The Mississippi State men’s basketball team will take to the court for the first time in the 2007-2008 season on Saturday in an exhibition contest against the University of the Cumberlands. Although Saturday’s game is just a tune-up, it still gives head coach Rick Stansbury the chance to get a better feel for his team. The Bulldogs’ regular season opens on Nov. 10, when State will host Louisiana Tech.
Mississippi State enters this season as the defending SEC West Champions and is coming off a strong run in the National Invitation Tournament. In the tournament, State defeated Mississippi Valley State, Bradley and Florida State at home before losing to West Virginia in the semi-finals at Madison Square Garden.
Stansbury, who is entering his 10th season as the Bulldogs head coach, said the extra playing time at the end of last season really helped shape his team.
At the end of a season it is natural for teams to tire, but Stansbury said his was able to maintain a strong focus that should help the players this season as they make a push toward another postseason run.
“The opportunity to continue to play at that level is why we play the game, and it is what our guys look forward to every year,” Stansbury said. “The three NIT games that we hosted, especially Bradley and Florida State, were games that were played at a high intensity level, and we had to play at that high of a level to compete in those basketball games. I commend our team for stepping up to those challenges and playing the way they did.”
One of the main strengths Mississippi State hopes to carry over into this season is its ability to score.
Last season, the Bulldogs ranked third in the Southeastern Conference in scoring, averaging about 77 points per game.
Sophomore guard Jamont Gordon contributed to the surge in offensive production by becoming more comfortable at the point guard position.
Stansbury said at this time last season he and his staff were hoping Gordon could play point guard, but going into this season they know he can handle the position well.
“Jamont developed well as the season progressed last year, and he took control of his role, especially down the stretch of the season,” Stansbury said. “He realized he could look for the pass first and still score points, and once he embraced that he got better and most importantly his team got better as well.”
Stansbury said Gordon is not a typical point guard who has to make an initial pass once he crosses mid-court.
Gordon has the ability to take the ball in the paint and create his own shot, he said.
By letting Gordon have more freedom on the court, Stansbury said it does two things: It opens up the team offensively while not limiting Gordon’s abilities.
With only a few weeks of practice under their belts this season, the area Stansbury said he was concerned most with is the Bulldogs’ defense.
State ranked fifth in the league last season in scoring defense, but Stansbury said he can see room for improvement.
The starting lineup for the Bulldogs, while not finalized, is set up to be Gordon, sophomores Ben Hansbrough and Barry Stewart in the backcourt, and sophomore Jarvis Varnado and senior Charles Rhodes in the frontcourt.
Hansbrough said this year’s team is a lot closer and that cohesiveness should show on the court.
“A team that’s closer together plays harder,” Hansbrough said. “We’re playing to win and for each other. We’re not trying to light up the stat sheet. Our goal is to win.”
The Bulldogs will get a better feel for that goal when they start Saturday against the University of the Cumberlands Patriots.
University of the Cumberlands, a member of the Mid-South Conference, is located in Williamsburg, Ky., and comes off a 20-11 showing last season.