Southeast Missouri (5-3) at Missouri (8-0)

Game Information
Date: Sunday, December 4, 2022
Tip-Off: 3 p.m., CT
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Facility: Mizzou Arena (15,061)
Series: Mizzou leads, 8-0
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (30-37 overall; 30-37 at SEMO; 17-20 OVC). Dennis Gates (58-40 overall; 8-0 at Missouri; 0-0 SEC).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: SEC Network+ (Dave Neal, Jon Sundvold)
Live Stats: MUTigers.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Redhawks Head to In-State Foe Missouri 
Southeast Missouri (5-3) heads to in-state foe and unbeaten Missouri (8-0) for an afternoon matchup Sunday. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m., CT at Mizzou Arena.

Follow the Redhawks 
Fans can listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Seaon will be on the call. Video can be accessed at SEC Network+. Live stats are available at MUTigers.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOMBB.

Series History 
Southeast Missouri is 0-8 all-time vs. Southeastern Conference member Missouri. All of those matchups were played in Columbia. The Redhawks and Tigers hook up for the first time in eight years. These teams last faced each other on Dec. 2, 2014. Mizzou came away with a 65-61 win.

OVC Heavy 
Southeast Missouri is the fourth Ohio Valley Conference school Missouri faces in non-league action this season. The Tigers are 3-0 against the OVC after beating Southern Indiana (97-91, Nov. 7), Lindenwood (82-53, Nov. 13) and SIU Edwardsville (105-80, Nov. 15). 

Against the SEC 
Southeast Missouri is 1-21 all-time against the current Southeastern Conference membership. SEMO's only win over a SEC team came against Arkansas in 1924-25 (28-21). The Redhawks faced Alabama (0-1), Arkansas (1-8), LSU (0-1), Ole Miss (0-2), Missouri (0-8) and Vanderbilt (0-1) in their basketball history. SEMO last played a SEC school in 2015-16 (L, 75-64, vs. Ole Miss, Dec. 12).

SEMO vs. Power Five Schools 
When the Redhawks take the court at Missouri this weekend, it will mark the first time Brad Korn goes up against a Power Five Conference opponent as a head coach. Since Southeast Missouri became an NCAA Division I program in 1991-92, it has never defeated a Power Five school. SEMO dropped 34 games against opponents across the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC during its Division I era. The closest the Redhawks came to knocking off a Power Five school was in 1999-2000 (L, 61-64, vs. LSU, first round of the NCAA Tournament, Mar. 16) and 1997-98 (L, 59-62, at Colorado, Nov. 16).

About Missouri 
Missouri is under the direction of Dennis Gates who is in his first year as the Tigers head coach. Mizzou, which is off to an 8-0 start, leads the nation in assists per game (22.1), steals per game (14.1) and turnover margin (+10.2). The Tigers average 92.6 points per contest and are fifth nationally in that category. D'Moi Hodge is the nation's leader in steals with 25 and Tre Gomillion is second in assist/turnover ratio (6.0). Hodge is also his team's top scorer with 18.9 points a game. Mizzou is currently among 18 undefeated teams in 2022-23. 

Southern Illinois Connection 
Southeast Missouri Head Coach Brad Korn and first-year Missouri Assistant Coach Kyle Smithpeters both played basketball at Southern Illinois. Korn was with the Salukis from 1999-2004 and Smithpeters was at SIU from 2004-2006. Korn was part of three-consecutive NCAA Tournament Teams under Bruce Weber and Matt Painter. Smithpeters was part of back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 2004-05 and 2005-06 under Chris Lowery. 

Ties to the Redhawks 
First-year Missouri Assistant Coach Dickey Nutt spent six years as Southeast Missouri's head coach. Nutt was at SEMO from 2009-15 before making stops at Florida State (2015-18), Stetson (2018-19), Cleveland State (2019-21) and Gaston College (2021-22) prior to his arrival in Columbia. Dennis Gates was the head coach at Cleveland State when Nutt was there. Nutt has over 30 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, including 19 as a head coach. 

Cream City Classic Recap 
Southeast Missouri played three games in three days at the Cream City Classic in Milwaukee, Wisconson (Nov. 26-28). SEMO went 1-2 at the four-team event. The Redhawks defeated Boston (63-52) and fell to both UC Davis (73-71) and host Milwaukee (84-68). Phillip Russell averaged 16 points, dished out 10 assists, added eight rebounds and had three steals to lead the Redhawks in the tournament. 

November Wrap 
The Redhawks finished their opening month of the season with a 5-3 record as one of three Ohio Valley Conference teams above .500 to begin the year. SIU Edwardsville (5-2) and Tennessee State (4-2) are the others. Southeast Missouri's five wins are currently second-most in the league. SEMO posted its first winning record in November since 2018-19 (4-3).

Big Game Barnes 
After missing the first five games with a sprained knee, Israel Barnes made his Southeast Missouri debut at the Cream City Classic. Barnes played in all three of SEMO's games at the event. Against host Milwaukee, he scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Redhawks. Barnes scored 11 points in a row and wound up with 13 in the first half. He shot 7-of-14 from the field, 4-of-8 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 at the free throw line in 22 minutes. 

Branson Back in the Starting Five 
Dylan Branson re-joined Southeast Misouri's starting lineup at the Cream City Classic (Nov. 26-28). Branson, after missing the first four games of the season with an ankle injury, started all three games in Milwaukee. It was the first time he started since SEMO's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinal game against Murray State on Mar. 4, 2022. 

Starting Streak 
Southeast Missouri second-year point guard Phillip Russell has started in 19 consecutive games. Russell missed only two starts since joining the Redhawks due to COVID protocols during the 2021-22 campaign. He has 38 career starts and is one of four Redhawks that started all eight games this year. 

20-Point Performances 
Two Redhawks have reached over 20 points so far this season. Phillip Russell scored 23 at Lyon College (Nov. 12) and 21 vs. Boston (Nov. 26), while Israel Barnes had 22 at Milwaukee (Nov. 28). Russell has a total of eight 20+ scoring games in his career. 

Milestones Ahead 
Fifth-year Southeast Missouri guard Chris Harris is closing in on some statistical milestones. Harris is nearing 100 3-pointers made (90), 200 rebounds (187) and 200 assists (185) in his career. 

OVC Top Two 
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense (62.4 ppg allowed) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.257). Southeast Missouri is second in scoring margin (+8.0), free throw percentage (.725), rebounding margin (+3.6) and defensive rebound percentage (.748). Individually, Kobe Clark is first in the OVC in rebounding (9.5 rpg), tied for second in blocks (1.5 bpg), first in offensive rebounds (3.4 rpg) and second  in defensive rebounds (6.1 rpg). Aquan Smart ranks tied for second in 3-point field goal percentage (.500). And, Phillip Russell is first in both assists (4.3 apg) and free throw percentage (.867).

How May I Assist You? 
Phillip Russell matched a career-high eight assists vs. William Woods (Nov. 22). Russell has a total of 129 assists in his career and leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 4.3 per game this season. He has a total of 34 assists through eight games. 

NCAA Rankings (Top-20) 
As a team, Southeast Missouri enters the weekend ranked 17th in 3-point field goal percentage defense. SEMO limited opponents to just 25.7 percent (43-of-167) beyond the arc. Kobe Clark is ninth nationally in rebounds with 76.

Up Next 
Southeast Missouri returns home to host Horizon League member Purdue Fort Wayne on Dec. 7. That game will be played on the backend of a doubleheader following SEMO's women's game against Western Illinois.