Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Missouri

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will look to capture its first SEC victory and snap a three-game losing skid when the Bulldogs play host to Missouri to open a three-game homestand on Wednesday inside Humphrey Coliseum.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (9-6, 0-3 SEC) vs. Missouri (9-6, 1-2 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 8:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
Tickets: MSU Ticket Office (https://hailst.at/MizzouTix1920)

TV: SEC Network
Talent: Tom Hart, Andy Kennedy, Alyssa Lang
DirecTV: Ch. 611, Dish: Ch. 404/408, AT&T U-Verse: Ch. 1607, MaxxSouth: Ch. 1026, C Spire: Ch. 220
Online: WatchESPN App (https://hailst.at/MizzouvsMSU011420)

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/Internet: Ch. 374 (XM), Ch. 374 (Internet)

MSU-MISSOURI HARDWOOD SERIES
Wednesday's meeting marks the 13th meeting in the all-time series where Mississippi State holds a 7-5 edge on the strength of 6-1 record since the start of 2014-15.

The Bulldogs blitzed Missouri by a 68-49 margin during last season's only meeting. Tyson Carter pumped in a season's best with 22 points on a 7-for-12 shooting clip, while Reggie Perry nearly accounted for a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds.

METAL DETECTORS/CLEAR BAGS
In an effort to continue Mississippi State's long-standing commitment to provide a safe and secure environment for all fans, coaches and student-athletes, walk-through metal detectors have been implemented at all entrances of Humphrey Coliseum on basketball gamedays.

Fans will be asked to follow the instructions of the security screening staff and place large metal objects such as phones, keys and cameras in containers or in their clear bag on screening tables before passing through the walk-through metal detectors.

Fans will not be required to remove belts, watches, wallets, jewelry, shoes, jackets, coins or other small objects. The metal detectors and clear bag policies provide a safer atmosphere and speed up the entry process into The Hump.

For more gameday information, visit https://hailst.at/MBKGameday

TICKETS/PROMOTIONS/SEC MINI PLANS
General admission tickets for Tuesday's matchup against Missouri are available for as low as $12 including fees at www.HailState.com/tickets or in person at the Mississippi State Athletics Ticket Office located on the first floor of the Bryan Building. The Humphrey Coliseum Box Office opens 90 minutes prior to tipoff on gameday.

Tuesday's food promotional item is free dessert tacos located between portals E and F on the concourse while supplies last. Other promotions include 175 Hail State Rewards points for students, 150 points for Bully's Kids Club members and an opportunity to win $100 for any Hail State Rewards member.

Mississippi State is offering a $60 SEC four-game mini plan at www.HailState.com/tickets which features a trio of Saturday matchups against Georgia (Jan. 18), Tennessee (Feb. 1) and Ole Miss (March 7) in addition to the Alabama (Feb. 25) game.

Mississippi State also has a flex plan available where fans can purchase 10 general admission tickets for $75. The tickets can be redeemed at any remaining home game this season and used in any combination. For example, fans can use two tickets at five games or all 10 tickets at one game.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Facing a 10-point deficit early during the second half, Mississippi State put together a furious comeback effort to take a nine-point lead with 5:18 remaining. LSU was able to respond down the stretch to claim a 60-59 victory on a Skyler Mays buzzer beater. Nick Weatherspoon led State's offensive output as he filled the box score with a team-leading 14 points coupled with five assists, five rebounds and two steals. The Bulldogs starting frontcourt of Reggie Perry and Abdul Ado each recorded double-doubles en route to a combined for 25 points and 27 rebounds. Perry dialed up 13 points and 15 rebounds to tuck away his SEC-leading eighth double-double of the season. Ado rattled home 12 points and grabbed a season-high tying 12 rebounds. The 12 boards for Ado was one shy of his career-high. The Perry-Ado combo amassed 13 of their 27 rebounds on the offensive end. D.J. Stewart compiled nine points, all during the first half, whereas Tyson Carter and Robert Woodard II chipped in four points apiece. Woodard II tallied nine rebounds and a career-high four blocks to contribute MSU's 49-31 rebounding edge over the Tigers. Carter's four points enabled him to move into a tie for 31st place on MSU's all-time list with his father, Greg Carter. Iverson Molinar rounded out State's with three points. The 49 rebounds for the Bulldogs marked a season-high and included a season-best 20 offensive rebounds.

