiting that this is the place they need to be. But they have to make their good, solid decision and if they do, hey, we'll have some more good news in maybe a week."