Howland Delivers Update on 2019-20 Bulldogs at Media Session

Photo by: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics

Howland Delivers Update on 2019-20 Bulldogs at Media Session

October 03, 2019 | Men's Basketball

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball head coach Ben Howland provided an update on the 2019-20 Bulldogs leading into Thursday's practice at Humphrey Coliseum.

Mississippi State began official team practice last Thursday and have already held six practice sessions heading into week two.

The Bulldogs will carry a SEC-best, 22-game non-conference home winning streak into their season opener versus Florida International on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Humphrey Coliseum. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be carried online courtesy of SEC Network + and the Watch ESPN platform.

Mississippi State is offering a pair of new fan-focused season ticket options for the 2019-20 season which includes the addition of general admission seating to men's basketball. A traditional general admission season ticket for seats in designated areas of the 200 level are available for only $155, while reserved seat season tickets are available for $275.

The second offering is a first-of-its-kind mobile access season ticket, the mobile access pass. This new ticketing option will provide exclusive access to already-sold lower level seats during non-conference games inside Humphrey Coliseum, and a 200 level general admission ticket for all conference games.

During non-conference play, fans with the mobile access pass will be digitally delivered a general admission ticket for a designated lower level section each game and will have access to sit in any open seat within that designated section. The non-conference option is available for $65 whereas the entire season pass is available for $180. Learn more about this new offering at www.HailState.com/accesspass.

Mississippi State posted a 23-11 on-court record last season and secured the program's 11th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bulldogs have dialed up 48 on-court victories over the last two seasons which is tied for second-most in program history over a two-year span and fourth among SEC schools.

Mississippi State's roster features a solid nucleus of five returning players who combined for 83 starts and close to 50 percent of the team's points in Abdul Ado, Tyson Carter, Reggie Perry, Nick Weatherspoon and Robert Woodard II.

The quintet is joined by veteran postmen KeyShawn Feazell and E.J. Datcher along with a talented freshmen class which features Devin Butts, Elias King, Iverson Molinar and Quinten Post. After redshirting the 2018-19 season, Prince Oduro and D.J. Stewart also are ready to make an impact during their first season for the Maroon and White.

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
Opening Statement
BH: "I'm really excited about this year. We've got a very good nucleus returning from last year's NCAA Tournament team. Our players had a tremendous summer and offseason. I'm really excited about Abdul [Ado] being back after missing four and half months without being able to play. He's been back since we started official practice and has done a good job."

"Reggie [Perry], getting to the guys in the offseason, had an unbelievable summer when you consider that he led our USA 19-and-under team to a gold medal and was the recipient for the most valuable player for that tournament. He did a really great job for Team USA. That's something really special to represent your country and to get a gold medal is incredibly special. I'm really happy for him and really proud of him."

"I thought Tyson [Carter] had a tremendous summer and is really poised to have his best year as a Bulldog going into his senior season. I'm really excited about where a number of our players are right now. I think Nick Weatherspoon is in the best condition of his life. He just hit a 42-inch running vertical measured the other day which is amazing so I'm really excited for Nick. He's our starting point guard but the first 10 games he will miss we're going to start Tyson Carter there and back up with Iverson [Molinar]."

"Iverson has come along. He's improving every day, learning that position and doing a really good job. I'm excited about some of our other new guys, Prince Oduro and Quinten Post, both are vying for minutes up front. I think when you see KeyShawn Feazell this year, you're going to see a new guy. First of all, he's about 30 pounds lighter than where he was when he finished the season. He was 220 the other day. He finished the season at 250 at the end of the season last year so he's really lean. You can see it in his movements, his conditioning and how well he's moving."

"I think Robert Woodard [II] had an unbelievable summer. Robert has really improved his outside jump shot. I think he's really grown offensively as a permanent player from when he first arrived a year ago to where he's right now. He's a great competitor and one of our leaders no doubt. He's really playing good basketball for us and has really shown good leadership for our team. I think that we have good depth. We have good size, and we're physical. We just have to keep growing as a team in all areas, but I'm looking forward to the upcoming season."

"We have our first taste of playing someone else a week from this Saturday. We're going to meet TCU down in New Orleans and play them in the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans have been very nice and been so gracious to allow us to do that. I have a former player who plays for the Pelicans, Jrue Holiday, and [TCU coach] Jamie [Dixon] has a former player who played at TCU for him who is playing for them as well. It's kind of fun that we'll get a chance to watch those kids play the night before in an exhibition game against the Jazz which I think will be a fun experience for our players. We'll get a good bonding experience with a five-hour bus ride each way."

