Last week, Rick Stansbury said the Alabama game marked the start of a new season. It is a new year, the game marked the start of SEC play, and the team has even had roster changes which is usually a mark of a new season. However, the same Mississippi State team showed up to play Alabama and lost 75-57.
Dee Bost, who managed 14 points in 33 minutes, expressed what most spectators of the game saw.
“We just had no movement, and I felt at one time we just gave up,” Bost said.
At halftime, the Bulldogs found themselves down by only one point, despite a painfully poor shooting percentage of 34 percent.
Stansbury said he did not believe his team could play any worse and counted the first half as somewhat of a success.
“Even as horribly as we played, even though we were down by one, I felt like we had won the half,” Stansbury said. “I didn’t think we could play any worse, but I found out in the second half we could.”
MSU’s shooting percentage was even worse in the second half because of unforgivably poor shot selection. Turnovers were commonplace. If lack of talent were the problem, which it is not, effort is something a player of talent level can exhibit and MSU showed very little.
Some younger players such as Jalen Steele (4 points), Wendell Lewis (10 points), and newcomer Brian Bryant (3 rebounds) showed effort throughout even when things were bad and shots were not falling.
Kodi Augustus had decent numbers with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but Ravern Johnson only managed eight points, and he played 40 minutes.
Renardo Sidney started the game impressively on the defensive end, forcing Alabama’s best player JaMychal Green to travel on two occasions. He only managed two points but he grabbed nine rebounds.  Conditioning got the better of him again, and he did not play in the final minutes.
It is true that every night cannot be a great shooting night, but in the past, Stansbury-coached teams have turned to defense and rebounding and tried to find a way to win. So far, grit does not seem to be a part of this team’s makeup as MSU was out-rebounded again and did not challenge Alabama in the second half.
On several occasions, MSU players stood frustrated as they watched their man score and did not challenge.
Augustus echoed what Bost said about the performance, or lack thereof.
“It just seemed like they got all the loose balls and made all the plays. They got to the free-line a lot,” Augustus said. “We’ve got to get our rhythm and get some chemistry.”
MSU got to the free throw line as well — 20 times. The Dawgs shot an abysmal 25 percent from the line in the first half, but did improve the mark to 50 percent for the game.
The lack of defense, poor conditioning and poor free-throw shooting all point to signs of poor effort and poor practice habits.
Talent is not the problem with this team and never has been, as MSU was originally picked to win the SEC West. MSU fans will be watching desperately to see if the Bulldogs can focus their efforts and turn this season around.
At least one player has not completely given up.
“We’re going to make a run, so no worries right now,” Bost said.
Bost probably does not want to acknowledge it since his season just began, but the time for a run is short, especially in a poorly-respected SEC West where wins are not regarded highly as it is. However, make no mistake; the talent is there.
It is well documented Stansbury did not expect too much from his team until now, specifically when Bost got back and Sidney got a little experience, but he says believes the rigors of the first half of the season may still be showing effects.
“We’ve been digging for a while, so we’re used to digging,” Stansbury said. “We have to find ways to keep getting better, and hopefully at some point this season [the team] catches up to what I believe its capable of doing.”
State’s next game is Thursday in Oxford on ESPN2, when many will watch to see if Stansbury and team leader Bost can harness the talent and start the run MSU fans are hoping for.
It will be a long road, but there is just enough basketball left to be played.