Hey guys, Justin Ammon here – sports editor for The Reflector.
Last Wednesday, I sat down with coach Rick Stansbury for a lengthy interview that covers everything MSU basketball for the 2009-10 season, including, but certainly not limited to, his thoughts on specific players, how he feels about his legacy at MSU and what he thinks about the student section being split in two.
Perhaps against my better judgment, I decided to print this beast in its entirety. It was the least I could do for Bob Carskadon, the sports writer who painstakingly transcribed every word. Thanks Bob.
If you are wondering what news has developed since the interview took place, a simple answer is not much: MSU drubbed Oklahoma City 82-54 in its opening exhibition, and highly touted signee Renardo Sidney is still waiting for the NCAA to decide on his amateur status, which may be revealed today.
This interview is separated into two parts: questions regarding players and questions of a miscellaneous nature.
That said, strap in and try to read the whole interview. You’ll be better for it.
Perspective Questions
Q: In my opinion coach, some of the weaker non-conference schedules in recent years have hurt our RPI a little bit. But this year, we have UCLA and a big-time likelihood of playing Missouri in the South Padre Invitational. Can you talk about how important that is?
A: “You got road games at Western Kentucky, at Houston, at Sand Diego and Depaul on a neutral court. We have eight games on the road, away from the Hump. I’d be willing to bet there’s not another BCS team that’s playing eight of their 14 [non-conference] games on the road away from their home court. I thought our team would be ready to handle it. Again, I’ve said it many times, everybody is good at home, but those teams that can go on the road and win the most are teams that are going to win championships. Championships are won on the road in this league. There’s no question, we have a tough schedule – I mean very tough schedule. There’s just no breathers there. It will make us better come SEC play, Justin. We just got to survive it, and survive it early. Not knowing parts and pieces, what’s in place, it’ll be a challenge for us.”
Q: Now coach, I know you don’t pay a ton of attention to media hype – and for good reason. But a lot of publications do have us highly ranked. How do you think that affects your players?
A: “I hope it doesn’t affect them any because we have high expectations every year. If we only worked harder mentally the years we get hyped, then we stay on a roller coaster – up and down. I talked to my team: last year we weren’t hyped, were we? No one expected anything from us, and we won a championship. We expect championships every year here. We don’t worry about what anyone says because that’s one person’s opinion. The only thing we can control is what we’re in control of – that’s what happens between the lines. Again, our expectations are the same every year, from within, to compete for a championship. It’s no different this year.
Q: Coach, the SEC – as you know – has a mega-deal with ESPN. I think at least eight of our games will be on ESPN, ESPN2 or CBS. How do you feel about that exposure?
A: “All 16 SEC games will be on some TV network, whether it’s the SEC network or the ESPN network. We’re the only league in the country that can say that. Anytime you have that kind of exposure, it only helps you nationally and helps you in recruiting because what everybody wants to do is be on national TV. Again, at Mississippi State, we have that opportunity to do that as much as anybody in the country right now.”
Q: Under your belt, you got six tournament appearances, one SEC Championship, four West crowns and eight 20 win seasons. That’s a lot to throw out. Arguably, that makes you one of the better coaches, of any sport, in MSU history. Do you think your entire legacy will be built here at MSU.
A: You’re asking me if I’m planning on leaving? Is that the question? It’s very obvious; I’ve been here now going on my 12th year and 20 years total. You know I love Starkville, Mississippi. I love Mississippi State; it’s a great place to raise a family. We’ve sold out the Hump seven years in a row. Every ticket’s sold out preseason. In my opinion, what’s better? The grass isn’t always greener. It’s very obvious. I’ve been here a long time, and I’m not looking to leave as long as everybody wants me here. Again, I’ve said this many times, no longer do you have to leave this state to find a place to play and win and get a good education. I tell recruits all the time, ‘If you’ve got to go away from home to find a place to play and win and get a good education, then that’s what you need to do.’ But you can find it just as good or better close to home. You’ve got the best of both worlds; that’s what you’ve got right here. Mississippi State may not be the right place for every kid, but for the right kid, it’s the best place in America. I think that’s what we’ve been able to put together. People in recruiting talk about small town Starkville. Starkville, Mississippi is a big time city for a lot of kids. Our campus, people who have never been here have a perception, but until you get here, it’s totally different. Reality and perception are totally different. Our campus is as pretty and beautiful as any campus in the country. We also have a new practice facility coming in that has not been a want, but an absolute need. This is a perfect place, and the best place, for the right person.
