The excitement of Mississippi State basketball supporters brought in by new head basketball coach Rick Ray has recently died down and been replaced with frustration and doubt due to Rodney Hood’s decision to leave the program. With Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney heading to the pros and Dee Bost and Brian Bryant graduating, Hood was the lone starter remaining from last year’s team.
In a release from MSU, Hood’s father, Ricky, said Hood made his decision before the arrival of Ray and that meeting Ray made the decision even tougher.
“Rodney came home for a weekend with the family and after lots of talking, he decided he wanted to ask for a release from his basketball scholarship at Mississippi State,” Ricky Hood said. “He said it’s been a long, hard and difficult year at Mississippi State, as far as basketball is concerned. He’s enjoyed the atmosphere and academic side of Mississippi State, but he didn’t know if he could be fair to Coach Ray and be 100 percent committed.”
In his freshman year with the Dogs, Hood averaged 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 32.8 minutes. He earned freshman All-SEC honors and likely would have been the cornerstone of the MSU offense in the years to come.
In Ray’s first press conference once he arrived at MSU, he only mentioned one player: Rodney Hood. Before announcing his decision Sunday night, Hood attended workouts with the team last week. Hood said Tuesday morning’s workout was the hardest he had ever done, and Ray’s arrival only made things more difficult for him.
“I want to thank Mississippi State for giving me an opportunity to play this year,” Hood said. “It was just a long, tough year for me. Coach Ray will be a great asset to Mississippi State and getting to know him last week made this decision even harder, but after much thought, I am going to ask for a release. I wish my teammates and the program nothing but the best.”
Hood’s departure leaves only two players, Jalen Steele and Wendell Lewis, who saw significant minutes last year, but these two only averaged a combined 12.5 points per game. Roquez Johnson, who averaged 3.5 minutes a game last season, is the only player still on the team from the 2011-2012 recruiting class.
Although the present does not seem very promising, Ray and his new staff, which includes former Nebraska assistant Wes Flanigan, former Evansville assistant Chris Hollender and MSU assistant George Brooks, are known for their recruiting.
Ray said he appreciates Hood’s family’s honesty about the decision and he understands the decsion was made before his hire.
“Obviously, we are disappointed in Rodney Hood’s decision. I was looking forward to getting a chance to develop and coach him,” Ray said. “I look forward to putting together a team with the current members, rolling up our sleeves and recruiting new Bulldogs.”
Junior walk-on Charles Parker and sophomore walk-on Reed Clayton have also announced they are leaving the basketball program. State now has five scholarship players and two walk-ons currently on the roster.