SEMO Basketball Notes: Redhawk guard's ability needs to be seen in practice as much as games

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Rick Ray talks with guard Chris Harris in the first half of a game against Vanderbilt Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.

Associated Press ~ Mark Humphrey

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - There was a stark difference between the play of the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball squad in its Wednesday game at Vanderbilt when reserve guards Chris Harris and Nygal Russell were in the game and when they weren’t.

The Redhawks ultimately lost 83-65 but when Harris was on the court, his plus-minus was just minus-6, while Russell’s was even more impressive at minus-1.

“Our guys started to calm down,” fifth-year Redhawk coach Rick Ray said of his team’s early play, “our guys started to have some success and they built upon that success.”

In the case of Harris, he didn’t have many failures occur to be concerned about.

The 6-foot-3 junior was playing his first game at the NCAA Division I level, it was on the road against an SEC team, but he looked like he’d been in that situation 100 times.

He hit 6 of his 9 shots and finished with a team-high 15 points, none of which surprised his coach.

“That is the hard part about it,” Ray said of coaching Harris, “because some of his practice habits are very poor, and then he comes out here, and when the lights come on, every time we’ve had a scrimmage or a game, he’s been really good.”

Harris acknowledged after the game that he “has to be a better leader” on the team as an older player. His self-evaluation mirrored what Ray said about him in that he needs to be as focused and diligent in practice as he is in games.

“His maturation process is now he has to be that way in practice,” Ray explained, “so now I can reward you with the minutes that you deserve. But if you have bad practice habits, I can’t reward you like you need to be rewarded.”

Harris and Russell both lacked experience playing on that big of stage Wednesday, but no one in the 8,000-plus crowd would have known that.

Russell replaced starter Skyler Hogan less than two minutes into the game and brought energy and defensive focus, while Harris was incredible offensively.

“We want (Harris) to understand,” Ray said, “he should be out there more, but what you’re doing when there are no lights on I can’t reward it.”

Southeast Missouri State sophomore forward Sage Tolbert dives for a loose ball Wednesday at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.
Associated Press file photo

New identities

Anyone who watched Southeast forwards Sage Tolbert and Isaiah Gable play during the 2018-19 season would come away with the same assessment of the Redhawk athletes.

Tolbert is a player who struggles at the free-throw line and Gable wasn’t very effective on the glass at the offensive end of the floor.

It’s a new year and these guys are new players.

Tolbert connected on just 54 percent of his free throws as a freshman but has been diligent in his effort to improve in that regard over this past off-season and through the preseason.

The work showed Wednesday, as he hit three of his four attempts.

In the case of Gable, a year ago, he averaged one offensive rebound grabbed every 42-plus minutes on the floor.

Against a long, strong and athletic SEC team, he grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds in his 10:12 on the court.

Both achievements are founded in the sheer effort and drive to be more effective.

Southeast Missouri State guards Alex Caldwell (0) and Nygal Russell battle with a Vanderbilt player for a loose ball Wednesday at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.
Associated Press file photo

What’s next?

There were a lot of positive aspects to the Redhawks’ performance Wednesday, even in defeat. However, a sign of maturity will be how this team handles its preparation for its next game (Sunday vs. Purdue Fort Wayne at 4 p.m.).

“If I had the answer to that,” Ray said when asked how his team would handle Sunday’s game, “I’d be making a ton of money as a sports psychologist. Nobody knows the reading of a team.”

Ray said it isn’t just important for his guys to handle adversity properly, but when they have some level of success, they need to have the right mindset then, as well.

“We hope that our guys have learned,” Ray said, “that if we play the way we played when we’re successful, then we’re going to be fine.”