Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics
Men’s Hoops Holds Final Media Session Before Season Opener
November 04, 2019 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball head coach Ben Howland along with Prince Oduro and Robert Woodard II met the media before Monday's practice at Humphrey Coliseum.
Mississippi State will carry a SEC-best, 22-game non-conference on-court home winning streak into its regular season opener versus Florida International on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Tipoff is on-tap for 7 p.m. CT at The Hump, and the game will be streamed live by SEC Network+ via the WatchESPN 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.
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.
Mississippi State Men's Basketball Media Session
November 4, 2019
Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: What do you see from FIU, and what do you expect for on Tuesday night?
BH: "It's not an easy opener, that's for sure. They're a very good team. This kid, [Devon] Andrews is a preseason All-Conference USA First-Team selection and a really good player. They have really tough guards. They have a little point guard who's around 5'8, [Tevin Brewer] who is cat-quick out of junior college. That's a real problem because he's just so quick and active and penetrates so well. They're a very difficult team to play."
"Last year, they were number one in the country in pace. They played faster than anybody in the United States of America. They force a lot of turnovers with the style of play, so it's a very difficult team to play because of their style of play and how they want to play. They press for 40 minutes and concentrate on putting pressure on the ball. It's kind of a small-ball lineup without your standard four-and-five [as big men]. They play four guards, sometimes five guards. So, it will be a difficult match up for us."
"[Trejon] Jacob is very good shooter and a really good player. They've got a lot of talent. I love their big kid, [Osasumwen Osaghae], too who they've got inside. He's a very active shot blocker, a really good athlete who runs the floor well and plays way above the rim. They're good."
Q: Not so much who is starting between Tyson, D.J. Stewart Jr. and Iverson Molinar, how difficult is it going to be with those first 10 games without Nick Weatherspoon?
BH: "We just don't have a lot of experience. Two of those three guys that you mentioned [Molinar and Stewart Jr.] are freshman. This is their first college game coming up. That's why the exhibition was good [against South Alabama] and the scrimmage against TCU was good to get some experience playing against other people, especially the one under the lights against South Alabama. I think it was extremely beneficial."
"There's no question that we'll miss Nick [Weatherspoon]. Nick is one of our most experienced players in the program. He has been a two-year starter, so it's tough to not have him there with us the first 10 games. Then, readjusting when we get him back. He's playing good every practice. He is really competing well and is in great physical condition."
Q: The team has shown steady improvement in your first four seasons. What do you think the next step for the program will be?
BH: "For our team and our program, number one, is to get back in the NCAA Tournament again. After being out for 10 years, it was a great accomplishment to get the program back in the NCAA Tournament. So, the next big achievement for us as a program is getting back into the tournament and winning in the tournament and to advance."
Q: Going back to the question about Nick, how difficult is it for you as a coach to have to change your rotation 10 games into the season when players might start getting comfortable?
BH: "Well, changing it is a good problem. That means that we have Nick [Weatherspoon] back. There's no question that Nick, being a major part of our team, makes us a better team. He's just one of our best defenders. He's really shooting the ball well especially from three [point range]. I think he's really improved that aspect in his game in the offseason.
"So there's no question, it'll be great once we get him back. It's just the difficulty of not having him and the team not having him those first 10 games to grow together. Every time you change up from year-to-year, you add pieces and change rotations. You like to get into a rhythm, but it is what it is so we're going to deal with it."
Forward Prince Oduro
Q: Are you nervous about tomorrow night?
PO: "I don't think [I have] any butterflies. I sat out last year so I've been preparing a long time for this game. I've been working harder in practice preparing for this game. We should be ready tomorrow night."
Q: How do you feel the frontcourt players will rotate?
PO: "I feel like we have a great group in the frontcourt this year. I feel like we are all prepared for what they throw at us tomorrow night. We should be able to compete at a good level."
Q: How have your free throws improved heading into this season from when you were at Siena?
PO: "It has been good. I'm way more confident from the free throw line. That is something I felt was one of my biggest flaws [at Siena]. I really focused on that during my redshirt year. I should be ready for that. I want to be at least 70 percent [at the free throw line] this year."
Q: What about the versatility and the challenges of tomorrow's matchup?
PO: "I think the biggest thing is that the bigs can switch on the guards. I think that is our biggest advantage on defense. A lot of our bigs can shoot. Last year, I was working on my jump shot. KeyShawn [Feazell] was so was Reggie [Perry]. I think that will help a lot."
Guard Robert Woodard II
Q: You have three guys play at the three spot and four guys at the four spot in the exhibition game, how different is that compared to last year in terms of depth and versatility?
RW II: "It's very different. We have multiple guys that can play multiple positions, so I feel like coach [Ben Howland] is really utilizing that as a strength of ours."
Q: Coach Howland was talking about the pace that FIU plays at, and it's really high. What has practice been like getting ready for a team that apparently is going to press a lot and will move quickly?
RW II: "It's been a lot of running, I can say that much. We've been doing a lot of transition-defense and transition work, as well as working on being able to get to our spots quickly on offense. We're just preparing for that up-and-down pace."
Q: How big of a challenge is it going to be for the 'young guys' to play their first collegiate game against a team with this kind of pace?
RW II: "I'm not nervous for them at all. I feel like we've prepared them well over the summer and coached them up as well as we could. They're catching on well so it's just mainly about keeping their confidence high so they don't get down on themselves."
Q: Does it excite you as a player to be able to play in a game where you know you'll be going up and down the court and there will be a lot of offense?
RW II: "Yes sir, it does. That's what basketball is all about. People like to see excitement, up-and-down, running and plays like that. So, being able to get back in action, doing a lot of running and jumping, that's the exciting part about basketball."
