The Mississippi State Bulldogs had an estimated 1,500 person audience for the first public intersquad scrimmage on Saturday and, for better or worse, the fans did not leave without experiencing some excitement.
The scrimmage was not set up to determine a winner or loser between the two teams. Players were split up into the Maroon Team and the White Team. The two sides played a 20 minute game, rearranged teams and played another 20 minute game, then rearranged teams once again and played a 12 minute game.
The scrimmage was a chance for fans to try and get answers about the upcoming season including Elgin Bailey’s health, John Riek’s improvement, Twany Beckham’s return and newcomers such as Jalen Steele, Brian Bryant and, of course, the debut of much-heralded Renardo Sidney.
One of the bright spots in the scrimmage was the play of Bailey. While he is reportedly not quite up to speed, he still managed 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. More importantly, he hustled all over the court and showed leadership, encouraging his teammates.
Head coach Rick Stansbury came away pleased with his junior center.
“His explosion is not the same, can’t jump the same, but his toughness is still there,” Stansbury said. “That’s something you really can’t teach. You either got it or you don’t have it.”
An additional positive taken from yesterday’s scrimmage was the improvement from sophomore big man Wendell Lewis. Lewis played with an air of comfortability, an attribute he lacked last season. He finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and a strong blocked shot on a Renardo Sidney attempt.
Lewis appeared to have developed some chemistry with junior point guard Dee Bost, who threw him several alley oops.
Another big man with an impressive and surprising performance was John Riek. The 7-foot sophomore finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Although he still has plenty of room for improvement, his agility was improved coming off of injuries and he did not back down on defense. Stansbury hopes minutes will be of higher quality this year, which will be paramount until Sidney is eligibile, nine games into the season.
Speaking of Sidney, his play was not quite up to the level fans may have expected in his first year competing in college basketball, after being forced out of game competition for a year. Sidney was 2-6 from the perimeter, just 4-13 overall and managed only six rebounds, spending limited time in the post.
He showed flashes of his athletic ability but frequently got frustrated with himself, teammates and coaches.
Stansbury said he wants more consistency and low post play out of Sidney but knows it will take some time for the young talent.
“We’ve got to get him down to the block more,” Stansbury said. “There’s no question about that. He’s got to not have that game slippage. Again, it’s going to be a work in progress. He’s just got to keep working, get that body in shape, get on the block where he can do some things. He has some ability to make those [3-point] shots out there, but that’s not where you’re going to make your living at. You’ve got to get on that block more. He’ll find ways to do that.”
However, some other first-year players did see success. UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie, who cannot play this season due to transfer eligibility rules, managed 21 points on 9-15 shooting and nabbed 10 rebounds. He will add versatility in 2011-12.
Redshirt freshman Shaun Smith scored 24 points on an efficient 8-15 shooting.
Jalen Steele, a freshman, added 15 points and should be able to contribute immediately at the guard position.
Junior college transfer Brian Bryant scored 17 points, dished nine assists and grabbed 10 rebounds. Bryant appeared comfortable running point guard, which he will be asked to do often during Bost’s suspension.
Stansbury, an advocate of strong rebounding, said he appreciated Bryant’s performance and is excited about his versatility.
“[Bryant]’s one of those guys that can help your team win, because he does multiple things well,” said Stansbury.
Another point guard who showed promise was sophomore Twany Beckham. Beckham amassed 14 points and eight assists, which was not spectacular considering the scrimmage was 53 minutes long, but he took care of the ball, which was an issue for him in the past.
The capability to run the team with Steele, Bryant and Beckham is a welcomed sight as the Bulldogs will be without Bost for the first 14 regular season games of the season. Bost himself had an impressive scrimmage, taking good care of the ball and scoring 40 points on an efficient 50-percent shooting while dishing out 13 assists.
Stansbury said Bost helps get the entire team going.
“Dee Bost has really, really taken some things and has taken his game to a different level,” Stansbury said. “He makes everybody better out there.”
Other mainstays such as Ravern Johnson and Kodi Augustus also found some success. Johnson started out hot, scoring 17 of his 30 points in the first 20 minute scrimmage, but cooled off a little and ended the day 12-29. His dribbling appeared to be improved, and he seemed to show a little more pride in his defense, which was also a welcomed sight.
Augustus was a little frustrated with his shot, as he finished with 10-25 shooting, but he was encouraged to shoot several times by coaches and players alike, who all want Kodi to catch his groove. He even posted up a few times, which is something the coaches and fans have always wanted out of him because he can be a mismatch on slower forwards.
He grabbed 10 rebounds and played solid defense, even though he drew a tough matchup in Moultrie. Augustus will be a key this year, especially early in the season while fellow power forward Sidney is ineligible and Bailey continues to get healthy.
Stansbury’s biggest complaint was of defensive effort, which he attributes to the players not being in game shape.
“The biggest thing that stands out to me is we got really tired. Defensively, I don’t think we were very good when we got tired,” Stansbury said.

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Kate Swartz