2. Mississippi State has tucked away 57 victories dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season which ranks tied for fourth with LSU on the SEC leaderboard. The Bulldogs are only behind Auburn (71), Kentucky (68) and Tennessee (67). Mississippi State also racked up 365 wins which is fourth among SEC teams dating back to 2001-02. The Bulldogs trail only Kentucky (521), Florida (464) and Tennessee (382). Mississippi State enters this week's action with the nation's 30th toughest schedule according to the NET rankings which is behind Georgia (8), LSU (9), Auburn (13) and Alabama (25).

3. Reggie Perry is a preseason All-America selection by Lindy's (First Team), Street & Smith (Second Team) and Athlon Magazines (Third Team) in addition to being named a consensus All-SEC First-Team honoree. He is coming off a sensational offseason where had the opportunity to attend the NBA Draft Combine and workout for several NBA franchises. Perry also captured a gold medal for the USA U19 Team and was the tournament's MVP at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Greece. He was listed as a candidate for six major awards which include the John R. Wooden, Karl Malone, Lute Olson, Naismith, NABC and Oscar Robertson. Perry has amassed double figures in 14 of his last 15 games headed by 18.2 PPG and 11.3 RPG over his last six outings. He has piled up 15-plus points in seven of his last 11 appearances highlighted by a career-high 26 points against Kent State on 12/30 and a SEC career-high tying 21 points versus No. 8 Auburn on 01/04. Overall, Perry's 15.5 points per game are 11th, while his 10.0 rebounds per game headline the SEC. He has secured a SEC-leading eight double-doubles this season and 17 double-doubles for his career which is tops among SEC active players. Perry is one of five Power five players to average a double-double on the season. The list includes Luke Garza (Iowa), John Mooney (Notre Dame), Daniel Oturo (Minnesota) and Xavier Tillman (Michigan State). MSU has had three players average a double-double for a season in the 2000s. The list includes Lawrence Roberts (16.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG in 2003-04; 16.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG in 2004-05), Jarvis Varnado (13.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG in 2009-10) and Arnett Moultrie (16.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG) in 2011-12).

4. Tyson Carter has improved his points, rebounds, assists and steals average over his first three seasons at Mississippi State. The senior guard ranks inside the league's leaders in points (13.5 – 17th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7 – 8th). Carter has already piled up a quartet of 20-plus point performances which is tied for 9th in the SEC. He heads into Tuesday's game with 1,123 career points and is tied with his father, Greg Carter, for 31st place. The Carter's are the SEC's only father-son tandem to score over 1,000 points apiece. Tyson's 1,123 points also are third among SEC active players only behind Ole Miss' Breein Tyree and LSU's Skylar Mays.

5. Nick Weatherspoon has been a welcomed addition back to the starting lineup where he has posted 14.0 points, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game … He has started in 64 of 65 career games and secured double digit points in five of his five appearances sparked by a 20-point performance at Alabama on 01/08 … Abdul Ado has picked up 8.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game over his last eight outings … He managed his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds at LSU on 01/11 … His season's bests are 17 points and 12 rebounds against Radford on 12/18 … Ado has been rated among the SEC's best shot blockers during each of the last three seasons … His 1.8 blocks per game in 2019-20 are good enough for sixth on the SEC leaderboard … Ado has racked up 151 career blocks over 82 career games and has climbed to seventh place on MSU's all-time list … His 1.84 career BPG are third in program history only behind legendary shot blockers Jarvis Varnado (2007-08-09-10) and Erick Dampier (1994-95-96) … Robert Woodard II has provided 11.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game on the season … The 7.9 RPG are sixth whereas the 1.5 SPG are tied for 10th on the SEC list … Woodard II and Perry possess two of the three 20-plus point, 15-plus rebound games among SEC players this season, Florida's Kerry Blackshear Jr. registered 24 points and 16 rebounds against Alabama on 01/04 … Woodard II has already collected double figures in nine games and five of his last seven outings after having three games of 10-plus during the entire 2018-19 season … Iverson Molinar and D.J. Stewart Jr. have teamed for 12 games of 10-plus points during their freshman season … The duo has accounted for 147 of the team's 215 bench points (68.4 percent) when coming off the bench … Molinar came away with a 16-point performance where he was a flawless 5-for-5 from the floor versus Kent State on 12/30 … His season-high is 21 points aided by four treys against Tulane on 11/21 … Stewart Jr. has rattled off 10-plus points in seven games, and the Bulldogs are 7-0 this season when he reaches the feat … The last time Stewart Jr. reached double digits was a 12-point effort versus Kent State on 12/30 … He tallied a SEC season's best nine points at LSU on 01/11 … KeyShawn Feazell and Prince Oduro round out to MSU's rotation … Oduro's season-high is six points against Tulane on 11/21 and at Coastal Carolina on 11.24, while Feazell secured nine points versus New Orleans on 11/17.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
Missouri is coming off a 91-75 victory over Florida on Saturday where the Tigers used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Gators for the first time dating back to Feb. 24, 2015. Mizzou canned 12 three-pointers and scored 40 of the game's 54 points in the paint.

