Newly hired Southeast Missouri State University basketballcoach Dickey Nutt has announced the signing of four players to national letters of intent. The four recruits include two junior college and two high school players.
The junior college players are Leon Powell, 6-7, of Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa and 5-11 Anthony Allison of Missouri State-West Plains Community College. They are joined by two standout high school players from Arkansas including 6-5 LaQuentin Miles of state champion Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Ark., and 6-2 Marland Smith of state runner-up Hall High School in Little Rock.
The recruits are headlined by Powell who is originally from Vashon High School in St. Louis. He averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the nation’s number two junior college team at Indian Hills that finished the season 30-3. He shot 61.8% from the field as a sophomore. Powell played on a state championship team at Vashon where he was a teammate of current Redhawks player Johnny Hill.
Allison averaged 12.8 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game last season at West Plains. He played high school ball at Lee High School in Marianna, Ark.
Miles averaged 18.5 points, 5.2 assists, 4.7 steals and 7 rebounds per game for the state championship team from Jacksonville, Ark. He was the teams leading scorer and was all-state as a junior and senior.
Smith averaged 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the state runner-up at Hall High School. He shot 42% from 3-point range. Smith also played football and is a member of the track team.
Nutt said he plans to add more recruits.
