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Southeast Missouri Basketball: Redhawks 2021-22 season preview and outlook

By Harry Schroeder

Southeast Missouri State Head Coach Brad Korn watches his team take on the University of Evansville Purple Aces at Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. The Purple Aces defeated the Redhawks 66-63 in overtime.Ue Bball Vs Semo 32
Southeast Missouri State Head Coach Brad Korn watches his team take on the University of Evansville Purple Aces at Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. The Purple Aces defeated the Redhawks 66-63 in overtime.Ue Bball Vs Semo 32 /
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Southeast Missouri basketball opens the season at Missouri State, coached by Head Dana Ford. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Southeast Missouri basketball opens the season at Missouri State, coached by Head Dana Ford. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Playing similarly ranked programs

Korn’s team jumped 70 spots in last year’s KenPom rankings, from 340 to 269. The second-year coach has decided to play teams that are similar in resume. He’s not reaching for the stars this season. Baby steps are important in building the SEMO program.

The two best N.E.T. teams on the Redhawk schedule are their opener against Missouri State (97 NET) and their second last non-conference game against 94th ranked Pepperdine. In between, there are a lot of the teams with KenPom ratings in the 200s.

A three-game homestand ensues after the opener in Springfield, Missouri. Youngstown State (260 NET), Arkansas State (239), and Missouri Baptist (NAIA) visit the Show Me Center prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Missouri Valley squads Southern Illinois (192 KenPom) and Evansville (204) are the highest-rated of the rest of SEMO’s opponents. The Redhawks travel to SIU and host Evansville. Korn was both a player and an assistant coach at the Valley’s Southern Illinois. Three games against Valley schools make historical and geographic sense.

A three-game Thanksgiving tournament in San Antonio brings games against Incarnate Word (343), Portland (321), and Montana State (223).

Prior to the OVC season, Korn takes his team to California for the game with Pepperdine and another at California Baptist. Pepperdine is coached by former Saint Louis University head coach Lorenzo Romar.