Gameday: Five Things to Know About No. 17 MSU-Wright State

Saturday, December 22

Jackson, Miss. (Mississippi Coliseum)

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

Wright State

Gameday: Five Things to Know About No. 17 MSU-Wright State

December 21, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Watch Live Listen Live Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

JACKSON – No. 17 Mississippi State will make its annual trek to the capital city when the Bulldogs meet Wright State on Saturday at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.

Tip time is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by the SEC Network and is available online through the WatchESPN app. Sam Ravech and Mark Wise will serve as the announcing team.

The Bulldogs have posted a 19-6 all-time record in Jackson and have won 15 of its last 16 decisions dating back to the 1985-86 season. Mississippi State has a 3-0 mark and averaged a 24.0 point margin of victory under head coach Ben Howland.

The Matchup: No. 17 Mississippi State (10-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Wright State (6-6, 0-0 Horizon)
Where: Jackson, Mississippi – Mississippi Coliseum
When: Saturday, Dec. 22, 6:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

TV: SEC Network
Talent: Sam Ravech, Mark Wise
Online: https://hailst.at/WSUvsMSU1222
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WKBB-FM 100.9 Starkville/West Point (Full List: https://hailst.at/MBKAffiliates)
Free Online Audio: Hail State Plus (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); Tune-In Radio App (https://hailst.at/MBKTuneIn)
Sirius/XM: Ch. 134 (Sirius), Ch. 190 (XM), Ch. 961 (Internet)

FROM THE BENCH WITH COACH HOWLAND
"I just think that Jackson has the most alums [of Mississippi State University]. We have players that hail from close to that area. It makes the most sense. In my mind, if we want to play a game there every year for our fans right before Christmas, then it allows our guys to go home from there. It's a good situation. We're not changing. We will keep that game there every year."

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Mississippi State has drained 59 treys during its last four games, and the Bulldogs have knocked down 10 or more three-pointers in four consecutive games. The last time MSU canned 10 or more trifectas in four straight games was on Jan. 3-14, 2009. The stretch has been fueled by five players who have canned six of more treys.

2. Lamar Peters has buried 24 of his 38 three-pointers en route to a team-high 22.0 points per game over the four-game run. He has ripped off double figures in eight of his last nine appearances and his 45.2 percentage from three-point territory is third in the SEC rankings. Peters also has been a veteran floor general and handed out five-plus assists in nine of 11 outings headed by eight consecutive games. The New Orleans, Louisiana, native is second among SEC active players with 321 career assists. He enters Saturday's action five dimes away from moving past Richard Knarr (1973-74-75-76) and into the program's top 10.

3. Quinndary Weatherspoon has worked his way to a team-leading 16.6 points per game which ranks fifth on the SEC leaderboard. He has racked up 1,566 career points which is tops among SEC active players and good enough for ninth place on MSU's all-time list. Weatherspoon has collected 10-plus points in 10 of 11 games on the season fueled by five games where he has eclipsed the 20-point plateau. He has upped his rebounding mark to 7.2 boards per game in his last five games.

4. Aric Holman turned in a solid all-around effort with 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks during the Wofford game. He has garnered 14.0 points per game headed by nine three-pointers in his last three games. Holman's 8.6 rebounds per game is third, while his 2.4 blocks per game are tied for fourth in the SEC rankings. For his career, Holman's 833 points are 10th, his 576 rebounds are fourth and his 170 blocks are second among SEC active players.

5. Nick Weatherspoon has dialed up double figures in four of his last six games. He has chipped in 10.1 points per game and has a sparking 16-for-28 clip from three-point land … Adbul Ado has recorded 5.4 points per game on 9-of-18 shooting in his last five games … MSU's bench provided 27 points on an efficient 10-of-16 mark from the floor against Wofford courtesy of Tyson Carter, Reggie Perry and Robert Woodard II … Carter has notched double figures in seven of 11 games, and MSU is 19-2 over the last two seasons when he scores 10 or more points … Perry has managed 10.7 points per game and flipped 25 of his 35 shot attempts in his last six games … Woodard II pumped in seven points versus Wofford, his second-highest scoring output on the season.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Raiders are the third non-conference opponent that Mississippi State has faced from the State of Ohio on the season. MSU has already defeated Dayton (66-58 on 11/30) and Cincinnati (70-59 on 12/15).

Wright State has three players that have averaged in double figures headed by Bill Wampler's 14.7 points per game. The Drake transfer has secured 10-plus points in nine of 12 contests headed by a 26-point outburst versus Western Carolina on Nov. 7.

On the interior, Loundon Love has garnered 14.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game He is the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year and an All-Horizon League Second-Team selection. Love has tucked away six double-doubles on the season which included 19 points and 10 rebounds last time out against Morehead State on Dec. 18.

Cole Gentry and Mark Hughes have registered 13.6 and 9.0 points per game, respectively. The duo has teamed with Wampler to connect on 63 of the team's 112 three-pointers on the season. Gentry has piled up double digit points in nine of 12 outings headed by a 30-point performance against Toledo on Nov. 14.

Wright State's top performer off the bench is Skyelar Potter's 8.8 points per game. He has emerged with 10-plus points in three of his last four outings which includes a pair of 17-point efforts against Miami and Northwestern Ohio.

UP NEXT
Mississippi State returns from the holiday break and will take on BYU to wrap its non-conference slate next Saturday. The Cougars are fifth straight postseason opponent from last season for MSU. Tip time is on-tap for 11 a.m. CT from Humphrey Coliseum. The game will be televised by ESPNU and available online through the WatchESPN app.

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.