Photo by: Trevor Birchett/MSU Athletics
Season-Opening Homestand Wraps Up Friday
November 14, 2018 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – No. 17 Mississippi State will look to continue its winning ways when Long Beach State visits Humphrey Coliseum on Friday.
Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by the SEC Network and streamed online via the WatchESPN app. Kevin Fitzgerald and Pat Bradley will serve as the announcing team.
The Bulldogs have won 16 consecutive non-conference home games dating back to the 2016-17 season. Six of the last seven and 10 of the 16 victories during the streak have come by double-digit points. The average margin of victory for MSU during those last seven outings is 23.0 points per game.
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Head coach Ben Howland along with Abdul Ado and Robert Woodard II met with the media on Wednesday prior to practice. Below is a transcript of the session.
Mississippi State Men's Basketball Media Session
November 14, 2018 – Humphrey Coliseum
Head Coach Ben Howland
Opening Statement
BH: "I am excited about our signees today. We signed three very good players who are all really good kids. First, Devin Butts out of Georgia. He is reminiscent of a shooter like a Tyson Carter. He is that good at shooting. He is 180 pounds, 6-5 and very athletic. He comes from a good basketball family. His dad was a very good player at Texas Tech who played under Gerald Myers. Devin is a bright kid, pre-engineering student. They were very impressed by the academics here at Mississippi State especially our engineering department. I am very grateful to all the love and care that they were shown over there by the engineering department. They did a great job, and that is a real strength of this university."
"Elias is 6-8, incredibly skilled and a wonderful shooter. All these kids have three-point range right now from day one. This kid can pass the ball and handle the ball like a point [guard]. He can play three positions. He is a very, very skilled player and an outstanding shooter. He has great length. He is going to be a good addition to our program. I am very excited about Elias and his future. What I love about all three of these kids is they are all gym rats … Those guys love to play. Elias is an absolute gym rat. He lives in the gym. He is a great student, very bright. I am very excited about him."
"Iverson Molinar is a big time steal for us. This kid can play point and has a great body. He is 6-3, 195 pounds and wonderful kid. When you look at his AAU team, Why Not, which is actually Russell Westbrook's program. I saw him in Augusta, Georgia at the Peach Jam. He shot 63 percent from the field. He was that team's best player. They have some guys that are big time high recruits. But if you ask their coach, who is a good friend of mine, he will tell you this kid is the best player on that team. This kid is going to be another nice addition. I'm really pleased and think that all three players are going to be really good players at Mississippi State."
"In terms of what's up next for the Bulldogs, we have Long Beach State here Friday Night. I have a history that goes way back with Dan Monson, their head coach. All the way back when I was a graduate assistant at Gonzaga, his dad was the coach at Idaho. I actually played at Weber State when his dad was the coach at Idaho. So, I played against his father when his Dad was the head coach, and they had a really good team. I have a long history with him and his Dad. Dan was the one that really got the Gonzaga thing going when they first made the Elite Eight … I have a long history with their staff and have great respect for them. Their kids will play very hard. I watched the UCLA game they played in, which was the game before they played Arizona State. They were right there at the end in the lead with 5 or 6 minutes to go. They really had a chance to win. They have a big time shooter, [Deishuan] Booker with 31 points in that game and a real force. We are going to have to play well on Friday night. I'm hoping to have a nice crowd because of the game on Saturday against Arkansas, our last home Football game of the year."
Q: From what you've seen in the team's first two games, what have you liked? Has there been anything that you haven't seen that you would like to improve upon Friday night?
BH: "I really liked our defense in both games. I thought we played very good defensively, and I really thought we really imposed our will in the first two games … Our guys are doing a good job getting deflections and playing hard. Our rotations, we're playing extremely hard. That was a difficult game, there were two different games. One game, you're playing is a team that is super patient on offense [Hartford]. Then, versus Austin Peay which is more wide open and getting up and down. You have to be able to adjust to different styles. Every team you play is going to be a little different. I was very pleased with that. We have to do a better job not allowing second shots. That is going to be a big thing moving forward because we are playing small. We start with 6-1 and 6-0 guards. Nick plays way bigger than he is because of his heart, his toughness, his strength and his athleticism. The bottom line is we have to get in there, get rebounds and keep them off the glass. I thought offensively we were better in the first game than the second game. Part of that is the style of the game. When you're playing against a team that is playing so slow offensively – they only took 20 shots in the first half. Now, they had 10 turnovers but only 20 shots. So, they are using the clock and being very patient. When you get the ball you have to be smart. If you shoot up a quick shot now you're back on defense for another long period of time. If you did a time of possession chart that first half, it would definitely favor them. That is an important stat."