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball head coach Ben Howland along with Prince Oduro and Robert Woodard II met the media before Monday's practice at Humphrey Coliseum.
Mississippi State will carry a SEC-best, 22-game non-conference on-court home winning streak into its regular season opener versus Florida International on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Tipoff is on-tap for 7 p.m. CT at The Hump, and the game will be streamed live by SEC Network+ via the WatchESPN 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.
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.
Mississippi State Men's Basketball Media Session
November 4, 2019
Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: What do you see from FIU, and what do you expect for on Tuesday night?
BH: "It's not an easy opener, that's for sure. They're a very good team. This kid, [Devon] Andrews is a preseason All-Conference USA First-Team selection and a really good player. They have really tough guards. They have a little point guard who's around 5'8, [Tevin Brewer] who is cat-quick out of junior college. That's a real problem because he's just so quick and active and penetrates so well. They're a very difficult team to play."
"Last year, they were number one in the country in pace. They played faster than anybody in the United States of America. They force a lot of turnovers with the style of play, so it's a very difficult team to play because of their style of play and how they want to play. They press for 40 minutes and concentrate on putting pressure on the ball. It's kind of a small-ball lineup without your standard four-and-five [as big men]. They play four guards, sometimes five guards. So, it will be a difficult match up for us."
"[Trejon] Jacob is very good shooter and a really good player. They've got a lot of talent. I love their big kid, [Osasumwen Osaghae], too who they've got inside. He's a very active shot blocker, a really good athlete who runs the floor well and plays way above the rim. They're good."
Q: Not so much who is starting between Tyson, D.J. Stewart Jr. and Iverson Molinar, how difficult is it going to be with those first 10 games without Nick Weatherspoon?
BH: "We just don't have a lot of experience. Two of those three guys that you mentioned [Molinar and Stewart Jr.] are freshman. This is their first college game coming up. That's why the exhibition was good [against South Alabama] and the scrimmage against TCU was good to get some experience playing against other people, especially the one under the lights against South Alabama. I think it was extremely beneficial."
"There's no question that we'll miss Nick [Weatherspoon]. Nick is one of our most experienced players in the program. He has been a two-year starter, so it's tough to not have him there with us the first 10 games. Then, readjusting when we get him back. He's playing good every practice. He is really competing well and is in great physical condition."
Q: The team has shown steady improvement in your first four seasons. What do you think the next step for the program will be?
BH: "For our team and our program, number one, is to get back in the NCAA Tournament again. After being out for 10 years, it was a great accomplishment to get the program back in the NCAA Tournament. So, the next big achievement for us as a program is getting back into the tournament and winning in the tournament and to advance."
Q: Going back to the question about Nick, how difficult is it for you as a coach to have to change your rotation 10 games into the season when players might start getting comfortable?
BH: "Well, changing it is a good problem. That means that we have Nick [Weatherspoon] back. There's no question that Nick, being a major part of our team, makes us a better team. He's just one of our best defenders. He's really shooting the ball well especially from three [point range]. I think he's really improved that aspect in his game in the offseason.
"So there's no question, it'll be great once we get him back. It's just the difficulty of not having him and the team not having him those first 10 games to grow together. Every time you change up from year-to-year, you add pieces and change rotations. You like to get into a rhythm, but it is what it is so we're going to deal with it."
Forward Prince Oduro
Q: Are you nervous about tomorrow night?
PO: "I don't think [I have] any butterflies. I sat out last year so I've been preparing a long time for this game. I've been working harder in practice preparing for this game. We should be ready tomorrow night."
Q: How do you feel the frontcourt players will rotate?
PO: "I feel like we have a great group in the frontcourt this year. I feel like we are all prepared for what they throw at us tomorrow night. We should be able to compete at a good level."
Q: How have your free throws improved heading into this season from when you were at Siena?
PO: "It has been good. I'm way more confident from the free throw line. That is something I felt was one of my biggest flaws [at Siena]. I really focused on that during my redshirt year. I should be ready for that. I want to be at least 70 percent [at the free throw line] this year."
Q: What about the versatility and the challenges of tomorrow's matchup?
PO: "I think the biggest thing is that the bigs can switch on the guards. I think that is our biggest advantage on defense. A lot of our bigs can shoot. Last year, I was working on my jump shot. KeyShawn [Feazell] was so was Reggie [Perry]. I think that will help a lot."
Guard Robert Woodard II
Q: You have three guys play at the three spot and four guys at the four spot in the exhibition game, how different is that compared to last year in terms of depth and versatility?
RW II: "It's very different. We have multiple guys that can play multiple positions, so I feel like coach [Ben Howland] is really utilizing that as a strength of ours."
Q: Coach Howland was talking about the pace that FIU plays at, and it's really high. What has practice been like getting ready for a team that apparently is going to press a lot and will move quickly?
RW II: "It's been a lot of running, I can say that much. We've been doing a lot of transition-defense and transition work, as well as working on being able to get to our spots quickly on offense. We're just preparing for that up-and-down pace."
Q: How big of a challenge is it going to be for the 'young guys' to play their first collegiate game against a team with this kind of pace?
RW II: "I'm not nervous for them at all. I feel like we've prepared them well over the summer and coached them up as well as we could. They're catching on well so it's just mainly about keeping their confidence high so they don't get down on themselves."
Q: Does it excite you as a player to be able to play in a game where you know you'll be going up and down the court and there will be a lot of offense?
RW II: "Yes sir, it does. That's what basketball is all about. People like to see excitement, up-and-down, running and plays like that. So, being able to get back in action, doing a lot of running and jumping, that's the exciting part about basketball."
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