Gameday: Five Things to Know About Texas A&M-MSU

Saturday, March 9

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

Texas A&M

Gameday: Five Things to Know About Texas A&M-MSU

March 08, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Watch on ESPN2 Gameday information Tickets Press Conference Listen Live Game Notes (PDF)Live Stats

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will look to snap a two-game losing streak and end the regular season on a winning note when Texas A&M visits Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday.

Tip time is slated for 1 p.m. CT televised by ESPN and available online through the WatchESPN platform. Dave LaMont and Mark Wise will serve as the announcing team. Senior Day ceremonies honoring T.J. Gray, Aric Holman and Quinndary Weatherspoon will be held prior to tipoff.

The Bulldogs (21-9, 9-8 SEC) enter the regular season finale tied for sixth place with Florida and Ole Miss. All three teams are one game back of Auburn and South Carolina for fourth place in addition to being game clear of Alabama. The top four seeds at next week's SEC Tournament receive double byes until Friday's quarterfinal round.

The two teams have split the four meetings under fourth-year coach Ben Howland. Mississippi State has won back-to-back games in the series which includes a 93-81 victory in College Station last season. Abdul Ado scored a career-best 19 points to spark the win.

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 (21-9, 9-8 SEC) vs. Texas A&M (13-16, 6-11 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum – Starkville
When: Saturday, March 9, 1:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: ESPN2
Talent: Dave LaMont, Mark Wise
Online: https://hailst.at/TAMUvsMSU0309
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. 133 (Sirius), Ch. 202 (XM), Ch. 965 (Internet)

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. A win on Saturday would give Mississippi State 10 SEC victories for the first time dating back to the 2007-08 season when the Bulldogs posted a 12-4 mark. MSU has picked up 18 SEC wins over the last two seasons, the program's highest two-year total since back-to-back 9-7 campaigns during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.

2. Quinndary Weatherspoon, a SEC Player of the Year candidate, has worked his way to a SEC-leading 19.4 points per game in conference play. He has piled up seven of his 13 games of 20 or more points in February and March. Weatherspoon will look to regroup from a season-low seven points at No. 5 Tennessee. The Canton native has dropped in 1,936 career points which is first among SEC active players and third on MSU's all-time scoring list. He has secured 10-plus points in 27 of 30 games and 101 times during his career. The Bulldogs have posted a 26-4 mark and has won 18 of the last 20 games when Weatherspoon produces 20 or more points.

3. Reggie Perry, a candidate for SEC Freshman of the Year, has amassed 14.2 points and 9.0 rebounds over the last 12 games ignited by seven double-doubles. He has tallied consecutive double-doubles which includes a 10-point, 12-rebound at No. 5 Tennessee last time out. The 9.0 rebounds per game are second in conference games, first among freshmen. Perry is a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week recipient, most recently on Feb. 25.

4. Tyson Carter has provided 15.8 points and 2.5 assists per game over his last six outings as a starter. His 18 games in double figures are second on the team only behind Quinndary Weatherspoon. Carter has secured his top three scoring performances during the six-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are 25-6 over the last two seasons and have won 14 of 18 games this season when Carter scores 10 or more points.

5. Aric Holman and Lamar Peters have secured 985 and 981 points, respectively … The duo is in pursuit of becoming the 38th and 39th players in program history to surpass 1,000 career points … Peters has collected multiple steals in seven of last eight games … He is one of eight major conference players to tuck away at least 300 points and 150 assists on the season, according to Stat Pass … The Bulldogs are 15-3 this season when Peters passes out five or more assists … Mississippi State is 36-13 when Holman records double digit points, the last time he reached double figures was a 12-point effort versus LSU on Feb. 5 … Abdul Ado is third in the SEC with 2.0 blocks per game in conference games … His 116 blocks over 63 career games is listed ninth in the MSU record book … Robert Woodard II has recorded nine of his 11 games with seven or more points during SEC play … He matched his career-high with 10 points at No. 5 Tennessee last time out … Nick Weatherspoon is fifth on the team with 9.6 points per game … He is scheduled to miss his seventh straight game after being suspended indefinitely from game competition for a violation of team rules on Feb. 16.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Aggies (13-16, 5-11 SEC) have won five of their last eight games which includes an 87-80 road victory over Arkansas on Feb. 23.
Wendell Mitchell (13.5 PPG, 1.6 SPG), Savion Flagg (12.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG) and T.J. Starks (12.3 PPG, 3.8 APG) have averaged in double figures. Mitchell has fired in double figures in six consecutive games and in nine of his last 10 appearances. He has piled up 20-plus points in eight games this season highlighted by five 20-point performances on the road.

Flagg has secured double-doubles in back-to-back games where he has played in all 40 minutes. He poured in 22 points and added 12 rebounds against Vanderbilt on March 2. Flagg has poured in 20 or more points in three of his last six outings. Starks has missed the last two games due to injury and is not slated to return this season.

Christian Mekowulu (8.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG), Josh Nebo (8.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG), Jay Jay Chandler (7.9 PPG) and Brandon Mahan (6.1 PPG) have been solid contributors for Texas A&M. Nebo has knocked down 69.2 percent of his field goal attempts, while Mahan has drained 40 of his 59 field goals from three-point territory. Mekewulu secured a SEC season's best 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds during the Vanderbilt game whereas Chandler added 11 points versus South Carolina last time out.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will take the floor on Thursday during the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. MSU's opponent and tip time will be announced after Saturday's action is complete. Thursday's action will be televised by 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 8, 2019 – Humphrey Coliseum

Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: With it being senior day, what does it mean to you to be able to celebrate with those guys?
BH: "It's really special. Like I've said before, the three of us came in together – me, Q [Quinndary Weatherspoon] and Aric [Holman]. They've done a great job in being good leaders and being good representatives of this University and this basketball program."

