The Mississippi State men’s basketball team ended the summer with a European tour, which included trips to the Netherlands, Belgium and France. This experience not only helped strengthen the team’s chemistry, but it also allowed the new players some on court experience with the team.
The Bulldogs opened up play with a win over the Netherlands 82-70. University of Texas El Paso transfer Arnett Moultrie wasted no time showing he came to play finishing with 14 points and 14 rebounds to lead the way for State. Highly talented freshman guard Rodney Hood came off the bench to score 15 points, leading all scorers. Junior Wendell Lewis added 14 points to aid the Dawgs’ dominance in the post.
Game two was much of the same as the Rotterdam All-Stars could not slow down the Bulldogs who got the commanding win 90-75. Moultrie starred again, leading the Bulldogs with 16 points, but senior Dee Bost was key, adding 14 points. Head coach Rick Stansbury said he noticed his players were not sharp in attacking the zone but was impressed with his team’s performance.
“The effort was great, and I was pleased with our defense. I thought we fed off the crowd’s excitement, which gave us a lift,” Stansbury said. “Coming in, we didn’t work a lot on our offense, as we decided it was best to work on our defense.”
MSU had five players finish with double-digits in its 109-78 crushing of Waregem in the first game played in Belgium. Freshman guard Deville Smith amazed the crowd with a team high 22 points, followed by Bost’s 20 points. Moultrie recorded his third straight double-double of the trip with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Brian Bryant and Lewis each added 14 points for the Dawgs. State began the second half on a 10-0 run, and Stansbury said he saw lots of improvement this game.
“I thought the way we started the second half energized us and took a lot out of them,” Stansbury said. “We played with energy, and this win was against one of the better teams here.”
Another powerful second half boosted MSU past St. Jan 88-63 in the fourth game of the trip. Moultrie, Hood, Lewis, Smith and Bryant created a balanced offensive attack, all finishing in double digits.
The Bulldogs finished an undefeated European tour with a 99-71 victory over the French team. Moultrie recorded his fourth double-double, and Smith put in 20 points on the night. Stansbury said he was pleased with his team’s success on the tour.
“We came here and accomplished what we wanted, which was to win and improve,” Stansbury said. “I really like what I saw on this trip, but at the same time, we have a lot of work to do. But these five games gave us a leg up.”
The outstanding play of Moultrie was a highlight for the team in Europe. The 6’11 forward averaged 16.8 points and 11.2 rebounds on the trip. Moultrie said he is excited at the potential of the Dawgs’ inside game this year once forward Renardo Sidney rejoins the team.
“We have potential to be one of the best front courts this year,” Moultrie said. “It just all depends on how we both come to practice everyday and work.”
Moultrie’s consistency combined with his athletic ability make him a very tough player to guard in the post. Once he gets into complete basketball shape, he will be key in the Bulldogs’ success this season.
For the freshmen, the trip served as a taste of what they will see throughout the SEC this year. Hood said he was glad he had the opportunity to travel to Europe.
“It was a great experience for me; it was more of a learning experience,” Hood said. “I have to learn how physical the game really is, and I learned that firsthand overseas. I learned little things like how to box out and how to guard off screens, and it made me a better player mentally.”
Overall, the team became closer overseas since the group was able to be together the whole time off the court. Visiting a military base, Anne Frank’s home and the Eiffel tower were just a few of the adventures the team took. Stansbury was encouraged that the guys did not just stay at the hotel but actually got out and explored Europe.
“It was a great trip in a lot of ways; it was a good experience for all of our new guys,” Stansbury said. “We tried to encourage them to take this in, and our kids did a great job. We did not have any kid not go when we went on our tours. Everybody went and experienced it.”