After a week of hard practices, the Mississippi State men’s basketball team got to have a little fun Saturday.
The open scrimmage featured eight players in double figures with Preseason Wooden Award Player of the Year candidate Lawrence Roberts leading the way with 33 points and 21 rebounds.
Before transfering from Baylor, Roberts averaged a double-double in Big 12 play last season.
Marcus Campbell wasn’t far behind with 27 points and 15 boards.
Winsome Frazier scored 25, mostly from the perimeter and co-captain Timmy Bowers made his mark in four categories.
Bowers scored 23, snagged eight rebounds, made six steals, and dished four assists and said that he is pleased with the hard work of the team.
“The best thing was the effort that everybody put forth. We went five days straight this week, so it was kind of hard at the end, Bowers explained. “Our legs were getting tired and it affected our shots, but no one gave up.”
Freshman guard Gary Ervin led the team with nine assists.
Co-captain Branden Vincent said that he is pleased with the way the team is playing together.
“No matter who we are putting on a team, everybody is playing together,” Vincent said.
The Bulldogs got 76 points from four players that were not on last season’s Southeastern Conference Western Division Champion squad.
While the scoring is always a plus, assistant coach Robert Kirby said he wants to see improvements elsewhere.
“We’ve got to get better at D and rebounding,” Kirby said.