Nick Weatherspoon, a sophomore guard from Carthage, has displayed a great sense of knowing when to take shots and when not to, head coach Ben Howland said in a press release sent out by the Mississippi State University athletic department.

“What I think is that he (Nick Weatherspoon) is taking the best shots,” Howland said. “I commend his basketball IQ in terms of good shot, bad shot and taking good shots.”

Weatherspoon, who is entering his sophomore year at MSU, displayed his knowledge for finding the right shot against Alcorn State, shooting 6-10 from the field and being almost perfect shooting 3-pt shots, making two out of three.

Apart from just Weatherspoon, the overall team offense has started going on all cylinders, as the team shot for 61.1 percent from the field, as well as draining 11 three-pointers for a 45.8 three-point percentage. This is a great improvement from last season’s shooting struggles, making the offense run more efficient and smoother.

Going into the game Friday, the Bulldogs will have to keep the same efficiency on offense to be able to leave the University of Dayton with a win; however, it will not be a simple task against this next opponent.

Howland said Dayton has exhibited some strong physical play recently on both sides of the ball, causing teams to miss opportunities on offense and making them turn the ball over.

“They really get into you physically,” Howland said. “Their defense is very tough. They’ve really recruited to being a good defensive team in terms of the size of their wings. They’re big and physical everywhere you look.”

Dayton has averaged 4.7 steals and 2.2 blocks per game, as well as being potent on scoring off of turnovers, averaging 13.2 points on turnovers. 

MSU’s main concern going into this game is making sure they do not have a lot of mistakes with the ball like they had Monday night. On Monday, they turned over the ball 17 times, and unlike Alcorn State in this past game, Dayton has the potential to punish MSU if they give up the ball.

Weatherspoon said the team understands it will be a tough road test, and they will have to be ready to play when they take the court in Dayton, Ohio, on Friday night. 

“We know that (Dayton) Ohio is a basketball city, so it’s going to be pretty tough to win up there,” Weatherspoon said. “We know it’s going to be packed, and you have to come ready to play.”

The Bulldogs and Flyers will tip-off at 6:00 p.m. Friday. CBS Sports Network will broadcast the game.