For the season, the Tigers are led by Dru Smith (12.0 PPG, 4.3 APG, 4.2 RPG, 2.3 SPG) and Mark Smith (11.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG). Dru Smith has registered double figures in four of his last six appearances fueled by a season-high tying 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting coupled with six assists and five steals during the Florida game.

Mark Smith has knocked down 37 of his 53 field goals from three-point territory and has accounted for 10-plus points in seven outings. Missouri has posted a 6-1 record in those games. Last time out, he secured 14 points and six rebounds versus Florida.

Jeremiah Tilmon (9.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG) has been a force on the interior and drained 63.6 percent of his shot attempts. He has missed his last two games due to injury.

Missouri's top two options off the bench has been Javon Pickett (7.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Xavier Pinson (7.8 PPG, 2.8 APG). The duo has combined for nine games in double figures this season and amassed 22 points on 9-of-14 from the floor against Florida.

UP NEXT
Mississippi State continues its three-game homestand and matches up with Georgia on Saturday. Tip time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT from Humphrey Coliseum. The game will be televised by SEC Network and carried online courtesy of the Watch ESPN 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
January 13, 2020

Q: Missouri scored 91 points against Florida in their last game without Jeremiah Tilmon, are you hoping your front court can take advantage if he's not there again?
BH: "They listed him [Tilmon] day-to-day. I understand from watching some of the film that it's a stress fracture, which we are preparing like there is a chance he will play. They played very well the second time. The first game they we're getting adjusted to not having him, they played their best game of the year. They are coming here with an incredible amount of confidence. They really played well against Florida, they had them down 20 in the first half. At one point, they were 12-for-17 for three, and everybody is knocking down three's from them."

"Their strength is that they're a really good defensive team. They really do a good job in their halfcourt defense, and they'll change some things up. They were being very aggressive with their ball screen coverages against Florida, who is obviously a very good team with very good guards."

"They have good personnel. Dru Smith, who sat out last year and transferred from Evansville, is a very good point guard. He's big, strong, physical and has a great feel. He's their leading scorer and an excellent player. Mark Smith, who didn't play against us last year, played earlier last season and got hurt. I think he played in 19 games, so we didn't see him by the time they played us. He's a really good shooter, excellent player, big body, strong, 6-4 or 6-5, has a great body. I really like him."

"[Xavier] Pinson came off the bench and is playing very well. He played well against us a year ago. He's the back-up point, but he's playing really confidently right now. He's a scorer. You look at him –he's very thin and scrawny but really strong. He had a dunk against Florida that was incredibly impressive. I like [Javon] Pickett, he's a good player that plays at three. Kobe Brown is playing really well. He plays the three and four. He'll match up with Reggie [Perry] a lot because he has the size and girth to match up."

"Mitchell Smith is a very good shooter, long and lean. The big kid inside, Reed [Nikko] is playing well for them. He played well last year but now he's playing a lot of minutes because Tilmon is out and he did a great job against Florida. He's tough, he's physical, rolls hard, and scores good at the basket. They have depth. They have [Torrence] Watson coming off the bench and [Xavier] Pinson off the bench. They're playing a lot of guys, they're playing nine guys."