"Then, we'll actually have the charity event [on Sunday, October 27] which is great to raise money for all the farmers, especially who suffered from all the rain we had this past year. We haven't had much rain lately, but it was unbelievable this past winter and especially this spring and summer. We're still at all-time records here in Mississippi for rain, and we're playing against a very good South Alabama team. I saw the other day where they have five players who are returning, and they're the only team in the country that [had five players] average 14 points a game or more. So, a little tidbit from [Jon] Rothstein. I was like, 'Wow, we're going to have to really challenge ourselves from day one out of the gate. In both of those exhibition games, Nick [Weatherspoon] is allowed to play. He will start in both of those games. We're playing those games trying to compete and learn about ourselves."

Q: We've seen some outlets name Reggie Perry as the preseason SEC Player of the Year. As his coach, where would you like to see him improve this year?
BH: "I think Reggie [Perry] has really grown as a player tremendously from when he first arrived here a year ago last summer. He's improved in every way. I think he's really grown as a player already is that I think he's a much better shooter. His shooting right now has really improved in his jump shot."

"We're running more offense through him. He's one of our best passers. He's tremendous at pushing the ball in transition and just making a simple play and the simple passes. He's a very willing passer, and he loves to make plays for others. I think that's one of his greatest skills is the ability to pass."

"I want him to be a better rebounder. I want him to average double figures in rebounds every single night we play. I want him to have a goal to be a guy that can average a double-double, which is extremely difficult to do. He's capable of doing it, and that's the challenge. The challenge on the rebounding side is really being consistent there and going every single time to the offensive glass. I think him and Robert [Woodard II] as our two starting forwards give us the best potential tandem of rebounding forwards in the conference at the four and the three. We need both those guys to do that."

Q: You mentioned often how Iverson plays above the physical standpoint and being above that curve. What have you seen from Iverson in practice to prove those statements true?
BH: "Just that he's learning the game and learning a lot about trying to be a point guard – making the simple passes, getting in the lane and stopping. When he gets in the lane and gets close to the basket, what he wants to do is score. We want him to always look for that opportunity but like rebounds, he's becoming a better rebounder and a better defender."

"He's learning how. Most high school kids, unfortunately when the ball is not being guarded by them, they stand and watch versus getting on the other side. His athleticism and his strength force him to become a very good help defender and still get back to his zone. So, learning those types of concepts. It's just so much learning with being consistent and being disciplined about our transition defense rules [with] what he has to do each time and knowing when he's at the two and when he's at the one."

"We're asking a lot of him as a freshman. We're asking him to know two positions from every set and every play on the floor. He has a lot that he's learned, and he's handled it well. He's becoming a better shooter. I think that all the time that he's spending in the gym shooting is really paying off for him. I think he's becoming a better, prominent shooter with more balance and really good form. I'm excited about that."

Q: Staying with the guards, you mentioned Tyson in your opening statement. With him being a senior now, do you see a sense of urgency from him? How has he helped Iverson Molinar?
BH: "Tyson is so much stronger and quicker than he was. I think he's faster. I think he's quicker than he was a year ago, and I think part of that was continued work in the weight room. I think he's playing with a lot of confidence. I thought that when Nick [Weatherspoon] missed the last 10 games of the season, he really filled in admirably. I think he really grew from that point. He's very capable of playing both spots – the one and the two, offensively especially. He's definitely helping Iverson [Molinar], but I think Iverson is learning from all the experienced guys.

"Another guy we haven't talked about who is going to be playing in his first game is D.J. Stewart. We expect a lot out of D.J. You can see that he's so much better because of the year of practicing and being in the program and learning, in terms of his understanding of the game. I think he's going to be one of our better perimeter defenders for sure. He and Nick [Weatherspoon] step out right now as our two top perimeter defenders at the one and the two. D.J. also will slide and play some minutes at the three."

"I'm really excited about D.J. and his growth. He's got a great work ethic. He's in here every morning at 6:30. If you want to watch him shoot sometime, he's here at 6:30 in the morning for those of you that want to watch. He's here on a consistent basis. He just has a great work ethic, a great attitude and love him as a young man. I think he's really going to impact our team this year."

"As it turned out, losing Nick [Weatherspoon] those last 10 games of the season last year. It was a killer to not have him available. I really toiled about 'Am I really going to take him off his [redshirt] freshman year and play him in just seven-eight-nine-ten games?' We really didn't know how many and determined that it was fairest to just proceed the way we did."

