Big Losses, but More Talent

(St. Louis, MO) – How do you lose your best player, but end up with more talent? If you are Southeast Missouri coach Rick Ray, you already have players waiting in the wings and you develop the players that remain.

SEMO’s opener is Tuesday night here in St. Louis against Atlantic Ten favorite Saint Louis University.

Despite becoming post-season eligible, the Redhawks lost all-conference star Denzel Mahoney (19.3 ppg & 5.1 rpg) and versatile post Justin Carpenter (8.5 & 4.7)to the transfer disease. Mahoney left for Creighton and Carpenter left for junior college. In spite of that Ray insists his team has more talent in Cape Girardeau than in any of his three previous seasons.

The Headliners

While losing Mahoney was devastating, the cupboard is far from bare. Ledarrius Brewer and Jonathan Dalton are Ray’s most dependable returners. Brewer, who was named to the Ohio Valley Conference’s all-freshman team averaged 14.5 points per game is an athletic, 6’5 wing who can score in a variety of ways.

As Brewer moves out of Mahoney’s shadow, he will demand more attention from OVC coaches. Ray says Brewer has worked on getting bigger, stronger and his ball handling and he is ready for the SEMO spot light.

 

 

Dalton’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but his 5.4 assists per game were third best in the OVC and his. 2.7 assist-turnover ratio was second best. Ray says Dalton makes great decisions and is the ultimate ‘team guy’. The 5’10 senior turned a mediocre sophomore year into a breakout junior campaign. Ray says Dalton is an example of what college basketball is all about.

 

 

Talented Newcomers

So if the Redhawks have more talent, some of that talent must come from newcomers. Ray had stockpiled some talented replacements even before Mahoney and Carpenter left. D2 transfer Skyler Hogan and freshman Sage Tolbert are potential difference makers.

Hogan was a prolific scorer at D2 Embry-Riddle (18.8 points per game). At 6’5 and 213 pounds is a bigger and more physical guard that can handle the OVC rigors. Ray says Hogan is a great shooter.

Tolbert is a 6’8 rim protector and talented post scorer. He signed with SEMO while playing a year of prep school North Carolina. The Texas native gives Ray a potentially dynamic interior player.

 

 

More Talent – But Extremely Young

Ray’s teams have won five, 15 and 14 games and after escaping post season ineligibility the Redhawks have a roster that includes South Carolina’s 4A ‘Player of the Year’ Alex Caldwell. The 6′ Caldwell is a three-star recruit and an ESPN top-30 point guard.

Nine players on this year’s roster are freshmen and sophomores. Ray believes his roster has more talent  than any of his previous teams, but he knows the squad’s collective inexperience will be a challenge.

In year four of Ray’s leadership at SEMO he says developing the right culture around his program is about recruiting the right kind of people.

 

 

Opener at SLU

The Redhawks open at Saint Louis. The Billikens bring a talented and veteran squad. A stiff test awaits Ray’s youngsters. Great defender and team leader Javon Bess leads a squad that includes all-rookie team member Hasahn French, double-digit scorer Jordan Goodwin, Missouri transfer Tramaine Isabell and highly rated freshmen Carte’Are Gordon and Fred Thatch.

The opener will not be easy, but with more talent, Dalton handling the ball Ray believes his young team can grow into something special.

Do Good