Oct. 12, 2005

Nashville, Tenn. - The Southeast Missouri State basketball team, picked to finish in a tie for eighth in a preseason Ohio Valley Conference coaches poll, will begin practice on Friday. The Redhawks, who return two starters from the team that advanced to the semi-finals of the OVC Tournament last season, placed no players on the preseason all-OVC team.

"I like this year's team and I'm looking forward to beginning practice on Friday," said Southeast basketball coach Gary Garner during the OVC Media Day on Wednesday. "We will have more athleticism and I hope that will help make us a better defensive team and a better rebounding team. We will practice once on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. and then hold two practices a day on Saturday and Sunday."

Junior Terrick Willoughby is the leading returning scorer for the Redhawks. He averaged nearly 10 points per game last season and ranked as the second best three-point shooter in the OVC. The other returning starter is sophomore point guard Paul Paradoski who led the OVC in assist/turnover ratio.

Murray State was picked to win the OVC in the preseason poll with Eastern Kentucky second and Tennessee Tech third.

2005-06 OVC Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish

(Selected by Head Basketball Coaches)

1 - Murray State (9 first-place votes) - 99 points

2 - Eastern Kentucky (1 first-place vote) - 80 points

3 - Tennessee Tech - 78 points

4 - Samford (1 first-place vote) - 72 points

5 - Tennessee State - 70 points

6 - Austin Peay - 60 points

7 - Eastern Illinois - 38 points

t8. - Southeast Missouri - 35 points

t8. - UT Martin - 35 points

10. - Jacksonville State - 21 points

11. - Morehead State - 17 points

(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. Ten points awarded for a 1st-place vote, nine for 2nd, etc.)