Odd, coincidental, unlucky, however it can be described, the Eastern men’s basketball team will once again play Southeast Missouri.

“We’ve seen enough of them — six times — and it hasn’t been fun,” second-year Eastern coach Jay Spoonhour said.

For the second straight year, the No.7 seeded Panthers will play the No. 6 seeded Redhawks in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn., at the Municipal Auditorium.

“This year it’s a coincidence,” Spoonhour said. “If it happens again next year, it will be just flat out odd.”

Southeast Missouri ousted Eastern 78-68 in the first round of the 2013 OVC tournament, under the same exact seeding.

“They still have the same size, athleticism and quickness as last season, it’s just different guys,” Spoonhour said.

The Redhawks have added the likes of junior guard Jarekious Bradley, a transfer from Mississippi Community College.

He was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team and the Second Team All-OVC Tuesday, as well as earning Newcomer of the Week seven times this season.

Bradley’s 19.6 points per game ranks third in OVC play and his 5.8 rebounds per game ranks 10th.

Another stellar addition to the Redhwaks’ roster has been freshman guard Antonius Cleveland, whose nine points per game and 53 shooting percentage won him four Freshman of the Week awards.

“They have big guards that if we have, a smaller guard, a guy like Reggie (Smith) in there, it can bring matchup problems,” Spoonhour said.

Smith, Eastern’s starting point guard, stands 6-feet tall. Southeast Missouri has six guards (including Bradley and Cleveland) that are 6-foot-5 or taller.

Eastern has none.

“They’re out rebounding opponents by five rebounds a game,” Spoonhour said. “Numerous guys, even at the guard position, can get four-to-five offensive rebounds.”

Southeast Missouri’s guards make up 47.5 percent of their 36.7 rebounds per game in OVC play, second best in the conference.

But one player the Redhawks did have return is foward Tyler Stone, who was a First Team All-OVC selection.

Stone, also the Preseason Player of the Year, is third in the OVC this season with 19.1 points per game.

“He is capable of stepping out onto the floor, where he can shoot it from — not very many big men can do that,” Spoonhour said. “If that’s not there, he can drive to the basket and shoot it or he can shoot it inside with either hand.”

His 11-of-12 shooting performance for 24 points is what ultimately became the Panthers’ demise in their season-ending game against the Redhawks at least year’s tournament.

“There is a short list of guys who are 6-foot-9, 230 pounds with quick feet — he’s on that list,” Spoonhour said.

Stone is also the top rebounder on the OVC’s second best rebounding team. His 9.5 rebounds per game are third in the conference.

“Or he can just get rebound after rebound,” Spoonhour said.

Stone, the reigning OVC Player of the Week, and the Redhawks are coming off an upset double-overtime win 118-115 against Murray State, the OVC’s No. 2 seed, handing the Racers just their third conference loss of the season.

“They played much faster than what we can afford to be playing at,” Spoonhour said. “Playing fast doesn’t bother them; it bothers us. We have guys that are normal and get tired.”

The Redhawks’ quickness has paved the way for their offense this season, scoring 83 points per game as a team while maintaining a shooting of 50 percent from the field.

In their 30 games this season, the Redhawks have scored less than 74 points just five times.

Spoonhour said the Panthers could not let the Redhawks and their quickness run past them, staying away from help-side defense (when a player adjusts his defense to help another teammate defend the ball handler).

“We have to stay in front of them and not put ourselves in a position where we have to help all the time,” he said.

However, in their last meeting, the Panthers were able to keep the Redhawks at a slower pace despite a 74-68 loss on Feb. 8 in Lantz Arena.

Eastern held Southeast Missouri to just two fast break points, but, meanwhile, allowed 35 rebounds by the Redhawks, nearly five more than Eastern’s OVC average on defense.

Spoonhour said even though Eastern slowed Southeast Missouri down, the Redhawks were able win the game with their play at the boards.

“These guys are capable of exploiting a different weakness every time,” Spoonhour said.

Southeast Missouri won in the tournament matchup last year. Southeast Missouri won the final matchup of the regular season this year.

And though Eastern won the meeting sandwiched in between those two, a 77-74 win on Jan. 25 in Cape Girardeau, Mo., none of the previous meeting affects the game that tips off at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn., at the Municipal Auditorium.

“It’s tournament time,” Spoonhour said. “It comes down to big shots and little plays.”

Anthony Catezone can be reached at 581-2812 or ajcatezone@eiu.edu.