MSU Returns From Break To Face North Georgia

Saturday, December 9

Starkville

4:00 PM

Mississippi State

North Georgia

Tickets

Mississippi State welcomes North Georgia to the Hump on Saturday for a 4 p.m. showdown.

MSU Returns From Break To Face North Georgia

December 08, 2017 | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes North Georgia Game Notes SEC Notes Ben Howland Press Conference

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Looking to keep their record unblemished, the Mississippi State Bulldogs return to the court after a week off for exams to face North Georgia on Saturday.

Tip is set for 4 p.m., with the game televised on the SEC Network+. Bart Gregory and Blake DuDonis will handle the broadcast, while Neil Price and Richard Williams will have the call on the MSU radio network.

LAST TIME OUT
Mississippi State claimed a dramatic, 61-59 win against Dayton on a last-second layup by Quinndary Weatherspoon, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his third-career double-double.

The Nighthawks dropped their third-straight game with an 88-76 setback to Francis Marion.

RECORDS
Mississippi State, 7-0; North Georgia, 2-5

THE SERIES
First meeting

KEY LINKS
Live Stats: http://hailst.at/2j85j4i
Watch Online: http://hailst.at/2j91n34

COACHES
Ben Howland enters his third year at MSU and 22^nd overall. As head coach in four different stops, he is 438-239 with 37-33 mark with the Bulldogs.

Chris Faulker is in his 15th year with North Georgia and is 194-210. In 22 years as a head coach, he is 266-312.

QUOTABLE
"I could tell you one of the reasons; Abdul's back. With Abdul being back, having that body and energy, I think that helped us a lot and so does coming out playing hard every night. So, that is one of the things we focus on before the game. That is one of the reasons defense is getting better. I feel like I am in better shape than I was at the beginning of the year. We are just playing defense and getting up and down the court, as much as I do, is one of the reasons why I am on the court like I am." — Nick Weatherspoon on why MSU's defense is better.

Game Notes
Mississippi State
North Georgia
SEC

BULLDOG BITES

After a career-high 35 points against North Dakota State and 20 points against Dayton, sophomore guard Tyson Carter was named SEC Player of the Week.
The Bulldogs received 11 votes in the AP poll this week. They haven't been ranked since 2012.
Mississippi State is looking for its first 8-0 start since opening the 2003-04 campaign 13-0.
MSU has played just one team from the Peach Belt Conference — a 59-46 win against Clayton State on Nov. 14, 2014, at Humphrey Coliseum.
The Bulldogs are now the only undefeated SEC team and one of nine teams nationally.
Mississippi State is one of only three schools nationally whose men's and women's basketball teams are undefeated — Villanova and Florida State.
Against Dayton, junior All-SEC guard Quinndary Weatherspoon earned his third-career
double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He also had 3 steals to give him 101 for his career, the fourth most of any active player in the SEC.
In his last two games, sophomore guard Tyson Carter is 19-29 (.655) shooting from the floor, 12-20 (.600) beyond the arc.
Quinndary Weatherspoon is now 67 points shy of becoming the 37th player in school history to reach 1,000 for a career following his 11-point performance against Dayton.
Aric Holman is now tied with Marcus Campbell for the 10th most blocks in school history with 87.
The Bulldogs lead the SEC and is 22nd nationally in fewest points allowed at 61.9.
Through seven games, the Bulldogs have used three different lineups. The only players to start all games are Nick Weatherspoon and Quinndary Weatherspoon.
Schnider Herard's 6 blocks against Florida A&M are the most by an SEC player in a single game this year.
On the year, MSU has shot 45 percent or better from the floor in all seven games, while only one opponent has shot better than 39 percent — Dayton (.457). The Bulldogs are 18th in the country in field goal percentage defense (.374).