"It's improved every year – both as a program and as players. They've had a huge part in that. I'm really proud of them. Great families, wonderful young men – They'll be very successful beyond their basketball careers, and they're going to have nice careers beyond Mississippi State. I'm really thankful and grateful to have been their coach here. I'm very proud of them. I hope we get a good support and showing for those two tomorrow because they really deserve it."

Q: Quinndary Weatherspoon was recruited by the previous staff. When you went back and looked at his film, what did you remember about your impressions of him?
BH: "I remember going to his home the day after I had my initial press conference out there on the floor [of Humphrey Coliseum]. I'll never forget that, we re-recruited him essentially. We told him how excited we are. I watched film and saw how athletic he was –what a good finisher he was in particular when I was watching a film on him."

"I talked to him about this the other day. In June after they arrived for summer school, he was in the weight room. I just saw this body … He has a perfect basketball body. I said, 'Man, this guy really looks like a player.' Sure enough, it held to be true."

Q: What did you see in Aric Holman from day one on the job at Mississippi State?
BH: "He was the first kid we every signed here. He's a kid that I saw late in April in Indianapolis, [Indiana,] at an AAU event that spring. I said, 'Man, I really like this guy. He's really skilled. He knows how to play, and he has length. He was very thin and young – only 17 [years old at the time]."

"I knew during his freshman year when we had a player leave at the end of the semester, we were really shorthanded. I didn't want, but I knew I had to bring him off of his redshirt year. I felt like we were going to regret this because he's going to be a senior, and we would be hoping he had one more year."

"He came in and has worked incredibly hard in the weight room. As a freshman, he shot 17 percent from the three. He worked so hard on his shot and his shooting. He has a great feel and understanding for the game, just a wonderful young man. Anyone who know Aric or who has met him on this campus – professors, other students, people in the community. He just had a great reputation of being a really wonderful person. It's the truth, he is."

Q: When you look at Texas A&M on film, what do they show you?
BH: "They're a dangerous team. They've won five of eight [games], and they're very talented. They're big guys inside are really physical. Christian [Mekowulu] and [Josh] Nebo are both a one, two tandem. They keep coming at you. [Savion] Flagg is an outstanding power forward that can play small forward and is very versatile. I really like him."

"Wendell Mitchell, who is their leading scorer, is a really good player. Those guys do a great job. I like the kid Jay Jay Chandler too off their bench, a lefty who can really shoot the ball. They've got talent. They're playing hard, they're good defensively and they're very sound defensively. They can score in a lot of different ways. They're an outstanding offensive rebounding team. They play man and zone both defensively. They'll play a lot of different ways in how they defend ball screens. They're very well coached. This will be a huge game for us. We're going to have to play well to have success."

Q: Do you think that Quinndary Weatherspoon gets under appreciated for all the work he does?
BH: "I know how much I appreciate him. He's had an incredible career here thus far, and we want to keep it going for a while. I'm really proud of him though. We were sitting yesterday on the visitor's bench after he was done shooting. I sat with him. He said to me, 'Coach, these four years have gone by so fast.' And I said, 'Q, the older you get the faster it goes.' Everybody who is close to my age understands that. The older you get, the faster it goes. This is just the beginning. I told him that I love him, and I really care about him. He's going to have a great career and a great life. He's a really good kid."

Q: How hard has it been to manage the minutes at the guard spot?
BH: "It's tough when we get in foul trouble. The last two games, Lamar [Peters] has been in foul trouble, both at Auburn and at Tennessee. That's what makes it tough. We've have to be able to give Q [Quinndary Weatherspoon] and Tyson [Carter] a little more rest, which we haven't been able to do the past two games. Hopefully we can do that tomorrow and stay out of foul trouble."

"Robert [Woodard II] has done a good job, and our team has done a good job dealing with it. KeyShawn [Feazell] is the eighth guy, and there's going to be a point where he's going to end up playing a major role because he will be called to do it. I'm excited about KeyShawn. He hasn't had as many opportunities to play as much as he'd like to play, but he will be a key guy for us both here down the stretch and in the future."

Forward Aric Holman
Q: How does it feel to have worked so hard during your career here at Mississippi State and be able to get into the NCAA Tournament?
AH: "It's been a blessing, really. Coming in as guys that came from winning programs in high school to coming into this type of program, we knew it was going to be tough. At the end of the day, we stuck to our plan and kept working hard every day."

Q: How excited are you to get back at home in front of your home crowd?
AH: "It's going to be a good feeling because when we're at home and when we have our crowd behind us, it's like another player on the court. Our great fan base helps us play harder and get fired up for the game."

Guard Quinndary Weatherspoon
Q: Coach Ben Howland mentioned how you said time has flown by for you here at Mississippi State. Can you talk about your journey from freshman year to now?
QW: "I think just coming in, Aric [Holman] and I both just wanted to come in and turn the program around, which we both did a good job with Coach Howland being able to teach us. He helped us understand what needed to be done to make this team better. Over the past for years, this has been amazing. I appreciate everything they did for me."

Q: You're known for being a cool and collected guy on the court. Do you think the emotions of Senior Day may get to you a little?
QW: "No, not at all. I think I keep everything in like I always do, so I'm not too worried about the emotions coming out tomorrow."

Q: Would you like to get postseason a little push by winning the game tomorrow?
QW: "Yeah, I think we just want to get this win going into the SEC Tournament to give us some momentum and get back on that winning side. We can try and make a run in the SEC Tournament and get as high as we can."