| |
LOCATION: Starkville, MS
CONFERENCE: Southeastern (Western Division)
LAST SEASON: 20-13 (.606)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 8-8 (3rd)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 3/2
NICKNAME: Bulldogs
COLORS: Maroon & White
HOMECOURT: Humphrey Coliseum (10,500)
COACH: Rick Stansbury (Campbellsville '82)
record at school 20-13 (1 year)
career record 20-13 (1 year)
|
ASSISTANTS: Robert Kirby (Pan American '83)
Greg Carter (Mississippi State '91)
Bill Ball (Mississippi State '93)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 22-26-12-15-20
RPI (last 5 years) 14-10-120-112-95
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in NIT first round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
|
Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury has tried hard to erase the events of last May 15 from his mind. That's the day prized Bulldog recruit Jonathan Bender, a 6-11, do-everything, play-anywhere senior from Picayne, Miss. High School, decided he was going to forego college and jump straight to the NBA. A few weeks later, Bender's decision was justified he was the fifth pick in the NBA draft's first round. Taken by the Toronto Raptors, Bender was quickly traded to the Indiana Pacers, where he will get to hone his skills under some guy by the name of Bird. Not a bad mentor for an 18-year-old rookie. Stansbury doesn't fault Bender or his decision for one second. But he can't help wondering what might have been had he added the man who broke Michael Jordan's McDonald's All-Star game scoring record (31 points) to a lineup loaded with quick, lean athletes. "We felt like we had everything in place," Stansbury said. "But Jonathan did what was best for him and his family. I can't fault him for that, because any of us would have done the same thing. But he would have been a difference maker. With Jonathan Bender, we've got as much talent as any team in the league." For two weeks after the decision, Stansbury agonized. After that grieving period, it was time to get back to business. The team Stansbury takes into his second season as head coach isn't as talented as it would have been with Bender, but it isn't bad, even minus departed starters Detrick White (11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, SEC-leading 5.6 apg), a 6-1 point guard, and 6-10 center Tyrone Washington (12.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg). Washington was also chosen in the NBA draft, by Houston in the second round.
|
Blue Ribbon Analysis |
|
BACKCOURT B BENCH/DEPTH B
FRONTCOURT B INTANGIBLES B
In one year as Mississippi State coach, Rick Stansbury has been through the requisite highs and lows of his profession. Twenty wins in his rookie year was no small accomplishment, but Stansbury was bitterly disappointed when the Bulldogs' resume didn't earn them an NCAA Tournament bid. Stansbury handled that setback by going out and recruiting one of the top 10 classes in the country. But that effort, too, was tempered by the departure of Parade and McDonald's All-American Jonathan Bender, who decided to turn pro. Bender might have made Mississippi State a team capable of handling Auburn in the SEC's Western Division. Instead, the Bulldogs will be picked to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack. Our call is fourth, but if a couple of breaks fall Mississippi State's way, a notch or two higher wouldn't be out of the question. After Auburn, the West is a dogfight. |
Stansbury became the winningest first-year coach in school history when he guided the Bulldogs to 20 victories. Mississippi State's play down the stretch during which it defeated three SEC teams that would go on to play in the NCAA Tournament gave Stansbury some hope the 'Dogs would earn their own trip to the Big Dance. That wasn't to be, given a poor RPI that was inflated by a soft non-conference schedule. Instead, Mississippi State had to settle for a short-lived berth in the NIT. The Bulldogs were dispatched to Colorado State in the first round, where they fell victim to the high altitude and lost, 69-56. Stansbury has another postseason team on his hands. The talent is there. And Stansbury has made sure the schedule won't be a factor come Selection Sunday. The 'Dogs open with always-tough Valparaiso, face Stanford and Texas and play in an eight-team tournament at Nebraska that will provide three demanding games. "We did some different things with the schedule," Stansbury said. "But it doesn't matter who you play. You've got to win games." With Washington and White gone, the 'Dogs new big gun is 6-7 junior Tang Hamilton (11.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), who blossomed as a sophomore when he started 32 of 33 games. Hamilton was Mississippi State's second-leading scorer as he improved his efficiency from the perimeter (a respectable 33 percent from three-point range), took a more aggressive approach toward rebounding and learned to take defenders off the dribble and either score or get fouled. He shot 70 percent from the free-throw line. Hamilton made quite an impression on the rest of the conference. "He looked like a different player," said Mississippi coach Rod Barnes. "Tang Hamilton is just a hard guy for us to guard," said Tennessee coach Jerry Green, whose Vols lost twice to State last winter. Hamilton carried his strong play into the summer, leading a team of SEC All-Stars in scoring during a five-game trip to Japan, where the opponent was the Japanese national team. "It'll be a different load for Tang," Stansbury said. "We're expecting big things from him. He's the only guy coming back who's a proven scorer. We think he can handle what we put on him. He's maturing and has gotten stronger. He has an understanding of what it takes to get better." Surrounding Hamilton in the frontcourt is a talented quartet of sophomores. Any or all of the group that includes 6-5 Marckell Patterson (4.