Southeast Missouri at Kansas City (1-0)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, November 28, 2020
Tip-Off: 4 p.m., CT
Location: Kansas City, Mo.
Arena: Mabee Fieldhouse (Avila University)
Series: SEMO leads, 8-3
Last Meeting: SEMO 91, KC 87 | Dec. 6, 2017 | Kansas City, Mo.
Head Coach: Brad Korn (First Year) Billy Donlon (126-108 overall; 17-14 at KC)

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video/Live Stats: AvilaAthletics.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri

Redhawks Open Season This Weekend
Southeast Missouri tips off its 2020-21 season against Kansas City at the Negro League Baseball Museum Classic Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m., CT.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM with Erik Sean calling the action. Video and live stats can be accessed online free of charge at AvilaAthletics.com. Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOMBB.

The Korn Era Begins
Brad Korn, the newest head coach in the Ohio Valley Conference, begins his first head coaching position at Southeast Missouri. Korn is the seventh head coach in SEMO's NCAA Division I era and was officially hired on Mar. 23, 2020 when the University was transitioning to telework because of a global COVID-19 pandemic. He spent five years at Big 12 Conference member Kansas State, working the last four seasons as an assistant coach and one as the program's Director of Operations.

Negro Baseball League Museum Tip-Off Classic Field
This weekend's Negro Baseball League Museum Tip-Off Classic initially included Kansas City, Northern Colorado, Southeast Missouri and Avila University. Avila University, which is co-hosting the event with Kansas City, was replaced with Greenville after Avila withdrew due to COVID. Northern Colorado most recently suspended activities so it is out of the tournament, as well. All games of the tournament will be played at the Mabee Fieldhouse with capacity not exceeding anymore than 312 as part of Avila University's commitment to safety during the pandemic.

Series History
Southeast Missouri holds an 8-3 record against Kansas City. The Redhawks beat the Kangaroos, 91-87, the last time the teams met on Dec. 6, 2017 in Kansas City. SEMO has never played Greenville University.

Season-Openers
Southeast Missouri is 10-19 in season-opening games during its NCAA Division I era. SEMO opens a season away from home for the 14th time in 15 years when it visits Kansas City this weekend. The Redhawks have never won a season-opener outside of Cape Girardeau in 29 years as a Division I program.

Season 114
The Redhawks begin their 114th season of basketball when they participate in the Negro Baseball League Museum Tip-Off Classic. This year marks Southeast Missouri's 30th as an NCAA Division I program. The Redhawks are 343-505 since joining the Division I ranks in 1991-92

Roster Talk
Southeast Missouri's 2020-21 roster consists of 13 players, including one returning starter, six returnees and seven newcomers. Five new transfers are among that group, as well. Sophomore guard DQ Nicholas is the Redhawks only starter back from last season.

Projected Starters
Guards DQ Nicholas, Eric Reed, Jr., Nygal Russell and Chris Harris, and forward Nolan Taylor are expected to start Southeast Missouri's season-opener against Kansas City Saturda. For Reed, Jr., Harris and Taylor, Friday marks the first start of their SEMO careers. Meanwhile, Nicholas makes the 20th start of his career and Russell will log his 17th career start.

OVC Notes
The 2020-21 season officially gets underway this week after being delayed from its original November 10 start date. This is the 73rd season of competition in the Ohio Valley Conference. Over the previous 72 years, 13 different teams have claimed an OVC regular-season championship. Murray State enters the season on a 21-game homecourt winning streak (seventh-longest in the nation), while Austin Peay has a 16-game homecourt winning streak (ninth-longest in the country). Belmont also won 12-straight games overall, the fifth-longest streak nationally going into the 2020-21 campaign.

Looking to End This
Southeast Missouri went 0-16 in true road games last season and has dropped 18-straight road contests dating back to the 2018-19 campaign. The Redhawks last road win was an 88-79 victory at Eastern Illinois on Feb. 16, 2019.

Nice Rookie Year
Point guard DQ Nicholas is coming off a nice rookie campaign which saw him average 7.6 points per contest in 30 games and 19 starts as a true freshman in 2019-20. Nicholas ranked fifth on the team in scoring and shot 73.9 percent (65-of-88) at the free throw line. He rated second on the team in assists (50) and third in steals (22). Nicholas was one of five players who averaged over 24 minutes a game. In addition, he led the Redhawks in scoring on six occasions and had a total of three 20-point performances, most on the team.

