In most cases, when a player checks in to the game with 26 seconds left and the outcome well in hand, it goes unnoticed by the fans in attendance.
However, when John Riek stepped onto the court for the first time, it was the loudest moment in Humphrey Coliseum during the entire game. That game was Mississippi State’s nationally-televised, non-conference game against Wright State on Dec. 16th, and Riek was eligible to play for the first time after serving his nine-game suspension.
Since debuting against Wright State, it has been a struggle for MSU head coach Rick Stansbury to find a place on the court for the 7’1″ freshman from the Sudan.
Before last Saturday’s game against Ole Miss, Stansbury said he wanted to get the center more playing time, but is hesitant to work a player into the rotation in the middle of the season.
“I do think he is a guy that we got to find a way to work in, somehow,” Stansbury said. “It’s not easy to do this time of year, but I think we just got to find a way to be a little more conscious of maybe trying to do it somehow, someway, and live [with] what he can’t do and hope he can give you something.”
Riek, who was considered a top NBA prospect before suffering a serious knee injury in 2007, has been used to give senior Jarvis Varnado a break from the action. MSU has played without reserve center Elgin Bailey all season, which forced Riek and freshman Wendell Lewis into game action earlier than expected.
In Saturday’s win over Ole Miss, Varnado only went to the bench when Riek came onto the floor. While Riek did not make a large impact on the stat sheet, Varnado said he did exactly what they asked him to do.
“He did a good job on Saturday of buying me time,” Varnado said. “[Riek] had a couple rebounds and a blocked shot. That’s what we asked him to do: play your hardest, go out, defend and rebound.”
The minutes Riek played in the Ole Miss game were his first significant SEC minutes, and he was the first Bulldog to come off the bench. The freshman’s best game came against Centenary when he scored six points in 11 minutes of playing time. He also scored four points against non-conference foe Mississippi Valley State.
The injury bug has bit the Bulldogs hard this year with Bailey, Twany Beckham and Shaun Smith all out for the season.
Stansbury said the lack of depth on the roster means he will be playing more zone defense, which is less exhausting for the players.
Riek’s best defense comes when the Bulldogs are in a zone and he can stop anyone who comes into the paint.
The Bulldog head coach appeared pleased with Riek’s performance, but said he also wanted to see him on the floor longer to rest Varnado.
“He only got four minutes,” Stansbury said, “[Which leaves] too many minutes for Jarvis.”
One thing that has not been questioned about Riek is his work ethic. Senior guard Phil Turner said he is doing everything he can to improve his game.
“Riek is one of those guys that works real hard every day, every possession,” Turner said. “He’s gonna be one of those guys that comes in and spares Jarvis some. He’s not gonna take away because he does work so hard and wants to get better. When you have guys like that, you can’t help but to get better. John Riek is gonna help this team out a lot.”
Even if he does not play in the games, Riek is a valuable asset to the team in practice. His height and wingspan make shots challenging for Varnado, who at 6’9″ is three inches shorter than Riek.
“It helps me to play against somebody taller than me every day in practice, helps for the game,” Varnado said. “If I can get my shot up over the outstretched arms of John, it helps my shot out tremendously.”