COLUMN: It turns out SEMO hoops can recruit locally

SEMO men's head coach Brad Korn looks on during a home game last season at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

Clay Herrell ~ cherrell@semoball.com

Can you imagine a scenario where Jadis Jones, PJ Farmer, and Jay Reynolds are playing together on the same court in a college basketball game?

No, it’s not a local high school All-Stars Game, it could very well be the future of the Lindenwood-Southeast Missouri State rivalry.

Jones signed with Lindenwood, Reynolds with SEMO, but Farmer is entering his senior year at Sikeston High School after recently announcing his commitment to the Redhawks on River Radio this past weekend.

Farmer was a fish SEMO head coach Brad Korn sorely needed to reel in. While being far more successful in landing talent from St. Louis, the recruiting record locally has been spotty.

It’s not for a lack of effort. Whenever a player with college potential is playing at a school like Cape Central or Jackson, Korn is there. Cape Central alum Cam Williams and Jones from New Madrid lead the list of the ones who got away.

Jay Reynolds, the senior leader of last year’s Central team, signed to join his father, J.R. Reynolds, who is an assistant coach in Korn’s staff.

Farmer’s commitment throws a wrench at the trend of the top local basketball prospects not wanting to go to SEMO, where they would undoubtedly be stars.

It’s been a second summer of changes since the Redhawks won the OVC Tournament and made their second March Madness appearance in 2023. This summer the bulk of the reinforcements have arrived from the junior college ranks.

Rob Martin will be the player to keep an eye on but if Reynolds can make an impact early, especially from the three-point line, it should lead to a boon in attendance support for the team.

Who the Redhawks lost

Outside of Adam Larson transferring to Chattanooga, most of the Redhawks’ departures came in the form of graduation, which is commendable. Aquan Smart, Josh Early, and Dylan Branson received their degrees this spring. Branson will continue his college basketball career at Bellarmine.

Who the Redhawks added

Korn took a page out of the Andy Sawyers recruiting playbook and brought in a handful of junior college transfers to shore up the roster.

Starting with Olney Central College transfer guard Damarion Walkup, who Korn said “brings a level of playmaking, shot-making, and a defensive presence to our backcourt." Walkup was the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and Region 24 Player of the Year while averaging 18.5 points per game.

Saxton Hoepker, a “late bloomer” in Korn’s eyes, enters with the design to fill the void left by Larson. He’s a tall forward who can contribute in rebounding while also providing the Redhawks with another three-point shooter. He averaged a double-double (13.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game) at Southwestern Illinois College last year.

Teddy Washington Jr. is the only Division I transfer from the group. While he only played in 27 games with one start at Texas A&M Corpus Cristi, he was second on the team with 28 three-pointers made.

Three points and rebounding are two areas SEMO must improve in and enter the upcoming season as a strength. While more was probably desired, the three aforementioned additions, plus Brendan Terry, Elliot Lowndes (F, John A. Logan College), and Troy Cole Jr. (G, Highland CC), were at least an attempt at addressing those areas in need.

2024-25 may be a bounce-back year. It may also be another rebuilding season. But the real intrigue will be what SEMO looks like in the fall of 2025 with Reynolds and Farmer paired together.