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg), 6-5 Michael Gholar (3.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg), 6-8, 240-pound Tyrus Boswell (2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg) and 6-8, 245-pound Robert Jackson (5.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg) are capable of making the strides Hamilton did in his second season. Patterson and Gholar are smaller versions of Hamilton who can play small forward or shooting guard. Patterson gained valuable experience as a freshman, starting the Bulldogs' last 12 games. Likewise, Gholar, whom Stansbury calls "our best athlete," played more as the season progressed. He didn't start, but played 26 minutes against Arkansas in a second-round SEC Tournament game and 22 against Colorado State in the NIT. Boswell and Jackson will probably play side by side in the paint, though Stansbury would like Boswell to drift out past the three-point line from time to time. Boswell, a former Blue Ribbon top 44 high school player, came to Mississippi State with big expectations a year ago, but didn't gain eligibility until December. That hampered his progress. "He came in cold turkey," Stansbury said. "We knew it would be best to redshirt him, but he wanted to play. Any time you miss fall conditioning and practice, that makes a big difference. He never got in the fold." Jackson earned 13 minutes per game backing up Washington last season, and he responded with some big games. None were bigger than his first two as a collegian Jackson scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Northwestern State. He reached double figures five more times, and had several six- to seven rebound games. "At times last year, he really showed what he can become," Stansbury said. "I love his emotion and his energy. He's a big old wide body who has the ability to really score around the basket. This year, he's got to step up and be a leader instead of a backup guy." Another large presence in the low post could be 6-9, 240-pound junior Quentin Smith, beginning his second tour of duty at Mississippi State. He played there as a freshman and stayed through eight games of his sophomore season before transferring to Southern Mississippi. When Stansbury replaced former coach Richard Williams last season, Smith transferred back to Starkville. Smith, who averaged 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds and blocked 17 shots as a freshman, has essentially been on the sidelines for two years. Mississippi State's backcourt got a lift when Stansbury signed 6-5 junior Antonio Jackson (Huntsville, Ala./Butler County, Kansas CC). Jackson was rated the No. 6 junior college player in the country by analyst Phil Henzel after averaging 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists as a sophomore. Jackson is versatile enough to play either guard spot. "Point guard might be his best spot," Stansbury said. "But he can really shoot. We'll just have to see which position he plays best." Jackson won't have to play the point if 6-4 senior Todd Myles (4.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 98 assists) continues to improve as he did last February and March. After a brief run-in with Stansbury over playing time, Myles eventually became a key part of State's postseason run. "Todd really played steady down the stretch for us," Stansbury said. "I expect a lot of leadership from him because he's our only senior." Another newcomer who could help at guard is 6-3 freshman Derrick Zimmerman (Wossman HS/Monroe, La.). Zimmerman had gaudy numbers his senior season (30.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 11.2 apg, 7.3 spg, 5.3 bpg) and was honored as Louisiana's Class 4A Player of the Year. "Derrick's got a chance to be really good," Stansbury said. "He brings athletic ability and lots of quickness." T.J. Billups (1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg) a 6-4, junior, and Ward Griffith, a 6-5 junior who didn't score last season, will battle for playing time as a backup to Gholar and Patterson. In addition to Zimmerman, two other freshman join the program: 6-3 Trey Sanders (Jim Hill HS/Jackson, Miss.) and 6-10 Lincoln Smith (Simmons HS/Hollandale, Miss.). Sanders, who can provide backup minutes at the point, averaged 18.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season. Smith, a Class 3A All-State pick, averaged 21.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks after shedding 50 pounds and playing at 230 as a senior.
 | The 19th edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook is on sale now. To order, call 800-828-HOOP (4667), or visit their web site at
http://www.collegebaskets.com
|
| |
Conferences
America East
ACC
Atlantic 10
Big East
Big Sky
Big South
Big Ten
Big 12
Big West
Colonial
Conference USA
Independents
Ivy League
MAAC
Mid-American
Mid-Continent
Mid-Eastern Athletic
MCC
Missouri Valley
Mountain West
Northeast
Ohio Valley
Pac-10
Patriot
SEC
Southern
Southland
Sun Belt
SWAC
TAAC
WAC
West Coast
|