Q: Given the last three games, especially at LSU with the disappointing ending, is there any kind of message you preach to the team to get things turned back around?
BH: "It's always one game at a time. We're disappointed that we're 0-3 obviously and especially with that last game because we had a great opportunity. Reggie [Perry] made a great drive to give us the lead, and we did not protect the lead well. We had a 9 point lead [with five minutes left]. We had a foul going against us to cut it to seven. Then, we had a number of turnovers there. You always second guess yourself in the game. We were up four with the ball with about 2:30 left, and Reggie [Perry] was pushing it in transition. It was 3-on-2, which is when he tried to lob to D.J. [Stewart Jr.]. I was encouraging him, I said 'Push It!' You can't play not to lose, you have to play to win the game. I have total confidence and trust in him with the ball. We had to be aggressive in that situation, and that's where it gets us. You roll with the punches. We're not going to stop being aggressive. We're playing to win and not trying not to lose in that situation."

"I'm really proud of how we played defensively. That was our best defense we played all year, not even close. That was great competitiveness. We beat them on the boards by 18 and held them to 37 percent. We just have to execute better offensively. You go back, and you review the film. I watched it at least three, three and a half times, to see that we had a lot of open shots, especially in the first half from three that we're going to make. I'm talking about wide open shots, we ended up 3-for-17 [on three-pointers] … We have to regroup. Missouri is coming in, like I said, with incredible confidence because of how they played in their last game against Florida."

Q: Tyson Carter has been struggling here in the start of conference play, what's he telling you when he's coming off the court about what he sees out there? What can you do to help get him going?
BH: "I have total belief in Tyson. He's going to work his way out of the slump he's been in. He's a shooter. I think sometimes when you're a shooter and you're not seeing it go in, you start to press. You have to just be aggressive, relax, go out there, have fun and make good reads in terms of your shot selection. He's going to work his way out of this. I have total confidence."

Guard Robert Woodard II
Q: How can you get this offense going like it was before conference play?
RW II: "First off, I would like to thank God for this opportunity. As far as the offense, I can truly say last game we were missing wide open shots. We took a couple of bad shots, so we really have to eliminate those bad shots that we take. For the most part, offensive wise, we have to learn how to take care of the ball so we can have those extra chances to get those shot attempts. I think that would be our main downfall right now is losing those shot attempts that are very important and could cost us the game."

Q: How do you prevent what happened at LSU to happen again?
RW II: "It's all about taking care of the ball. Being up nine points with four-five minutes, taking care of the ball in that situation and eliminating turn overs so we can get those chances to win the ball game. As far as moving forward to the next game, we just have to clear our head from the last one and learn from it. We just have to have a great mindset going into it that we want to win and need to win."

Q: Overall, what do you feel is the mindset of the locker room?
RW II: "You can see a little frustration in the locker room. We fought hard that last game and lost on a buzzer beater. If you give everything you have and that happens at the end of the game, there's nothing to be down about. You have to move on with it and move onto the next game knowing that we need a win. We have to come together, support each other and support the coaches as well. It's all about being able to come together and being able to string together wins."

Forward Reggie Perry
Q: What do you say to Tyson [Carter] with him being in a slump?
RP: "Tyson is a shooter. Shooters are always struggling. To be honest, I really don't stay hard on him about it because if I was in a slump like that, I wouldn't want that. I would just try to dig my way out of it and keep my confidence high. I'm just trying to keep his confidence high by encouraging him."

Q: After being a road stretch, are you excited to play at home?
RP: "We're really not too worried about where we're playing at. We want to win games on the road, and we want to win games at home. Of course, it feels good to play at home in our own gym with balls that we're used to and rims that we're used to in front of some good fans."

Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Missouri

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Players Mentioned

Abdul Ado

Tyson Carter

KeyShawn Feazell

Iverson Molinar

Prince Oduro

Reggie Perry

D.J. Stewart Jr.

Nick Weatherspoon

Robert Woodard II

Mississippi State University Athletics