Q: Has [Quinndary Weatherspoon] imposing his will been a focal point of the offense? How many shots do you want him to put up per game?
BH: "It varies from game to game. There will be some games where they are going to face guard him and try to keep him completely out of the game like Alabama did two years ago. It just varies from game to game. Where Q is so good is finishing at the rim and attacking in transition. When we are forcing turnovers and getting out in the open court, or we're getting stops, that is where he is so good when his teammates are finding him. I thought the first game against Austin Peay that we played he was remarkable in his ability to score different ways. He only practiced Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and played Friday. He was out five days with what I thought was a really serious deal, a sprained MCL. For him to be doing what he is doing is remarkable in my opinion. The other thing I like about Q is defensively against Hartford he was very good. He had six steals. Six steals, I get excited about that. When you are getting steals and doing it the right way. Usually he goes with the wrong hand when he goes for a steal. He actually did it the right way and got the steal. I was so excited. They tried to beat him on a back cut and he turned and deflected it. He did a heck of a job."
Q: What do you need from Tyson Carter for you to feel like you got valuable minutes from him?
BH: "He is playing good defense. I am really impressed with him defensively and how he has played this year defensively. He is an outstanding passer. He makes plays for others and is very good at seeing the floor. We have to get better at post feeding. I want him to be one of our best post feeders. Yesterday in practice that was a point of emphasis. We didn't feel we had enough post feeds in our second game offensively. We have to do a better job at that. That is a point of emphasis for us right now on the offensive end."
Forward Abdul Ado
Q: This is the toughest part of the stretch with five games in 13 days how do you prepare for it?
AA: "We take it one day at a time. We have Long Beach next, and that is the team we are focused on. It's a long season so you can't just pile up things together. We have to take it a day at a time."
Guard Robert Woodard II
Q: As you look at Long Beach State, what stands out to you?
RW: "The way they get down in transitions. They have a lot of players that can make plays as well as drive and their shooting abilities. We just have to stay aware on the defensive end and make sure we keep them off the boards. Do the small things that make a big impact on the game."
Q: What do you feel like you've done well in, and what do you feel like you need to improve on?
RW: "I would like to rebound more. I feel like I have not done my best rebounding yet but also being a threat on both ends of the floor not just on offense. Defense wins games, and offense sells tickets – helping the team win in whichever way Coach Howland wants me to."
STARKVILLE – No. 17 Mississippi State will look to continue its winning ways when Long Beach State visits Humphrey Coliseum on Friday.
Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by the SEC Network and streamed online via the WatchESPN app. Kevin Fitzgerald and Pat Bradley will serve as the announcing team.
The Bulldogs have won 16 consecutive non-conference home games dating back to the 2016-17 season. Six of the last seven and 10 of the 16 victories during the streak have come by double-digit points. The average margin of victory for MSU during those last seven outings is 23.0 points per game.
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Head coach Ben Howland along with Abdul Ado and Robert Woodard II met with the media on Wednesday prior to practice. Below is a transcript of the session.
Mississippi State Men's Basketball Media Session
November 14, 2018 – Humphrey Coliseum
Head Coach Ben Howland
Opening Statement
BH: "I am excited about our signees today. We signed three very good players who are all really good kids. First, Devin Butts out of Georgia. He is reminiscent of a shooter like a Tyson Carter. He is that good at shooting. He is 180 pounds, 6-5 and very athletic. He comes from a good basketball family. His dad was a very good player at Texas Tech who played under Gerald Myers. Devin is a bright kid, pre-engineering student. They were very impressed by the academics here at Mississippi State especially our engineering department. I am very grateful to all the love and care that they were shown over there by the engineering department. They did a great job, and that is a real strength of this university."
"Elias is 6-8, incredibly skilled and a wonderful shooter. All these kids have three-point range right now from day one. This kid can pass the ball and handle the ball like a point [guard]. He can play three positions. He is a very, very skilled player and an outstanding shooter. He has great length. He is going to be a good addition to our program. I am very excited about Elias and his future. What I love about all three of these kids is they are all gym rats … Those guys love to play. Elias is an absolute gym rat. He lives in the gym. He is a great student, very bright. I am very excited about him."
"Iverson Molinar is a big time steal for us. This kid can play point and has a great body. He is 6-3, 195 pounds and wonderful kid. When you look at his AAU team, Why Not, which is actually Russell Westbrook's program. I saw him in Augusta, Georgia at the Peach Jam. He shot 63 percent from the field. He was that team's best player. They have some guys that are big time high recruits. But if you ask their coach, who is a good friend of mine, he will tell you this kid is the best player on that team. This kid is going to be another nice addition. I'm really pleased and think that all three players are going to be really good players at Mississippi State."
