Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Georgia

Saturday, January 18

Starkville

7:30 PM

Mississippi State

Georgia

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Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Georgia

January 17, 2020 | Men's Basketball

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by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will look to build on its first SEC victory over Missouri from earlier this week when Georgia visits Humphrey Coliseum for a Saturday evening matchup.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (10-6, 1-3 SEC) vs. Georgia (11-5, 1-2 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Saturday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
Tickets: MSU Ticket Office (https://hailst.at/UGATix1920)

TV: SEC Network
Talent: Mike Morgan, Pat Bradley
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/UGAvsMSU011820)

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-GEORGIA HARDWOOD SERIES
UGA holds a 58-55 series edge and has won nine of the last 12 meetings dating back to the 2010-11 season. However, Mississippi State has countered with back-to-back victories over the last two seasons which includes a 68-67 win in Athens a season ago. Quinndary Weatherspoon exploded for a career-best 31 points which included the game-winning free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining. Reggie Perry and Tyson Carter added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

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 Saturday's matchup versus Georgia 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.

Saturday's promotional item is a "Family L3gacy" t-shirt for the first 500 students. Other promotions include 175 Hail State Rewards points for students, 150 points for Bully's Kids Club members and an opportunity to win $200 for any Hail State Rewards member. Newly minted head football coach Mike Leach also is scheduled to attend Saturday's game.

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. Last time out, Mississippi State ripped off the first 10 points and led wire-to-wire to end a three-game losing streak en route to a 72-45 rout of Missouri on Tuesday. Tyson Carter had a 22nd birthday in style as the senior guard dialed up 15 points, seven assists and three steals off the bench. Carter's performance was highlighted by eclipsing his father, Greg Carter (1988-89-90-91), on Mississippi State's all-time scoring list. He also moved past Wiley Peck (1976-77-78-79) and into sole possession of 30th place. Mizzou's offensive output of 45 points marked the fewest points allowed by the Bulldogs against a SEC foe during the Ben Howland era. The 27-point triumph also matched the second-highest margin of victory over a SEC opponent under Howland. Reggie Perry pumped in a SEC career-best 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting coupled with 10 rebounds to compile his fifth double-double over his last six games. It also marked his SEC-leading ninth double-double on the season to bring his career total to 18 which is tops among SEC active players. Joining Carter and Perry in double figures was Nick Weatherspoon, who amassed 11 points on 4-of-7 from the floor. He has provided double figures in five of his first six appearances this season. The Canton native also added four assists. Robert Woodard II worked his way to nine points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals whereas Abdul Ado chipped in six points, four rebounds and a block. Keys to Mississippi State's victory also included a 36-24 rebounding advantage, a 38-24 edge in paint points and 22 of the game's 33 points off turnovers.

2. As a team, Mississippi State is first in defensive rebounds allowed per game (30.9), first in rebounding margin (+7.7), first in offensive rebounds per game (13.8) and first in offensive rebounding percentage (40.8) on the SEC leaderboard. The Bulldogs also are ranked third in three-point percentage (33.2) and third in blocked shots per game (5.3) among SEC squads. The 40.8 offensive rebounding percentage not only leads the SEC but ranks second nationally only behind Houston.

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 15 of his last 16 games headed by 18.9 PPG and 11.1 RPG over his last seven outings. He has piled up 15-plus points in eight of his last 12 appearances highlighted by a career-high 26 points against Kent State on 12/30 and a SEC career-high 23 points versus Missouri on 01/14. Overall, Perry's 16.0 points per game are tied for 8th, while his 10.0 rebounds per game headline the SEC. He has secured a SEC-leading nine double-doubles this season highlighted by five in his last seven games. Perry's 18 career double-doubles are tops among SEC active players. He is one of five Power Five conference 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 during 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 (13.6 – 18th), free throw percentage (84.1 – 5th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9 – 5th). Carter has piled up a quartet of 20-plus point performances which is tied for 10th in the SEC. The Bulldogs are 33-9 since the start of 2017-18 when Carter scores 10 points or more and have won eight of 11 games when the Starkville native reaches the 20-point plateau. He heads into Saturday's game with 1,138 career points and passed his father, Greg Carter, on the scoring list during the Missouri game on 01/14. The Carter's are the SEC's only father-son tandem to score over 1,000 points apiece. Tyson's 1,138 points now rank 30th in program history, and he's seven points shy of passing Gary Hooker (1976-77-78). He 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 13.5 points, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game … He has started in 65 of 66 career games and secured double digit points in five of his six appearances sparked by a 20-point performance at Alabama on 01/08 … Mississippi State has won four of five games during Weatherspoon's career when he has dished out five or more assists … Abdul Ado has picked up 8.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game over his last nine outings … He managed his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds at LSU on 01/11 … Ado's 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 place on the SEC leaderboard … Ado has racked up 152 career blocks over 83 career games and has climbed to seventh place on MSU's all-time list … His 1.83 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 11.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game on the season … The 7.7 RPG are tied for 7th whereas the 1.6 SPG are tied for 8th 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 which is tied for second on the team with Tyson Carter … He has registered 10-plus points in five of his last eight 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 151 of the team's 237 bench points (63.7 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 digit scoring 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
Georgia secured its first SEC victory and protected its home floor en route to a convincing 80-63 win over Tennessee on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are playing the fourth of six consecutive games to open conference play against 2019 NCAA Tournament teams.

