Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU at SEC Tournament

Thursday, March 14

Nashville, Tenn. (Bridgestone Arena)

8:30 PM

Mississippi State

Texas A&M

Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU at SEC Tournament

March 13, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Watch on SEC Network Press Conference Game Notes (PDF)Listen Live Live Stats

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Coming off the program's first 10-win SEC campaign since 2007-08, Mississippi State will take the Bridgestone Arena floor on Thursday during the fourth and final second round contest.

The Bulldogs (22-9) will face the winner of Texas A&M (13-17) and Vanderbilt (9-22) opening round matchup on Wednesday. The winner of Thursday's game advances to Friday's quarterfinal round and a meeting with No. 8 Tennessee (27-4).

Tip time is on-tap for approximately 8:30 p.m. CT televised by SEC Network and available online through the WatchESPN platform. Tom Hart, Jon Sundvold and Andy Kennedy will serve as the announcing team.

Mississippi State defeated Texas A&M (92-81) on March 9 and Vanderbilt (71-55) on Jan. 19 during the regular season. The Bulldogs fell at then No. 5 Tennessee (71-54) on March 5.

Visit www.HailState.com for 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.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (22-9) vs. Texas A&M (13-17) or Vanderbilt (9-22)
Where: Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tennessee
When: Thursday, March 14, ~8:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Tom Hart, Jon Sundvold, Andy Kennedy
Online: https://hailst.at/MSUSEC0314
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield/IMG College
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. 138 (Sirius), Ch. 190 (XM), Ch. 961 (Internet)

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Mississippi State heads into the SEC Tournament winners of six of its last eight games. The last time the Bulldogs captured the SEC Tournament title was in 2009 in Tampa, Florida. Mississippi State defeated Georgia, South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee to earn the SEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 2008-09 season also marked MSU's last NCAA Tournament trip. The Bulldogs have won 47 games over the last two seasons, the fourth-highest among SEC schools. Mississippi State trails only Kentucky, Tennessee and Auburn. If the Bulldogs capture a NCAA Tournament selection, Ben Howland will be the 15th coach to lead four programs to March Madness.

2. Quinndary Weatherspoon, an All-SEC First-Team performer, won the Bailey Howell Trophy for the second consecutive season earlier this season. The award is given to the state of Mississippi's top collegiate player. The All-SEC nod for Weatherspoon is the third of his career. He is the 13th player in MSU to accomplish that feat, first since Dee Bost from 2010-12. Weatherspoon pumped in a SEC-leading 19.4 points per game during conference play. He has garnered 20.9 points, 2.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game sparked by eight of his 15 games of 20-plus points during February and March. The SEC's active leading scorer has racked up 1,956 career points, good enough for third place on MSU's all-time list. Weatherspoon has dialed up double figures in 28 of 31 games and 102 times in his career. The Bulldogs are 27-4 overall and have won 19 of 21 games over the last two seasons when Weatherspoon eclipses 20 or more points.

3. Reggie Perry continued MSU's streak of four consecutive years with an All-SEC Freshman pick under fourth-year coach Ben Howland. He joins teammates Quinndary Weatherspoon (2015-16), Lamar Peters (2016-17) and Nick Weatherspoon (2017-18). Perry has registered 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over his last 13 outings. He has collected seven of his eight double-doubles and accounted for five of his top seven scoring performances during the 13-game span. Perry's 9.0 rebounds are third in conference games, first among freshmen.

4. Tyson Carter has exploded for 16.1 points and 2.7 assists per game over his last seven games as a starter. He has amassed 19 games in double figures, second on the team only behind Quinndary Weatherspoon. Carter has provided his top four scoring efforts as part of the seven-game run. He has recorded double figures in six of his last seven games. The Bulldogs are 26-6 over the last two seasons and have won 14 of 19 games this season when Carter comes away with double digit points.

5. Aric Holman and Lamar Peters surpassed 1,000 career points during the Texas A&M game on March 9 … The duo are the 38th and 39th players in program history to accomplish the feat … The only other time in MSU history that the Bulldogs have had three 1,000-point scorers on the roster at the same time was in 2015-16 with Craig Sword, Fred Thomas and Gavin Ware … Peters is one of 10 major conference players to tuck away at least 350 points and 150 assists on the season, according to Stat Pass … The Bulldogs are 16-3 this season when Peters passes out five or more assists … Peters has totaled multiple steals in 10 of his last 12 games with his 1.9 steals per game third on the SEC leaderboard in league games … MSU is 37-13 when Holman tallies 10-plus points … The 16-point outing versus Texas A&M was his highest scoring output since a 20-point performance at South Carolina to open SEC action on Jan. 8 …
Abdul Ado's 2.1 block per game was tied for second in the SEC rankings for conference games … His 119 career blocks over 64 career games is eighth in the MSU record book … Ado had his streak of 63 consecutive starts to begin his career come to a close versus Texas A&M, Holman earned the Senior Day start in his place … Robert Woodard II has chipped in 10 of his 12 games with seven or more points in SEC action … He matched a career-high 10 points at then No. 5 Tennessee on March 5 … Nick Weatherspoon is fifth on the team with 9.6 points per game … He is scheduled to miss his eighth straight game after being suspended indefinitely from game competition for a violation of team rules on Feb. 16.

