Wednesday, January 8
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
6:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
Alabama
Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Alabama
January 07, 2020 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Mississippi State turns its attention to its SEC road slate as the Bulldogs make their annual trip to Tuscaloosa to meet Alabama on Wednesday at Coleman Coliseum.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (9-4, 0-1 SEC) vs. Alabama (7-6, 0-1 SEC)
Where: Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Coleman Coliseum
When: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 6:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Roy Philpott, Mark Wise
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/MSUvsBama010820)
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. 382 (XM), Ch. 972 (Internet)
MSU-ALABAMA HARDWOOD SERIES
Wednesday marks the 202nd meeting between the two schools who have played each other multiple times all but twice going back to the 1964-65 campaign. The Crimson Tide hold a 125-76 edge and have won 80 of the 95 previous meetings in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State's last win at Coleman Coliseum was a 67-61 decision on Feb. 20, 2016 during Ben Howland's first season. A pair of current NBA G League standouts, Quinndary Weatherspoon and Craig Sword, let the way for the Bulldogs with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
PROMOTIONS/TICKETS/SEC MINI PLANS
General admission tickets for Mississippi State's next home game against Missouri on Tuesday, Jan. 14 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.
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. Mississippi State received double-doubles courtesy of sophomore duo Reggie Perry and Robert Woodard II, but the Bulldogs were dealt an 80-68 loss by undefeated and No. 8 Auburn during Saturday's SEC opener. The Perry-Woodard II combo combined for 33 points and 24 rebounds headed by Perry who amassed 15 of his SEC career-high tying 21 points during the second half. He also collected 12 rebounds to secure his third consecutive double-double and SEC-leading seventh double-double of the season. Woodard II garnered 12 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double in 2019-20, and the pair combined for 13 of their 24 boards on the offensive end. Nick Weatherspoon added a season's best 18 points, while Abdul Ado filled the box score with 11 rebounds, a career-high nine blocks and six points. It would have marked the program's first double-double with rebounds and blocks. The nine blocks by Ado were the most for a MSU player since the NCAA's all-time blocks leader, Jarvis Varnado, also tallied nine at No. 18 Vanderbilt on Feb. 3, 2010. The 12-block performance for the team was the second-highest under fifth-year coach Ben Howland. The Bulldogs were limited to a season-low 33.8 shooting percentage but were able to win a physical battle of the boards between the SEC's top two rebounding squads, 46-44.
2. Mississippi State faced five non-conference opponents who won at least a share of its regular season conference championship a season ago in Kansas State (Big 12), New Mexico State (WAC), Radford (Big South), Sam Houston State (Southland) and Villanova (BIG EAST). As a result, the Bulldogs head into Tuesday's action with the SEC's third toughest strength of schedule behind Alabama (No. 13) and Auburn (No. 19).
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 with Alabama's Kira Lewis Jr. and was the tournament's MVP at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Greece. He is currently 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 12 of his last 13 games headed by 20.5 PPG and 12.0 RPG over his last four outings. He has piled up 15-plus points in seven of his last nine 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. Perry has ripped off double-doubles in three consecutive games and in five of his last eight games going back to the Villanova game on 11/22. Overall, his 15.8 points per game are tied for 10th, while his 10.0 rebounds per game headline the SEC. He has secured a SEC-leading seven double-doubles this season and 16 double-doubles for his career which is tops among SEC active players. MSU has had three players average a double-double for a season in the 2000s. The list includes Lawrence Roberts (16.9 PPG, 11.0 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 (14.5 – 14th) and three-pointers made (2.0 – 10th). Carter has already piled up a quartet of 20-plus point performances which is tied for 9th in the SEC. He heads into Wednesday's game with double figures in six of his last nine appearances. Carter has registered 1,110 career points and is eying three players on MSU's all-time scoring list. He is seven points away from moving past W.D. Stroud (1961-62-63) into 33rd place and 14 points shy of 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 1,110 points 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 12.0 points, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game … He has started in 62 of 63 career games and posted a season's best 18 points against No. 8 Auburn on 01/04 … Abdul Ado has picked up 8.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over his last six outings … He managed season's bests with 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 1.9 blocks per game in 2019-20 are good enough for fourth place on the SEC leaderboard … Ado has racked up 149 career blocks over 80 career games and has climbed to seventh place on MSU's all-time list … His 1.86 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 11.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game on the season … The 7.7 RPG are seventh whereas the 1.6 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 eight games and four of his last five 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 126 of the team's 194 bench points (64.9 percent) when coming off the bench … Molinar provided 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 which includes three of his last five appearances … The Bulldogs are 7-0 this season when Stewart Jr. reaches double digit points … The last time Stewart Jr. reached double digits was a 12-point effort versus Kent State on 12/30 and his season scoring watermark is 15 points during the Sam Houston State game on 11/08 … KeyShawn Feazell and Prince Oduro also have been solid contributors to MSU's rotation … Oduro totaled four points versus Kent State on 12/30 whereas Feazell added three points and three rebounds against Radford on 12/18.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Crimson Tide had their three-game winning streak come to a close during a 104-98 double overtime loss at Florida in their SEC opening. Alabama has posted a SEC-best 83.9 points per game and knocked down a SEC-leading 11.2 treys per game.
