Mississippi State Bulldogs
SEC (21-11, 8-8)
Mississippi State was surrounded by drama last season and that pretty much dismantled their 2010-2011 season. But this year things have gone relatively smoothly. The Bulldogs have everything a team needs to make a tournament run. They have a couple dominating big men, wings that can score and one of the best floor leaders in the nation. It has not always looked that way during the 2011-2012 campaign, but this is definitely a team to keep an eye on.
Big Wins: 12/3 West Virginia (75-62), 1/14 Alabama (56-52), 1/21 at Vanderbilt (78-77)
Bad Losses: 11/9 Akron (58-68), 2/11 Georgia (68-70), 2/18 at Auburn (55-65)
Coach: Rick Stansbury (14 seasons at Mississippi State)
Why They Can Surprise:
Dee Bost is the unquestioned leader of Mississippi State. The senior point guard is a big time scorer and will find his open teammates. Bost has gone largely underappreciated this season as other SEC point guards steal the limelight, but he is a very good all-around player. Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney are Bost’s targets under the basket. Moultrie has had a great season in the SEC after transferring in from UTEP. The 6-11 junior is a beast under the basket in the scoring and rebounding department. It is a relatively rare occasion when he does not tally a double-double. Moultrie can even step outside and knock down the mid-range jumper. Despite his size, Moultrie is the power forward on this team. The big man is 6-10, 280 pounder Sidney. Like Moultrie, Sidney is a surprisingly good shooter from outside. Sidney may not score as much and is not nearly as effective on the glass, but he is a big body under the basket and his presence is felt on both ends of the floor. Add dynamic scorer Rodney Hood to the wing and this is a team that has four players who are a threat to put up 20 points on any given night.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Mississippi State usually has to work pretty hard for every point. Bost can beat people off of the dribble, Hood can attack the basket with ease and Moultrie and Sidney are always threats if the Bulldogs can get the ball inside. However, this is not a team that goes for steals and easy buckets. That has worked perfectly fine for Mississippi State much of the time since this is a team that should work in the halfcourt and go through the big men. However, at times the offense needs a spark and easy buckets are a great way to provide a spark. The other problem Mississippi State has run into this season is depth. Jalen Steele is a good shooter and Brian Bryant and Deville Smith are quality secondary ballhandlers. But Smith was out for a while and the team really felt his absence. Center Wendell Lewis is the lone frontcourt reserve and the guards have to stay healthy. Fortunately, this is a team that does a very good job of staying out of foul trouble, but there is not much margin for error with an eight man rotation and no other players on the team who have played anything other than mop-up duty.
Probable Starters:
Dee Bost, Senior, Guard, 15.6 ppg, 5.3 apg
Jalen Steele, Sophomore, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg
Brian Bryant, Senior, Guard, 7.2 ppg, 1.9 apg, 4.4 rpg
Arnett Moultrie, Junior, Forward, 15.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg
Renardo Sidney, Junior, Forward, 9.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Rodney Hood, Freshman, Guard, 10.3 ppg, 1.9 apg, 4.4 rpg
Wendell Lewis, Junior, Center, 3.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Deville Smith, Freshman, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 2.0 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.6 (89th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.6 (163, 11)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.8 (77, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.2 (178, 10)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.9 (101, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.8 (99, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.4 (119, 4)
Rebound Margin: 3.3 (70, 3)
Assists Per Game: 13.1 (151, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.8 (41, 4)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Mississippi State 2010 NIT First Round win over Jackson State
Mississippi State 2010 NIT Second Round loss to North Carolina
Mississippi State 2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Washington
Mississippi State 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Oregon
Mississippi State 2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Memphis
Mississippi State 2007 NIT First Round win over Mississippi Valley State
Mississippi State 2007 NIT Second Round win over Bradley
Mississippi State 2007 NIT Quarterfinal win over Florida State
Mississippi State 2007 NIT Semifinal loss to West Virginia
Mississippi State 2005 NCAA Round of 64 win over Stanford
Mississippi State 2005 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Duke
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