Q: How excited are you to add Prince Oduro and D.J. Stewart into the mix after redshirting them last year?
BH: "I think they both benefitted from redshirting. I think Prince had six rebounds yesterday in our practice, and he really played physically … Another player that we've added to the program that I haven't mentioned yet that I'm super excited about and thrilled, is Tolu Smith."

"He's 6'10", 240 pounds, a transfer from Western Kentucky. All our players know that he's going to be a real impact player for us a year from now when he becomes eligible after his redshirt year because of transferring. He's a very, very good player. He's getting better because of his attitude. He's really got a great drive to want to be really good. He's very physical, very tough, very skilled. He might be one of our top two low post scorers, along with Reggie [Perry] right now. Boy, I wish he was eligible right now."

Q: How much of an increased role for Robert Woodard II do you think he'll see this year?
BH: "He's our starting three-man, no question. You can just see the confidence he plays with now. He had to make the adjustment a year ago from being more of a power forward in high school and around the basket to being a perimeter player. He still scores for us around the basket, and he's still driving. Just his work ethic in the offseason, he's just a model in terms of what you want out of a kid. He always does the right thing."

"He's got an unbelievable body. I'll try to put him on the skins team today so you can get a true look – kidding. His body is so ripped. I've never had a player in my 37 years as a basketball coach that has this body. I mean in terms of just everything is cut up. We could make a lot of money with a poster of him. One of those players did that back in the day. I don't think they allow that but, he's unbelievable. He's like a Greek figure, it's incredible."

Q: What attracted you to adding Quinten Post to this recruiting class? What stood out about his game, and what does he have to work on moving forward?
BH: "For him, it's just his body number one. He's legit 7 feet tall, you'll see him today. He's very skilled, really passes, can finish off both feet and has a good feel for spacing on the floor offensively. He has some toughness to him."

"For him, it's his strength. He came in here, he was 210 [pounds]. When he visited, he was 219 [pounds]. Then, he went and played for the [Netherlands] national team [this summer] and did a lot of travel. At one point, he was 210 [pounds]. He's back up to like 222, 223 [pounds] now. You can already see the strength is improving through both his eating and nutrition-wise and his strength training."

"He's a very good 3-point shooter, can really shoot the ball. His teammates have a lot of confidence in him. For him, it's just growing and the physicality that we play at here is different than what they do in Europe. Now he's guarding 255, 250, 245, 240 [pound] guys that are big so. For him, it's going to be really important to keep growing in that weight room and eating. Him learning the game is important as well, like learning to play lower. He's very erect, as all freshmen are. I thought it hurt him to not be here for the two sessions of summer, but it is what it is."

Q: What have you seen so far from Elias King and Devin Butts and where do you see them fitting in?
BH: "Elias is one of our best shooters on the team. We lost three very good shooters in Q [Quinndary Weatherspoon], Aric [Holman] and Lamar [Peters], our three best, three-point shooters. You talk about guys that could really shoot other than Tyson [Carter], it was those three."

"So, he's a guy [King] that adds that. He's an outstanding passer, his biggest thing is learning how to defend at this level. That's what I told him. If you can't defend, you're not going to be able to help us. You have to take your pride being the best defensive player you can be, and that's something that's challenging because he's giving up 30 pounds every day when he matches up with Robert [Woodard] and I said, 'Welcome to the SEC'. This is what it is so for him, a lot like Quinten, he has to get bigger and stronger. His skill level and his passing ability are already at a very high level. If he's open, he has a quick release and it's going in.

"Devin is learning the game. Again, just the pace, the strength and the physicality of it all is something that both of those kids have had to adjust to. He's just doing a good job. He's a great kid, and we're expecting him to compete."

Q: Obviously, it's in its infancy stages. Do you think this Fair Pay to Play Act in California is going to have any impact on college basketball?
BH: "From what I've read, and I haven't really read the whole bill – [it's supposed to happen] in 2023 so, there's some time between now and then to see where this all goes because you have to have a fair playing field. You can't have certain states allowing something that other states aren't."

"I think it's a very complex issue. I think it's a very difficult thing. What I think is great is to do everything we can to help our players. For example, since I've been here in the last four years, we added the cost of attendance where each of the athletes is getting more money on top of their full scholarship which I think is a great thing. It's something I hope will continue to escalate. I hope that they're getting better numbers there because we want our players to be comfortable. But, it's a very complex issue. We're going to follow whatever rules that we're told to follow."