Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team expects infusion of talent

~ The Southeast women's basketball team plans to sign two players Wednesday

When Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler accepted his current position three years ago, he thought a program in desperate need of rebuilding might be closer to contending for an Ohio Valley Conference title during his third season at the helm.

Southeast finished with a 10-19 overall record and failed to make the OVC tournament, but its 6-10 conference record marked the most wins since 2008, and while Margenthaler was disappointed his team was on the cusp of making the conference tournament and fell short once again, he knows what it's going to take.

"I do think we're taking the steps," Margenthaler said. "I think we're on our way. I think any coach would say this -- coach [Dickey] Nutt, any women's coach -- we're still maybe one game-changer away. And that's recruiting, and we haven't got that yet, but I think we are building a solid program. Of course the next step is to make the conference tournament, go deep in that tournament and I really think that by this fourth, fifth year we're on our way to do that."

Margenthaler, who cannot speak publicly about recruits due to NCAA regulations, said he expects to have two players sign on the NCAA's initial signing date Wednesday and could add one more later in the signing period.

Dexter senior Hannah Noe and senior Deja Jones from Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., are both expected to sign a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to play basketball at Southeast.

Southeast had two high school seniors sign during the early signing period in November -- Imani Johnson from Lee's Summit North High School in Lee's Summit, Mo., and Kaley Leyhue from Westview High School in Martin, Tenn.

"Her biggest thing, and I've told her this from Day 1, is going to be adjusting from high school basketball to college basketball," Margenthaler said about Johnson. "It's just faster, it's more physical, and that's going to be her biggest adjustment is how quickly she'll adapt to the college game. She can score, she's got great hands, but she's got to be a little more aggressive, get herself in a little bit better condition. But her biggest adjustment is going to be how quickly she can adapt. Talent-wise, she's very gifted.

"I like her size, she's a good kid and I like the fact that she can really, really shoot it because right now I feel like this team this year, besides [Allyson] Bradshaw, she was really our only true knock-down shooter, and to bring in Kaley is really going to help us."

Margenthaler recalled telling Southeast president Dr. Kenneth Dobbins and former athletic director John Shafer when he was hired that the rebuilding process was going to take longer because he wanted to recruit players out of high school with a few junior college transfers mixed in rather than strictly going with transfers.

With four high school seniors in this class, he's sticking to that plan.

There's been a few hiccups in Margenthaler's previous recruiting classes, but there's nothing Margenthaler said he would do different.

Two Southeast players quit midway through last season, and two more have quit since the season ended.

Freshmen Brittany Harris, from Dexter, Mo., and Bailey Geiman, from Stilwell, Kan., quit in December and January, respectively.

Sophomore Kara Wright and junior Kenyada Brown both came to Margenthaler after the season was over to say that they no longer wanted to attend Southeast.

Wright and Geiman both plan to transfer elsewhere to continue playing basketball.

"We sit them down, we explain this is a Division I program," Margenthaler said. "It's a grind, but you are getting a benefit by the free education and the scholarship and meeting a lot of people, and it's going to help you beyond your four years of basketball."

He said he makes a point of asking recruits, "Do you love basketball?" and the answer is always, "Yes, coach," but that sometimes it just doesn't work out.

The team has had to contend with injuries, and he's excited about the possibility of the players he'll have available next year in addition to several returners.

Ashton Luttrull and Jade Holly both red-shirted their freshman seasons and are in the process of recovering from knee injuries, while Jasmine Robinson, who transferred from Alabama, was forced to sit out a season due to transfer regulations and will be eligible next season.

Allyson Bradshaw, Olivia Hackmann, Connor King, Yelena Rosado, Hillary Lively and Brianna Mitchell all return.

Margenthaler believes the talent is there, and a major focus during the offseason is going to be improving leadership and the bond of the team.

"We were doing individual workouts [on the court] twice a week with each group, but these next three weeks we're just going to go one time, each group on the court, and the second time that we're allowed [time for a workout] we're going to do team activities," Margenthaler said. "Anywhere between like sand volleyball and Frisbee golf and just kind of interacting more with each other, getting to know your teammates.

"That's something that we have to do a better job of, getting to know one another. And really what we're trying to build is leadership, quite honestly. Our team gets along real well. But we're trying to build leadership, and I think this is the time -- this offseason, this summer -- when we need to do that. That's something our staff has come up with and just trying to do a better job to mentor that, and I think that'll help us next year."