Harris Returns
Guard Chris Harris returns from a knee injury that ended his year two games into the 2019-20 campaign. Harris came off the bench and led the Redhawks in scoring the first two games of the season before suffering his injury during practice prior to The Citadel game. He averaged 15.5 points per game and made the game-winning 3-pointer with 27 seconds left vs. Purdue Fort Wayne prior to his setback. Harris was later granted a medical hardship.

Other Returnees
Forwards Darrious Agnew and Evan Morrison, and guards Nygal Russell and Jordan Love are the rest of Southeast Missouri's returnees. Russell boasts the best 3-point field goal percentage of any returning player from last year's squad. He averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds, while rating third on the team in assists (42). Love saw action in 25 games and made four starts, averaging 3.2 points. Agnew participated in 22 games and started five contests in 2019-20. He added 4.7 points and 2.1 rebounds a game. Morrison appeared in 17 games off the bench.

Akenten Ready
Guard Nana Akenten is ready to make his Southeast Missouri debut in 2020-21. Akenten sat out the previous season after transferring from Big Ten Conference member Nebraska. He is a big hybrid guard who can play the three and four positions. Akenten averaged 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 28 games during his last season of competition with the Cornhuskers in 2018-19.

Schedule
Southeast Missouri will play a 27-game schedule with 12 matchups at the Show Me Center in 2020-21. SEMO tips off the season at the Negro League Baseball Museum Classic in Kansas City on Nov. 27-28. The Redhawks face Northern Colorado (Nov. 27) and either host Kansas City or Greenville (Nov. 28) as part of the multiple team event. Home games with longtime rival Southern Illinois (Dec. 2) and Lipscomb (Dec. 7), and road trips to Lipscomb (Dec. 9), Evansville (Dec. 15) and Indiana State (Dec. 22) fill out the Redhawks seven-game non-conference slate. SEMO meets Atlantic Sun Conference member Lipscomb for the first time in a home-and-home series this year. In order to help address issues associated with the delayed start date and to be responsive to a desire to provide additional contests within the geographic region, OVC schedules increased from 18 to 20 games for the 2020-21 season. Overall, teams will play every OVC team once and nine schools twice. Schools were given discretion to schedule their two games against their "travel partner" separate from the 18-game conference schedule in order to provide flexibility for teams to complete their non-conference schedules. One of SEMO's games against UT Martin must be scheduled before the holiday break and the other can be scheduled an time during the basketball season. The Redhawks open their 20-game OVC schedule at UT Martin (Dec. 12) and then host the Skyhawks in their conference home-opener six days later on Dec. 18. The rest of SEMO's home conference schedule involves dates with Tennessee State (Jan. 2), Murray State (Jan. 14), Austin Peay (Jan. 16), SIU Edwardsville (Jan. 28), Eastern Illinois (Jan. 30), Tennessee Tech (Feb. 4) and Jacksonville State (Feb. 6). Away games at Tennessee Tech (Dec. 30), Belmont (Jan. 7), Tennessee State (Jan. 9), Morehead State (Jan. 21), Eastern Kentucky (Jan. 23), Murray State (Feb. 11), Austin Peay (Feb. 13), Eastern Illinois (Feb. 25) and SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 27) complete the league schedule. The 2021 OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament is set for Mar. 3-6 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. It marks the fourth year in a row the event will be held at that venue. Teams will follow approved safety protocols established in partnership with the NCAA's Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Basketball and OVC guidance as it evolves based on science.

OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri was picked to finish 12th in this year's Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll. Austin Peay and Murray State have been picked the preseason favorites for the 2020-21 season. It marks the first time since 2009-10 that the poll produced co-favorites. Austin Peay's Terry Taylor was named OVC Preseason Player of the Year.
Team (First-Place Votes)    Pts.
Murray State (10)    226
Austin Peay (9)    226
Belmont (5)    214
Eastern Kentucky    173
Eastern Illinois    153
Tennessee State    139
Jacksonville State    124
Morehead State    87
Tennessee Tech    84
UT Martin    80
SIU Edwardsville    48
Southeast Missouri    30

Up Next
The Redhawks play host to longtime rival Southern Illinois in their home-opener on Dec. 2. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m., CT at the Show Me Center. SEMO Head Coach Brad Korn coaches against his alma mater for the first time in the 118th meeting between the schools located just 45 miles apart.