Southeast basketball seasons officially arrive Friday

Southeast Missouri State basketball teams have ground through weeks of practice. They've prepared with exhibition games and scrimmages.

Now it's just about time to get things going for real.

Both Southeast squads tip off the 2013-14 season Friday, the men at Saint Louis University and the women at Alabama A&M.

Southeast's men have an especially difficult challenge in their opener. Saint Louis returns four starters from last year's team that won Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season and tournament titles, posted a school-record 28 victories and earned its second straight NCAA tourney berth.

The trip to Saint Louis, along with a visit to Memphis on Dec. 21 and three games in Mexico Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 as part of the Cure UCD Classic, will net the Redhawks more than $200,000 in guarantees. The money, as always, goes toward the university's general athletic department revenue.

Fifth-year coach Dickey Nutt's men's squad is the Ohio Valley Conference West Division co-favorite, and third-year coach Ty Margenthaler's women's team made solid strides last season.

I know I'm excited for both squads to begin their campaigns -- and I won't have to wait long for that to happen.

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Four former OVC men's basketball players were on NBA rosters when the league tipped off last week.

Former two-time OVC player of the year Kenneth Faried from Morehead State begins his third season with Denver while three players who were in the OVC last season make their NBA debuts this year.

Those three rookies are two-time former OVC player of the year Isaiah Canaan from Murray State (Houston), former OVC player of the year Ian Clark from Belmont (Utah) and Robert Covington from Tennessee State (Houston).

Faried, a forward, was drafted by the Nuggets with the 22nd pick of the first round in 2011. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2011-12 after averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Last season he averaged 11.5 points and 9.2 rebounds while being named MVP of the NBA Rising Stars Challenge game.

Canaan, a guard, was selected with the fourth pick in the second round this year. Clark, a guard, and Covington, a guard/forward, both made the NBA after not being drafted.

Clark and Covington are two of only seven undrafted rookies from this year's class to make an NBA roster.

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It wasn't always pretty, and it nearly resulted in a loss, but the Southeast football team picked up its second win of the season Saturday, rallying past Division II Urbana University from Ohio 37-35.

With that struggle behind them, the Redhawks (2-7 overall, 1-4 OVC) have a solid chance to put together a nice winning streak over the next two weeks when they face the only two OVC squads without a conference victory.

Southeast -- believe or not -- will be favored to beat Tennessee Tech (3-7, 0-6) in the Redhawks' home finale Saturday and Austin Peay (0-9, 0-5) on the road Nov. 16.

Win those two and all of a sudden the Redhawks' season -- regardless of what happens Nov. 23 at Jacksonville State -- doesn't look nearly as bad as it has for much of the campaign.

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Former Southeast baseball star Shae Simmons added another accomplishment to what was an impressive second professional baseball seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Simmons, a right-handed pitcher who sports a mid-90s fastball despite standing only about 5-foot-9, was named to the East Division team for the Arizona Fall League all-star game that was played Saturday. The league runs through mid-November.

Simmons, 23, had a 1.69 ERA and 24 saves in 50 total appearances this year with Class A Rome and Class AA Mississippi, allowing just 31 hits -- no home runs -- and 22 walks with 82 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings.

Simmons, a Scott City High School graduate, was drafted by Atlanta in the 22nd round last year. He was promoted late in the season to Mississippi after he dominated the South Atlantic League as the closer at Rome. He was a South Atlantic League All-Star.

Simmons made so much of an impression this year that he was among eight Braves prospects, including four pitchers, selected by the organization to participate in the Arizona Fall League.

Being tabbed for the Arizona Fall League means Simmons is regarded as one of the Braves' better minor league prospects and is clearly on the organization's radar regarding a possible future promotion to the major-league club.

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It was a disappointing end to the Cardinals' season, losing the final three games and falling to Boston in the World Series, but that really shouldn't detract from what was an amazing year of baseball in St. Louis.

I've said it many times, but we Cardinals fans -- I'm one of them -- don't know how good we've had it over the last couple decades.

When all we've got to gripe about is that the Redbirds came up a bit short in the World Series or another playoff round, then I'd say we've got it pretty good.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.