Prior to the season opening, pollsters placed the Mississippi State University men’s basketball team at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference. The players and coaches knew they were better, and as a result, won the most games in school history and the SEC Championship. Before the season began, MSU head coach Rick Stansbury shrugged off the expectations. Less than a week after the season ended, Stansbury was already on a recruiting trip.
Stansbury’s squad had made the third round of the National Invitational Tournament last year before losing to eventual champion Tulsa University. MSU assistant coach Robert Kirby said the success of this year’s team began with hard work at summer practices.
“Once we got the whole team together and saw how they interacted, we knew this team could be very special,” Kirby said. “Chemistry can take you a long way.”
MSU won more non-conference games than ever before, closing out 2001 with an impressive 13-1 mark. The ‘Dawgs then faced a tough month, January, that featured opening the SEC season by hosting perennial powerhouse Kentucky. The Wildcats horrified the Humphrey Coliseum crowd of 9,347 with a blistering 21-2 start.
Although MSU trailed at the half by 16, members of Rick’s Rowdies kept the spirit of the crowd up, and the Bulldogs made an incredible comeback that would set the tone for the rest of the season. Senior Marckell Patterson sank a three to give MSU its first lead at 61-59. With time winding down, sophomore Mario Austin made his only three of the season, an unforgettable basket that sent the game into overtime.
The Bulldogs would prevail in the extra session, and through the comeback developed the tough-mindedness and tenacity that it takes to be a champion.
“The way we mounted a comeback helped our guys believe that we could conquer anything,” Kirby said.
The win got the Bulldogs a national ranking, but consecutive losses at Arkansas and Mississippi bounced MSU out of the top 25.
The ‘Dawgs happily returned to The Hump, and defeated Tennessee in overtime 92-91 in a game that saw both teams blow a 10-point lead.
After a road loss at Florida, and the only home loss of the season at the hands of Georgia, the Bulldogs were cornered (4-5 SEC) as they hosted Alabama.
In what sophomore Timmy Bowers called a must win game, senior Michael Gholar scored his season high of 15, and Bowers exploded for his career high of 24, turning the Tide back to Tuscaloosa, Ala. with a loss.
The following week the ‘Dawgs blew a 15-point halftime lead to drop to 5-6 in the SEC. Although the loss threatened the Bulldogs’ chances for getting to the NCAA Tournament, the game marked a turning point in the Bulldog season.
From there, MSU closed out the regular season with five consecutive wins, including routes over Auburn and Vanderbilt, a two-point triumph over arch-rival Mississippi, a defeat of Nolan Richardson in his final game as the Razorbacks head coach, and a win in South Carolina’s final SEC contest in the Carolina Coliseum. Patterson called the latter, a key victory as it guaranteed MSU second place in the SEC West, and gave MSU a first round bye. What was the formula for success?
“We got our confidence up, different guys stepped up, and we trusted each other,” Patterson said.
Despite the string of wins, MSU was flying under the national radar as the SEC Tournament began with a contest against No. 11 Florida. The ‘Dawgs bit the Gators and shocked everyone but themselves.
Then MSU prevailed against LSU and Alabama on consecutive days to win the SEC Tournament for the second time in school history.
“It is a magnificent feeling. When no one else thought we could, we did (win the SEC Championship),” Kirby said.
“No one expected us to win, but we just played our hearts out,” Bowers said.
“Winning the championship is a dream come true,” Gholar said.
Patterson said that cutting the nets down in celebration was unique and memorable. Stansbury’s father, Robert, climbed the ladder to snip the final strand in the post-game ceremony.
This accomplishment guaranteed MSU a spot in the field of 64. The selection committee chose to give Alabama a two seed in Greenville, S.C., and State a three seed in Dallas, Texas, although the Bulldogs had defeated Alabama twice. State won its first NCAA tournament game under Stansbury. The Bulldogs snapped McNeese State’s 14-game winning streak to advance to play the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns used a distinct home crowd atmosphere and got a running start, amassing a 22-point lead. The American Airlines Center felt more like the Alamo for the ‘Dawgs; however, the Bulldogs did not get scared. They demonstrated the togetherness and tenacity that make them champions.
The comeback effort fell short by just four points, leaving many State fans like MSU student Nate Jones looking forward to next season. Senior guard Guy Gardner said he looks forward to seeing next year’s team compete. “I feel like we have laid a great foundation this year,” Gardner said.
Senior reserves Corey Stidham and Brandon Carr said how proud they are to be on this year’s team.
“We showed how much heart we have today. The future looks so bright for this team,” Stidham said.
“I can’t be more proud of the character that this team has,” Carr said.
Following the game, Stansbury held his son Isaac, and talked about the pride he had in his team, saying, “This team is made of champions, and no one can ever take that away from them.