"In terms of what's up next for the Bulldogs, we have Long Beach State here Friday Night. I have a history that goes way back with Dan Monson, their head coach. All the way back when I was a graduate assistant at Gonzaga, his dad was the coach at Idaho. I actually played at Weber State when his dad was the coach at Idaho. So, I played against his father when his Dad was the head coach, and they had a really good team. I have a long history with him and his Dad. Dan was the one that really got the Gonzaga thing going when they first made the Elite Eight … I have a long history with their staff and have great respect for them. Their kids will play very hard. I watched the UCLA game they played in, which was the game before they played Arizona State. They were right there at the end in the lead with 5 or 6 minutes to go. They really had a chance to win. They have a big time shooter, [Deishuan] Booker with 31 points in that game and a real force. We are going to have to play well on Friday night. I'm hoping to have a nice crowd because of the game on Saturday against Arkansas, our last home Football game of the year."
Q: From what you've seen in the team's first two games, what have you liked? Has there been anything that you haven't seen that you would like to improve upon Friday night?
BH: "I really liked our defense in both games. I thought we played very good defensively, and I really thought we really imposed our will in the first two games … Our guys are doing a good job getting deflections and playing hard. Our rotations, we're playing extremely hard. That was a difficult game, there were two different games. One game, you're playing is a team that is super patient on offense [Hartford]. Then, versus Austin Peay which is more wide open and getting up and down. You have to be able to adjust to different styles. Every team you play is going to be a little different. I was very pleased with that. We have to do a better job not allowing second shots. That is going to be a big thing moving forward because we are playing small. We start with 6-1 and 6-0 guards. Nick plays way bigger than he is because of his heart, his toughness, his strength and his athleticism. The bottom line is we have to get in there, get rebounds and keep them off the glass. I thought offensively we were better in the first game than the second game. Part of that is the style of the game. When you're playing against a team that is playing so slow offensively – they only took 20 shots in the first half. Now, they had 10 turnovers but only 20 shots. So, they are using the clock and being very patient. When you get the ball you have to be smart. If you shoot up a quick shot now you're back on defense for another long period of time. If you did a time of possession chart that first half, it would definitely favor them. That is an important stat."
Q: Has [Quinndary Weatherspoon] imposing his will been a focal point of the offense? How many shots do you want him to put up per game?
BH: "It varies from game to game. There will be some games where they are going to face guard him and try to keep him completely out of the game like Alabama did two years ago. It just varies from game to game. Where Q is so good is finishing at the rim and attacking in transition. When we are forcing turnovers and getting out in the open court, or we're getting stops, that is where he is so good when his teammates are finding him. I thought the first game against Austin Peay that we played he was remarkable in his ability to score different ways. He only practiced Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and played Friday. He was out five days with what I thought was a really serious deal, a sprained MCL. For him to be doing what he is doing is remarkable in my opinion. The other thing I like about Q is defensively against Hartford he was very good. He had six steals. Six steals, I get excited about that. When you are getting steals and doing it the right way. Usually he goes with the wrong hand when he goes for a steal. He actually did it the right way and got the steal. I was so excited. They tried to beat him on a back cut and he turned and deflected it. He did a heck of a job."
Q: What do you need from Tyson Carter for you to feel like you got valuable minutes from him?
BH: "He is playing good defense. I am really impressed with him defensively and how he has played this year defensively. He is an outstanding passer. He makes plays for others and is very good at seeing the floor. We have to get better at post feeding. I want him to be one of our best post feeders. Yesterday in practice that was a point of emphasis. We didn't feel we had enough post feeds in our second game offensively. We have to do a better job at that. That is a point of emphasis for us right now on the offensive end."
Forward Abdul Ado
Q: This is the toughest part of the stretch with five games in 13 days how do you prepare for it?
AA: "We take it one day at a time. We have Long Beach next, and that is the team we are focused on. It's a long season so you can't just pile up things together. We have to take it a day at a time."
Guard Robert Woodard II
Q: As you look at Long Beach State, what stands out to you?
RW: "The way they get down in transitions. They have a lot of players that can make plays as well as drive and their shooting abilities. We just have to stay aware on the defensive end and make sure we keep them off the boards. Do the small things that make a big impact on the game."
Q: What do you feel like you've done well in, and what do you feel like you need to improve on?
RW: "I would like to rebound more. I feel like I have not done my best rebounding yet but also being a threat on both ends of the floor not just on offense. Defense wins games, and offense sells tickets – helping the team win in whichever way Coach Howland wants me to."
Players Mentioned
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