Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt is confident the Redhawks have significantly upgraded their roster heading into Friday's official start of preseason practice.

"We are excited to get going," said Nutt, entering his second season with the Redhawks. "I know our players are anxious to get started."

Southeast went 7-23 overall and a ninth-place 3-15 in the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference during Nutt's first year.

That was a significant improvement from the 2008-09 campaign that saw Southeast bottom out at 3-27 overall and 0-18 in the OVC -- but not nearly enough of an improvement to satisfy Nutt.

"On the one hand, we did get several things accomplished. I feel like some foundation was laid," Nutt said. "But overall, winning seven games is not what we had in mind."

Nutt is looking for better results this season with a re-tooled roster that features only five returning players.

"We had a year to recruit and we were able to address several needs," said Nutt, who has been able to work with the squad during limited offseason practice sessions. "We're not anywhere out of the woods, but I feel like we'll be a better basketball team. We're hoping to show very good improvement."

Southeast returns its top three scorers in sophomore guard Marland Smith, senior guard Anthony Allison and senior forward Cameron Butler.

Smith was the Redhawks' leading scorer with a 10.8 average, third-best among all OVC freshmen. He also led in 3-pointers made with 63 and steals with 28, while ranking second in assists with 44.

Smith scored at least 18 points in each of the last four games, including performances of 30 and 28.

Allison was the Redhawks' only other double-figure scorer. He averaged 10.1 points and was second in the OVC in 3-point shooting at 46.8 percent.

Butler, who missed eight games with a foot problem, was third on the squad in scoring and second in rebounding with averages of 9.0 points and 5.3 boards. He led in blocked shots with 21.

Also back is redshirt freshman point guard Lucas Nutt, the coach's son who was leading the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio when he suffered a broken foot that ended his season after only nine games.

Nutt, who averaged 4.9 points, received a medical redshirt and still has four years of eligibility left.

Southeast's final returner is 6-foot-8 junior forward Rae-Vonn Banks, who averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds.

"I feel like we've got some pretty good pieces coming back," Dickey Nutt said.

One other player who was in the program last season but never played a game is 6-7 junior forward Leon Powell.

Powell, Southeast's top recruit a year ago, missed the entire campaign due to a knee injury suffered before practice started. He now is healthy.

"We are really looking forward to having Leon in there," Nutt said.

Nutt is not only excited about Powell but also about Southeast's newcomers who bring needed size and athleticism.

Southeast added five junior college transfers in 7-foot, 255-pound center Zach House, 6-9 forward Waylon Jones, point guard Marcus Brister, guard Nick Niemczyk and swingman Nathan Schulte.

No Southeast player who received major minutes was taller than the 6-6 Butler last year. That won't be the case this season.

Even Brister, who began his college career at Iowa State, brings size to the point guard spot at 6-4, 215 pounds.

"I felt like our biggest needs were at the point guard position and on the inside," Nutt said. "We had to get bigger and stronger and more athletic real quick. I feel like we've done that.

"We had to have some inside presence, some bigger guys that are more of a threat. We were able to land some guys we really wanted."

Niemczyk, the former Bell City High School star who played at Three Rivers Community College, recently was cleared for full contact work after having ACL surgery in April.

Nutt said Niemczyk is progressing well and all indications are that he will be able to play this season instead of redshirting, which had been a strong possibility.

"He's improving every day. We won't put him out there if it [the knee] bothers him, but I have every indication to believe he'll battle for a starting spot," Nutt said. "We'll see how it goes, but I'll be disappointed if he doesn't play."

Also practicing with the Redhawks will be two sophomore Division I transfers, 6-7 forward Tyler Stone from Missouri and 6-6 forward Michael Porter from Missouri State.

Stone definitely will have to sit out the season under NCAA transfer rules. Porter, from Sikeston, also likely will have to sit out the season although Southeast has petitioned the NCAA for a hardship waiver that would make him eligible this year.

"We haven't heard back from the NCAA yet," Nutt said of Porter, who has not yet been cleared for full contact work as he continues to recover from summer hip surgery.

Another new player is senior point guard Logan Nutt, the coach's other son who transferred from Mississippi at the semester last year and won't be eligible until the second semester, which would be his last pending an NCAA waiver.

If Logan Nutt doesn't play at all this year, he would be able to play the entire 2011-12 season.

"Logan brings a lot of experience and leadership," Dickey Nutt said. "At the semester we'll decide where we are in terms of depth, whether he plays this year and be done with it or whether he plays next year."

Southeast opens its two-game exhibition schedule Nov. 6 against Ouachita Baptist and begins the regular season Nov. 13 at Alabama-Birmingham.