UP NEXT
A Mississippi State win on Thursday would punch the Bulldogs ticket to Friday's quarterfinals and a matchup with No. 8 Tennessee. Tip time is set for approximately 8:30 p.m. CT televised by the SEC Network and available online through the WatchESPN platform.

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
March 12, 2019 – Humphrey Coliseum

Head Coach Ben Howland
Opening Statement
"I was very happy today. Q [Quinndary Weatherspoon] was named to the First Team All-SEC, very well deserved after two years in a row being on the second team. I'm sure he had to be unanimous on that team. Reggie Perry making the [SEC] All-Freshman team was very well deserved. He had a very good freshman campaign in the regular season. I'm excited for both of those kids."

"I was looking at some of the stats, and Abdul [Ado] finished tied for second in conference play in blocked shots. Reggie Perry finished third in rebounding in conference games. Q [Quinndary Weatherspoon], obviously, finished first in conference games in scoring. Lamar [Peters] was third in steals and seventh in assists. We had some other guys who did great things statistically as well."
Q: From a momentum standpoint, how huge was your win against Texas A&M leading into this week?
BH: "It was really big. We needed it for a lot of reasons. Coming off of two losses against really good teams on the road [Auburn and Tennessee], good having some momentum now. We have won six of our last eight games. There's momentum. Our guys had two good practices the past two days, so that's been positive. We have one more tomorrow before we play at 8:30 against either Vanderbilt or Texas A&M on Thursday."

Q: How difficult is it to scout an opponent in the tournament not knowing who you could play from two different teams?
BH: "Today, we practiced like we would be playing Vanderbilt. Tomorrow, we will be working on Texas A&M, who we are more familiar with because we just played them. We're not going to do anything at 11 at night when that game is finally decided between those two teams. We will have a shoot around, where we will go through stuff again so they will be familiarized on whoever it is between those two teams because of what we did today and what we are doing tomorrow."

Q: How much of a difference can you see mentally in your freshman at this point in the season now that they are playing collegiately and not high school in terms of performance?
BH: "I think that both Reggie [Perry] and Robert [Woodard II] are both exceptional freshmen, and mentally especially – not just physically. They're really brought, articular, mature, [come from] great families obviously. So, they've handled it exceptionally. I think it can happen to players, no question, but we have so much to play for. This is the most fun time of the year."

"I was thinking today, 'This is my favorite time of year.' No offense to Christmas, but it's close. This is my favorite time of year. When you're participating in this time of year, it's pretty special, especially with all of the work that these guys have put in. All of the sweat, everything they've done. It's fun right now. Our guys are playing well, and I'm excited for time. We had a great practice today. It always feels good when you come out of a good practice."

Forward Reggie Perry
Q: You were named to the SEC All-Freshman Team today. Can you talk about what this year has been like for you?
RP: "This year has been pretty good. It has had a lot of ups and downs, but my teammates have continued to encourage me. I have gotten better and worked hard throughout the year. It's a blessing to be named to the SEC All-Freshman Team."

Q: You mentioned that anything can happen during the SEC Tournament. If you make it past the first game, you have Tennessee waiting for you in the next. How big of an opportunity would it be to beat Tennessee after the last meeting?
RP: "Of course, we want to worry about the first game first. Then, if and when we get past the first game, we are all looking forward to the opportunity because we know that they got us really good at their place. We want a second chance against them."

Guard Robert Woodard II
Q: Looking at the SEC Tournament, have the older guys been mentoring you before any at all?
RWII: "First, I would like to thank God for this opportunity. Yes, they have prepared us. Basically, they say that anybody can get beat on any given night. We have to be prepared for anything that could come our way, just to be prepared for anything."

Q: How important is it for you to make an impact on the court when you are helping your teammates rest up?
RWII: "It's very important. I know that the starters are going through a lot of wear and tear during the season. It takes that extra boost to give them the help to continue to push through the game."