Q: Can you elaborate on the importance of the practice facility?
A: People don’t know, basically from March to August our kids had to go to the Sanderson to play. Think about this, very seldom can you get a court by yourself. Don’t take this negatively, but if there’s a badminton net up, or a volleyball net up, you don’t move it. Nobody’s on it, but you cant take it down. We had to play around all this. One thing we haven’t done, we haven’t used it for excuses and went out and won championships. So, this will help us again now for our players. It’ll be special for our players because now there going to have access to it anytime – 24 hours. We’re going to move our offices there, our weight room will be there. The women will have the same thing we have. They get to experience it too. But here’s what’s special about ours – what I wanted and pushed for – most practice facilities either develop by themselves or are connected somewhere where everybody can’t be a part of it. What separates ours and makes it special? As you know around the Hump, there’s really not a front door. You don’t know where the front door is. Well now we’re going to have a front door where all the fans, all the alumni, are going to get a chance to experience our practice facility every game. They’re going to walk through the lobby of it as they come into the Hump now. Not many places have fans, students and alumni utilize something like that. That’s what makes it even more special. Everybody’s going to be a part of it.
Q: Speaking of selling out the Hump, the student section has been split, with students being placed under each goal. What are your thoughts on that?
A: Well, here are my thoughts on this. You know, since day one when I took this job, you know I’m for the students, whatever’s best for the students. The students have been a big part of our success here over the years. We couldn’t have won the championships without them. I want what’s best for our students in every way, and whatever I can do to help our students, that’s what I want to do. We’ll see how it goes this year. I think it can be good. I think it’s probably brought more students down low, on each end. We’ve got both floor sections in the end zones. I think it can be something that can be very positive for everybody. Students have been a huge part of our success here, and we couldn’t have done it without them. We’ll have students in the end zone where opposing teams are shooting free throws at both ends, where in the past they didn’t have the opportunity to jump up and make noise. You know how important Rick’s Rowdies have been, Justin, to what we’ve done the last year or two.
Q: How does this team compare with all the other great teams you’ve had?
A: It’s a different kind of team. It’s not my most physical team. It’s not the strongest team I’ve ever had. Naturally, if you get a couple parts back, you become bigger and stronger in one area, but remember in 2004 we went 25-2 in the regular season. And that team did something no other team in the history of the SEC may ever do again – 8-0 on the road. That’s lost in the shuffle of everything. That’s something no other team may ever do again, what a feat that is. This team’s different. We changed last year. My teams have been built on defending and rebounding. But last year, we played quick and could really score. We’ve got to get better defending and rebounding in order for us to take that next step. We’re going to be able to score us some points because of the makeup of our team. We got enough shooters, were small enough and quick enough and we can still play quick and small with Kodi at the four. Sid gives us a different versatility, another big guy that can really score – a guy that can play on the perimeter too. He gives you a chance. I like this team. It’s just different than what we’ve had. This team has a chance. God willing we stay healthy at key positions, we have a chance. A chance, like always, to compete for championships.
Q: Well, on that note, State might not have to play as guard heavy this year,huh?
A: We may not have to. I mean, if you look at Kodi, I count him as a guard. Phil, you count as a guard, right? Kodi’s going to play. He’s going play four out – one in – but he’s a guy that can get the backboards a little more because of his size. We got to tweak what we have because what we had last year worked. We got more experience with it now. Everybody should be better. We just got to tweak it and make it all better. But in turn, we got to defend and rebound better.
Q: Coach, do you think Varnado’s jersey will be hanging up in those rafters one day?
