Bulldogs Open With Knights In Charleston Classic

Thursday, November 17

Charleston, S.C.

4:00 PM

Mississippi State

UCF

Aric Holman recorded his first-career double-double against Norfolk State with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Bulldogs Open With Knights In Charleston Classic

November 16, 2016 | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes Central Florida Notes

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Now it's tournament time.

After opening the season with a 78-74 win against Norfolk State last week, Mississippi State returns to action on Thursday to face Central Florida in the opening round of the Gildan Charleston Classic.

The 4 p.m. CT tip at TD Arena game will be televised on ESPN2, with Doug Sherman and Miles Simon handling the broadcast. The game can also be heard on the MSU radio network with veterans Bart Gregory and Richard Williams with the call.

THE SERIES
Friday marks the first meeting between the two schools. However, the Bulldogs are 78-61 all-time against teams from the American Athletic Conference.

COACHES
Ben Howland enters his second year at MSU and 21^st overall. As a head coach in four different stops, he is 416-223 with a 15-17 mark with the Bulldogs

Johnny Dawkins is in his first year with Central Florida and ninth overall with a 157-115 ledger.

NEXT 2
Nov. 18 vs. Boise State or College of Charleston in Charleston Classic
Nov. 20, TBA

BULLDOG BITES

Mississippi State is looking to start 2-0 for the fifth time in the last 10 years.
This is the first time since 2004-05 MSU hasn't played its second game of the year at the Hump.
Against Norfolk State, MSU improved to 82-23 all-time in season openers.
Central Florida is one of four possible teams on MSU's schedule the Bulldogs are facing for the first time. Norfolk State, Boise State and LeHigh are the other three.
The team the Bulldogs have played the most is Tulane (55-39). The Green Wave is also the last AAC team MSU faced, a 69-59 win last December.
In the season opener, MSU started two freshmen (Tyson Carter and Mario Kegler), while three players had their collegiate debuts (Eli Wright, Lamar Peters and E.J. Datcher). It's the first time at least two freshman started an opener since 1987-88 against Christian Brothers when Greg Carter, Todd Merritt and Chancellor Nichols.
In his debut, Tyson Carter scored 17 points, the most by a true freshman on opening day since Chancellor Nichols also had 17 against Christian Brothers on Nov. 28, 1987. Ray White owns the record of 34 against Indiana State on Dec. 1, 1975.
Quinndary Weatherspoon had a game-high 22 points against the Spartans, marking the third time in his career he totaled 20-plus points.
I.J. Ready is now 317 points shy of becoming the 37th player in MSU history to score 1,000 for a career. He also needs just 45 assists to move into the MSU all-time Top 10. In addition, he is 31 steals shy of moving in the MSU Top 10 record book.
Sophomore forward Aric Holman recorded his first-career double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds), marking the fourth-consecutive year MSU has had a player record a double-double on opening day.
On Friday, MSU will play either Boise State or the College of Charleston. While the Bulldogs have never faced the Broncos, they are 1-0 against the Cougars (86-64 in 1974).