UGA is led by preseason and midseason All-America pick and national Freshmen of the Year candidate Anthony Edwards (19.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.3 SPG). He has racked up eight games of 20-plus points and is coming off a 26-point, 6-rebound performance versus Tennessee. Edwards' season-high was a 37-point effort versus then top five Michigan State on Nov. 26 in Maui.

Rayshaun Hammonds (14.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG) has tucked away four double-doubles on the season. He provided 15 points and 12 rebounds during Georgia's upset win over then top 10 Memphis on Jan. 4. Hammonds has collected double figures in five of his last seven games and claimed his fourth outing of 20-plus points with 21 points versus Tennessee last time out. He tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds in last season's meeting against Mississippi State.

Sahvir Wheeler (8.2 PPG, 4.9 APG, 1.1 SPG) has been inserted into the starting lineup in UGA's last two games. He has handed out five-plus assists on seven occasions and nearly claimed his first double-double with 10 points and seven assists at Memphis on Jan. 4.

Tyree Crump (7.5 PPG) has transitioned into UGA's top option off the bench. He has drained 29 of his 41 field goals from three-point territory.

UP NEXT
Mississippi State concludes its three-game homestand and faces off with Arkansas on Wednesday. Tip time is slated for 6 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 17, 2020

Q: Do you feel like every game is a must win game at this point with conference play?
BH: "Every game is must win when we started the conference [play]. Every game we play in the SEC is a game that we want to win. I don't remember the last time anyone ran the table in this conference. It's a great conference. Every game you have to have that feeling of you are putting all your energy, all your preparation. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. You've got to be very, very intense and focused because everybody is so good. You can see it. Everyone's knocking off people. It's a league with a lot of parity."

Q: How do you go about making sure Anthony Edwards doesn't go off on offense?
BH: "We've got to do a great job with our team defense. We've got to be helping and swarming like we did the other night. Anytime you face a great talent like him [Edwards], you've got to rely on your team defense. Obviously, they'll be certain players that are matched up with him the most. But at the end of the day, your team has got to help and rally around that person guarding him. We've got to give him as much help and support as possible."

Q: How do not just focus on guarding Anthony Edwards?
BH: "They actually play 10/11 guys. They've got some very good talent. [Rayshaun] Hammonds is a really good player. [Rayshaun] Hammonds, he takes the second most shots on the team. He's shooting the ball really well from the three. He's really good at finishing around the rim, putting the ball on the floor and a good offensive rebounder."

"They have a lot of guys. [Tyree] Crump has had some great shooting performances against us in the past during his career there at Georgia. They play nine freshmen. A number of these kids are very good. [Toumani] Camarah, who is their other starting big, number 10, is a very good player. He's only made three three's, but his shot makes him really good. He's an outstanding player. The little point guard, [Sahvir] Wheeler, he's a good player. He does a good job of creating for others. He can also get to the rim. He knocked down a big shot against Memphis to really give them the four-point lead to they needed to close out that game. They've got a lot of talent and a lot of guys that can shoot it. They have a lot of guys that can drive it to the rim."

Q: What went into the decision to redshirt D.J. Stewart Jr. last year, and how much improvement have you seen from him?
BH: "I didn't think going into last year that D.J. [Stewart Jr.] was going to play the kind of minutes that made sense because we had five perimeter players. I kind of rolled the dice of having no one got hurt. When Nick [Weatherspoon] was suspended late in the year, I kind of questioned that decision. It so happened at that time that D.J. had come down with a stress reaction in his foot. I don't know if you guys remember, but one point he was out for about a month … I think in the long run it's worked out best for him to redshirt last year because he had a year of learning and being a part of all the practices. He was able to travel on the road as a redshirt because he was still eligible to come off at any moment. I thought he learned a lot and really gained a lot. He's obviously going to be a terrific player for us moving forward."

Q: Who are some of the guys on the team that have stepped up and lead this year?
BH: "I think that Tyson [Carter], as our senior, has done a great job and been a positive force. Robert Woodard [II], who's just a born leader, if he was doing anything with whatever he did in life, he's got great leadership qualities. Reggie [Perry] has done a good job. We've got a number of guys. Abdul [Ado] is one of the older guys. He's been a very positive leader for this team. We've got a number of guys that we can rely on."