A: God willing. If he stays healthy, he’s going to do something no other college player has ever done. That in turn, I think his number and jersey will be hanging up there beside Bailey’s and Erick Dampier’s – then Jarvis Varnado’s.
Q: You’ve recruited and signed some great players – Jonathan Bender, Monta Ellis, Travis Outlaw. Well, how does Renardo Sidney stack up to those guys?
A: Well, Sidney’s makes up for one of those guys that we lost. We had three others just like him. Jonathan Bender, Monta Ellis and Travis Outlaw. When you’re a McDonalds All-American, one of the top five or ten players in the country – that’s what they all were. Were getting one of those that we lost. No question, Sidney’s ability speaks for itself. He’s a versatile big guy. He can play on the block. He can play on the perimeter. His biggest challenge will be getting him in shape and the speed of the game. But his natural understandings of the game, his natural abilities, are things you can’t teach. He’s fit in because of his skill level. He’ll be one of our best passers. That’s a part of his game that people don’t talk about, that’s lost. It’s one of the greatest abilities he has: he’s a tremendous passer. But I’ve learned a long time ago not to talk about or worry about the things you don’t have and can’t control. He’ll be easy to fit in if we have him. Naturally, we’d love to have him. He gives us a different element, but we’ll be good with or without him. With him, he gives us another different element.
Player Questions
Q: I know you are probably sick of this question, but let’s just get it out of the way. I know you’ve been, more or less, kind of creating a Sidney-less game plan, if you will. But, on the chance that he does play, what kind of impact do you think he can make?
A: I learned along time ago I don’t worry about things I can’t control, and I don’t plan on things we don’t have. We have to make plans without him. When they tell us he’s cleared, and he can play, then we’ll fit him in to what we’re doing. He’ll be easy to fit in because of his abilities. He has multiple abilities – inside, outside. His biggest challenge will be getting in shape. Again, as much as you’d like to think about having him, you can’t waste time and energy thinking about things you don’t have, Justin. You got to plan on what you do have. These games are going to come, and you got to be prepared for what you’re facing.
Q: Kodi Agustus, he sat out a lot of mid-season last year, but he came on strong in the end. I think he averaged over 10 points the last nine games, including the SEC tournament. What role do you think he can play this year?
A: Well, I think people forget this, Justin. He started the first ten games for us last year. Those stats weren’t near as productive offensively, defensively, rebounding. None of that was productive. We made a change in our lineup and from there on we really got good. But to his credit, he went to the bench, he found ways mentally to understand that if he wants to play, he’s got to do those things that he has to do to play. He’s got to become more aggressive defensively’ He’s got to rebound the basketball more. He’s got to play hard. He deserves all the credit for it because he hung in there with us. I saw it happening in practice. Again, he went through a span of probably ten SEC games out of 12 he didn’t play much. I could see him getting better in practice, and we gave him a shot there against Florida. From that point on is when he played well. We beat Florida here and Ole Miss, and we win those four games in the SEC tournament. He was a factor in all those games. I think once a guy bottoms out, like he did, there’s no going back. He had a great spring, a great summer, a great fall. I see him picking up, not where he left off at, but where I expect him to be all along. Now, since we can plan on having him more, it’s easy for us to do different things with him. I think he’s going to have a big year for us.
Q: Varnado, obviously he’ll beat Shaq’s SEC record. But do you think that he’ll break the NCAA record?
A: God willing. If he has no injuries, if he stays healthy, that’s the whole key. If he stays healthy, he’s going to get that 141. He’s had more than 161 the last two years. He’s got to stay healthy. What a great story it is for him. Imagine this, a young man came here at 180 pounds as a freshman. He’d play about 8 minutes and foul out. But think now he has a chance to do something no other college player in the history of the game has ever done. There’s not enough publicity about that. There’s not enough being said about that. A chance to become the All-Time NCAA college leader in blocked shots. And those who have followed the game, you think about the Shaq’s, the Wilt Chamberlain’s, the Bill Russell’s, the Jabar’s – for Jarvis Varnado to have the chance to do something better than those guys is an amazing stat.
