Even for the most casual of Mississippi State fans, news of Arnett Moultrie’s achievements as a Bulldog during the 2011-2012 season has been hard to ignore.
A 6’11 junior, Moultrie leads the SEC in rebounding with 11.1 rebounds a game as well as double-doubles with 13. The power-forward also leads MSU in scoring with 17 points per game and has continued to improve statistically from the outset of the season. MSU head coach Rick Stansbury credits Moultrie’s continued success to hard work and a knowledge of the game.
“We ask a lot out of him,” Stansbury said. “He rebounds the ball, and, defensively, he’s pretty good for us. His basketball IQ is very high.”
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Moultrie played his first three seasons of high school ball at Trezvant High School before transferring to nearby Raleigh Egypt High School for his senior season. Throughout his high school career, Moultrie was named to numerous all-star teams and was nominated as a McDonalds All-American.
Upon graduating from high school, Moultrie signed with the University of Texas at El Paso. In his first season as a Miner, Moultrie was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team after scoring 8.8 points per game and grabbing 8.2 rebounds per game.
After his sophomore season, Moultrie decided to transfer to another school to play his final seasons at the collegiate level. Since Moultrie had seen immediate playing time upon his enrollment at UTEP, the forward, who would have to sit out an entire season due to NCAA transfer rules, could redshirt the first season at his destination school and not lose a year of college eligibility. Moultrie narrowed his decision to MSU and Auburn, where his former coach Tony Barbee had recently been hired, before officially enrolling at State.
At the conclusion of MSU’s up-and-down 2010-2011 season, many State fans immediately began speculating on just how good Moultrie would be the following season. Expectations were immediately raised, and the excitement surrounding the beginning of the 2011-2012 season continued to grow, partly due to the potential of Moultrie. Even before the season began, people outside the MSU program, like LSU head coach Trent Johnson, sensed the excitement within the MSU program surrounding Moultrie and the prospects of making a deep NCAA Tournament.
“He’s special, and I think (Stansbury) knew it coming out of the summer tour,” Johnson said of Moultrie in a teleconference prior to State’s Jan. 25 game against LSU. “There’s a reason why you see these guys at these meetings and they’re smiling and happy. He has a reason to be.”
Moultrie’s impact on the Bulldogs was felt almost immediately, recording a double-double in his debut at MSU, a feat that had not been accomplished since 2003. Moultrie followed up an impressive debut by being named MVP of the 2K Classic less than two weeks later. During the tournament, which MSU won, Moultrie averaged 13.5 points and nine rebounds a game.
Barring a major setback, the Bulldogs, who are ranked 20th in the latest Associated Press poll, are poised to be one of the 68 teams selected to play in the NCAA Tournament run in March, thanks in no small part to the consistent play of Moultrie, who finds himself in the running for several postseason awards.
Among the top accolades that Moultrie could be rewarded at the end of the season is the Wooden Award, a prestigious award given to the nation’s best player.
Although widely considered one of the best players in the Southeastern Conference as well as the nation, Moultrie says he would rather focus on individual and team improvement than personal accomplishments, most notably at the free-throw line, where Moultrie makes 77 percent of attempts.
“Lately I’ve been missing way too many,” said Moultrie. “So we’re just going to go back to the lab and work on free throws.”