~ Southeast has few players returning with experience from conference championship run.

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach B.J. Smith admits he has questions about his retooled Redhawks -- just like most people seem to have.

Smith hopes to begin getting some answers Friday when the Redhawks have their only exhibition game, a 5 p.m. tipoff against NAIA Lambuth (Tenn.) at the Show Me Center.

"I have question marks like everybody else," Smith said. "But I think most of them are fixable."

After having the best season in the program's Division I history last year -- winning OVC regular-season and tournament titles while advancing to the NCAA tournament -- the Redhawks lost six key seniors.

Only two players who saw any kind of consistent action to speak of last year return in senior center Lachelle Lyles and sophomore guard Tarina Nixon. Both averaged less than six points per game.

So Smith understands why many people outside his program might believe that the Redhawks will take a serious tumble this year.

But he doesn't think it will happen.

"We have all the pieces," he said. "I don't know how good we'll be, but I think we'll be plenty good enough."

Depth is Smith's biggest concern, especially since his preferred style is full-court, pressure defense and up-tempo offense.

"I'd like to have more depth," he said. "We can't weather a lot of injuries or foul trouble.

"We'll probably have to pick and choose more with our defense, when we press and when we don't. I don't think it will change us much offensively."

Smith said Nixon, who played shooting guard last year, will probably handle the point early in the season, but he expects junior college transfer Ashley Lovelady to eventually take over there.

Smith has high hopes for most of the Redhawks' six returning players along with some of their five newcomers, led by junior college All-American Missy Whitney.

He's looking forward to seeing all his players in action against outside competition Friday.

"I am," he said. "I want to see us get out there with the lights on."

Southeast has actually already had a game-type scrimmage against another team, as the Redhawks recently played Mineral Area College.

Smith said teams are allowed to either play two exhibition games or two scrimmages against outside competition, or one of each, but the scrimmages must be closed, with no fans in attendance.

"I thought in our situation this year, it would help us more to have one scrimmage against another team, where it would be more controlled, and one exhibition game," Smith said. "I thought the scrimmage went fairly well.

"We're getting better. We're not where we need to be. But we're better than we were two weeks ago."

Lambuth, located in Jackson, Tenn., went 18-15 last year. Smith expects the Eagles to provide a solid test as the Redhawks prepare for their Nov. 11 opener at Tulsa.

"They'll be good competition for us," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing us play a game."