Q: Obviously breaking the NCAA record will be big for Varnado. But, what would it mean to the program?
A: It, number one, would mean this: Anytime you translate a defensive stat into your game plan, into your program, that means you’ve helped your team win. [Blocks are] not a selfish stat. It’s not an individual stat. It’s a stat that helps your team. It’s not a guy that scores a bunch of points, takes shots a bunch. That’s an individual stat. But when a guy can block shots, he’s doing something in that category that helps your team win consistently. There’s no question, you know, I think all the big guys in our program kind speaks for themselves. We’ve had a lot of successful big guys come through here. For him to do something no other college player has ever done – and at the same time help your team win – there’s where you get your publicity. With the team’s success, and him nationally being able to say that, I think it helps our program tremendously.
Q: Look, we know what he is capable of on defense. But his offensive production has steadily increased each year. How productive can he be? Has he come close to reaching his potential?
A: I think his freshman year he averaged 3.5 or 5 points, went to 7 his sophomore year and he went to 13 last year. I think all that’s improved, but there’s no substitute for experience. There’s no substitute for some strength that he’s gained. We always knew he was a little bit better of an offensive player than he was his freshman and sophomore year. His freshman and sophomore year he was playing with Charles Rhodes, and Charles Rhodes was our go to guy that got most of those shots around that paint. Jarvis physically wasn’t ready yet, but we knew he had some abilities. Last year I think everybody saw his abilities come out. He’s got nice hands in there; he’s quick around that hole. I think this year, from the experience he had last year, he’s only going to be stronger. He’s gained a little weight,too. I see no reason why he’s not going to be more productive this year than he was last year. I think he’s the guy that on an opposing team you got to make the decision – are you going to double him or not double him? That’s what you want: a guy to create a double team.
Q: Coach, you have two seniors returning. But, I’ve heard you say, even with just two – you’ll have more experience this year than you’ve had in a while. Even so, how important is it for Barry and Jarvis to really assume prominent leadership roles?
A: Like you just said, even though we have just two seniors, it’s still the most we’ve had in awhile. Last year we just had two players back who played, Barry and Jarvis. Everybody else was new. So I have two seniors and some other guys back that have played. I mean, anytime for your team to be the best it can be, your best players always need to be your hardest workers – need to be leaders – and that’s the role those guys are in. That’s the role Jarvis and Barry should want to be in. There both good people too. They’re going to lead by example everyday. Where I need them to be more consistent, take that next step, is to help lead other people fervently. They’re not natural born talking guys who just like to talk all the time. If you have a choice between a guy that’s going to lead by example and a guy that’s going to talk about it and not do it, you take that guy that’s going to lead by example. I think they’re better in all areas, and it’s very important for them to step up and assume that leadership role.
Q: How about Phil Turner. Hey, his stats aren’t necessarily gaudy, but the tenacity and intangibles he brings to the team . can you talk about that?
A: There’s no stat you can put on tenacity and toughness. Those are stats that helps your team win. He’s one of those guys, he’ll just find his way to the floor whatever position we put him in. I don’t know what Phil’s best position is; I don’t know if anybody knows. He’s just a guy that does a lot of things. He can make shots; he’s gotten stronger – a guy that understands the game much more than he’s ever understood it, and he’s a redshirt junior, which means he’s a fourth-year junior. So there’s no substitute for the experience he’s had. Last year was really the first year he’s gained that experience. His greatest ability is he’s going to give you everything that he’s got and play with extreme toughness. He was the difference in our basketball team last year.
Q: John Riek – has a ton of upside, he has a 7’9″ wingspan. But, We all know about his debilitating knee injury that prevented him from going to the NBA. How’s he coming along?
