Under the leadership and steady hand of senior guard Barry Stewart, all of MSU’s key perimeter players – including sophomore Dee Bost, junior Phil Turner and junior Ravern Johnson – are returning.
Last season, more or less, the Bulldogs operated under a four-guard offense, which was possible due to Jarvis Varnado’s haunting down-low presence.
While this system sacrificed the board dominance usually associated with a Stansbury team (MSU was ranked 11th in the SEC in rebound margin), it allowed for a barrage of 3-pointers.
Johnson hit 83 from behind the arc, Stewart sank 72, Bost made 54 and Turner hit 46. The team connected on 296 3-pointers, which led the SEC, making 36.1 percent.
After Jamont Gordon left for Europe following his junior season in 2008, MSU turned to then-freshman Bost to command the offense.
He responded. His average of 4.33 assists per game last season was good for fourth in the SEC, while scoring 10.9 points per game and leading the team with 52 steals.
“No question, we saw Dee grow up right in front of us last year. We threw a freshman into the mix. He had to grow up playing,” head coach Rick Stansbury said. “He’s only better this year in every area. He’s stronger, he’s more confident, he understands more . He’s gonna become one of the best guards in this league before he leaves here.”
With sophomore point guard Twany Beckham out with a season-ending hip injury, expect Stewart, with three years under his belt, to guide the offense while Bost takes breathers.
“We’ve had him there some. Barry backed up Jamont there a few years ago,” Stansbury said.
Every team needs a utility man, and Turner has fully embraced that role for MSU.
Coming to campus as a relatively obscure recruit from Grenada, Turner has developed into a clutch SEC player who can provide a spark off the bench or from the tip.
The last minute and 35 seconds of the 2009 SEC tournament championship game versus Tennessee, where Turner made a 3-pointer to take the lead, forced a critical Vol turnover and iced the game with two free throws, can sum him up as a player.
“There’s no stat you can put on tenacity and toughness,” Stansbury said. “Those are stats that help your team win. He’s one of those guys; he’ll just find his way to the floor whatever position we put him in.”
Ravern Johnson – Mississippi’s 2006-07 high school Gatorade Player of the Year – led the country in 3-pointers at one point late last season.
“[He led the country] until they announced it on ESPN, and everybody started guarding him different,” Stansbury said.
Behind Darryl Wilson’s 97 treys in ’95-96 and 94 in ’94-95, Johnson’s 83 3-pointers last season puts him at third place for the most made in a single season for an MSU player.
Johnson’s lack of ball-handling skills and overall aggressiveness have limited his productivity to deadly bursts, usually coming in one half. However, Stansbury said his those aspects of his game have improved during the offseason.
“He’s getting better in, can you put it down and get stronger with the ball,” he said. “But no question, he’s a guy that can really make shots.”
When examining MSU’s backcourt, at the end of the day, Stewart, who always seems to put up 10 to 12 points, may be State’s most indispensable weapon.
“Barry Stewart’s one of those guys that just helps you win games and championships … I think what stands out most about Barry is he does a little bit of everything well,” Stansbury said. “Some players are better shooters. Some players are better rebounders, defenders, passers. I think Barry does a little bit of all of it. That’s why he has an impact on the game.”
Adding more depth to MSU’s backcourt will be junior Riley Benock and freshman Shaunessy Smith.
Benock, a 3-point specialist who plays solid defense, saw action in all 36 games last year, connecting on 21 three pointers.
Smith, a three-star recruit from Noxubee County, was a first team All-State and All-District selection as a senior.