2011-2012 Mississippi State Bulldogs Basketball Preview

Mississippi State Bulldogs - Southeastern Conference (SEC)

2010-11: 17-14, 9-7

2010-11 postseason: none

Coach: Rick Stansbury (272-154 at Mississippi State, 272-154 overall)  

The 2010-2011 campaign is one Mississippi State needs to put behind them. Suspensions, infighting and missed NBA Draft withdrawal deadlines doomed the Bulldogs from the beginning. Coach Rick Stansbury did a great job holding together what he could and this is a team that went 9-7 in conference play. Having Dee Bost for an entire season will make a huge difference. The point guard averaged 15.3 points, 6.2 assists and 1.6 steals in the 17 games he was eligible to play. Not having to readjust to his return in the middle of the season should give this team a true leader and some much, much needed chemistry.

Who’s Out:

The defections continued during the offseason, but it is nothing MSU cannot deal with. Graduation losses were big as well. Most notable is the loss of Ravern Johnson, who led the team with 17.6 points per game and was a dynamic scorer who could knock down the long ball with ease and attack the basket. The backcourt also lost roleplayer Twany Beckham and glue guy Riley Benock. The losses in the frontcourt sound just as bad. Kodi Augustus was the only player on the team to start all 31 games and averaged 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Elgin Bailey was not around too long, but he was a quality big man and John Riek had to play a few minutes here and there due to the unexpected attrition suffered during the tumultuous campaign.

Who’s In:

For all the losses, this is a team that has a ton of talent and some of that talent comes in the form of newcomers. Arnett Moultrie, a transfer from UTEP, has been a very productive big man for the Miners and proved during the Bulldogs July trip European trip that he can be a great player in the SEC too. At 6-11 and 249 pounds, Moultrie does not lack the size to battle in the paint in the SEC and he will be starting from day one and be one of the tougher big men in the conference. The incoming freshmen are pretty darn good too. Rodney Hood is the cream of the crop. The 6-8 wing needs more strength, but he is a great all-around scorer who is long and athletic. There will be many, many occasions this season when Hood will pull up for a mid-range jumper when the opposing defense is too worried about him attacking the basket. Point guard Deville Smith will be a valuable player off the bench right away. He is a tough point guard who can play great defense and do some scoring. He will have a year to learn the system as a backup, but he could be a very, very good backup. Roquez Johnson and Shawn Long will add depth to the frontcourt.

Final Projection:

Replacing Johnson and Benock on the perimeter could be a problem if Jalen Steele is slow to recover from an injury suffered in February. He was doing a great job filling in for a suspended Johnson late last season until the injury struck. If healthy, the 6-3 sophomore is ready to step into a starting role. Brian Bryant has some starting experience as well and can do a little bit of everything….except shoot. He is a decent enough scorer, a good rebounder for a 6-3 guard and can handle the ball. Bryant will have his hands full with some of the newcomers, but if Steele needs time to recover from his torn ACL, Bryant will have to play more. Shaun Smith, a 6-6 sophomore, is another option after playing limited minutes as a freshman. The key for this team will be chemistry. Few squads in the nation have this much talent, but so many questions. If everybody stays on the same page and Coach Stansbury can keep his team under control, this team should be dancing in March.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

• Dee Bost, Senior, Guard, 15.3 points per game

• Jalen Steele, Sophomore, Guard, 5.7 points per game

• Rodney Hood, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

• Renardo Sidney, Junior, Forward, 14.2 points per game

• Arnett Moultrie, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

By Joel Welser courtesy of www.CollegeSportsMadness.com
CollegeSports-fans.com Senior Basketball Writer

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