A: He’s got a long way to go, yet. John – first off he’s a great kid. He’s faced off with a couple challenges right now that only time is going to heal. Language barriers? Absolutely. It’s foreign to him right now. You talk about ball screens and midlines, free throw line extended, all that – just things you take for granted kids know, I mean it’s just absolutely foreign. Number two, it’s just the pace. I try to make our practice as game-like as we can from a pace stand point. There’s no time standing around thinking about what’s next. You anticipate and see what’s next. That’s what you do when the game’s played. He has no ability yet to see the next play happening, anticipate things. The speed of the game is something he’s never been associated with. But when you slow down and think about it, he’s never practiced in his life. He came here from Sudan at summertime and played AAU basketball. Then he goes to prep school in less than three weeks and hurts his knee. So he’s never had a practice. So, I cant imagine what it’s like coming from his country, where he’s never played or practiced, and just get thrown into what we’re throwing him into. It’s hard telling what’s inside of his head. But to his credit, once he figures things out, he’s going to give you everything he’s got every day and every possession. It’s just going to be an adjustment for him. But then you can’t teach being 7′ 1″. We got to figure out once we get him eligible – he’s out the first 9 games – does his knee, does his language, does his speed of the game, catch up to the point that he helps much this year. Again, don’t forget he’s a freshman. People get caught up in his size; think he’s an older guy. He’s a freshman. I’m pleased with the progress he’s made since he’s been here.
Q: Well, what’s up with the newcomers in general – Wendell and those guys.
A: The one guy that’s surprised me more than anybody else is Wendell. It’s always characteristics; it’s always a correlation with everything that happens off the court. He’s probably over exceeded expectations there. Academically, he’s done very well. Conditioning, he’s great. For a freshman coming in, most big guys, they struggle. He never struggled. He got up front in his group. And there’s a correlation because he carried it over in practice. He listens; he picks up things very well; he’s got a great body at 6’8″, 240 or 245; he moves; he’s got great feet; I think he’s got a tremendous upside. And because of our lack of depth in the post right now – without John, Elgin Bailey being out, Sidney’s situation – he has to play for us early. I mean, he’s a backup guy, and again I wasn’t sure where that was coming from, but I think he’s a guy that’s going to be able to give us what we need and help us out more than I expected. I think he’s got a high ceiling. I think he’s one of those guys that mid-sophomore year; people around the league are going to be saying “where did this cat come from.” He’s one of those guys we’ve been living on in our program. Nobody really knew a lot about him – didn’t recruit him very hard – and he’s a great kid, too. He’s one of those guys that’s going to help us win some games.
Q: Coach, Barry Stewart – not a dominant player, but steady, reliable. How important is he?
A: 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. You can’t say that about a lot of players. 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 makes an impact on the game. I think he’s a good shooter. I think he’s a really good defender. He can lock down as one of our better defenders at more than one position. He’s one of our best passers. He’s probably has the best feel – more than anybody – for seeing the next play before it happens. That’s a basketball feel. He has a way to make timely shots. He’s one of those guys that can make big shots when we have to have it. He’s not the biggest guy, the strongest guy, the most athletic guy – but he just does a lot of things to impact the game, and he’s one of those guys, again, that helps you win championships. Him and Jarvis both are guys that have been a part of three different championships: two Western Conference Championships and an SEC Championship. They’re coming back and could be one of the few players to win four straight championships while being here.
Q: Let’s move on to Dee coach. Obviously he grew up fast, led the team. But, with Twany being hurt, who will back him up when he’s on the bench taking a breather?
A: Dee grew up a lot and who will back him up? Well, Barry Stewart will be our backup point guard. We’ve had him there some. Barry backed up Jamont there a few years ago. 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. He had to play through his mistakes, and there were a lot of mistakes early. But its very obvious, he got better – our team got better. For a freshman to help lead you to a championship . His freshman year he was a big part of it out there, and it was a big accomplishment on his part. He’s only better this year in every area. He’s stronger – no substitute for experience – he’s more confident, he understands more, the speed of the game he understands. Defense is an area we had to get him better in. But he’s getting better there, and he can still get better for us there. I think Dee’s going to have a tremendous year. I think, no question, Dee’s one of the better guards in this league. He’s going to become one of the best guards in this league before he leaves here.