The Crimson Tide have a trio of players in double figures headed by John Petty Jr. (16.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 13. SPG) and Kira Lewis Jr. (16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.9 SPG) who have each piled up double figures in four consecutive games. The duo has combined for seven games of 20-plus points. Most recently, Petty Jr. poured in 39 points at Samford on 12/18.
Jaden Shackelford (13.0 PPG) has put together a solid freshman season and found his rhythm with double figures in four consecutive games. He has started two of Bama's last three games. Shackelford pumped in season's best with 28 points and eight rebounds versus Richmond on 12/29.
Alabama's top option off the bench has been James Bolden (9.1 PPG), a transfer from West Virginia. He has dialed up 10-plus points on five occasions and came away with 15 points during the Florida game.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State caps a two-goad road trip with a stop at LSU on Saturday. Tip time is on-tap for 7 p.m. CT from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The game will be televised by ESPN 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 7, 2020
Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: How do you go into the Alabama game and not try to speed things up with the style they play?
BH: "We have to control tempo. They do play at a very quick pace. They shoot the ball pretty quickly and shoot it amazingly with a ton of three's. That's the key to their deal. They're taking 30 three-pointers per game. They literally are like the Houston Rockets of college basketball in terms of the analytics and how they're playing. They do a really good job."
"When you think about Kira Lewis [Jr.] and John Petty [Jr.], there's not a better pair of guards in our league anywhere. Those guys are really talented. They can both shoot it, drive it, create for others and do so many things well. Herbert Jones is a tremendous player and so versatile with how he handles the ball. They run him through the point sometimes, and they run the offense through him. He starts at the three and play half of his minutes at the four. He's a really versatile player who does really a lot of great things for their team. All those guys are veteran guys.
"[Jaden] Shackelford, who will start or be the first guy from the bench, is a great three-point shooter. [He's a] lefty and is really shooting the ball well off of the perimeter. [Alex] Reese is shooting great … When you have him out there, there's a 6-10 guy shooting 36 percent and can really shoot threes. He's attempted as many threes as Kira Lewis [Jr.], for example."
"The two guys inside, Galin Smith and Javian Davis, are very good, powerful, physical players who are really doing a great job of their role of playing good post defense, banging the offensive glass and finishing around the hoop."
Q: How important is winning this game on the road after starting 0-1 in conference play?
BH: "Bottom line is that we just look at things one at a time. Obviously, we're disappointed to lose our first home game against a very good Auburn team. When I went back and watched the film, four different times what really hurt us in that game was our offense. We had a chance at 17-9 to build on a lead. We're playing in front of our first really big crowd we had all season."
"We had anxiety that really showed up on our offense. We've got to really have better poise. Now, it's tested even more when you're on the road, and you're playing in a foreign environment where it's us against the world. Some ways, that can be a positive. I've had that with teams. No question, our whole focus is one game at a time, and it's the University of Alabama at six o'clock."
"Their coming off of a very disappointing loss as well. They had a nine-point lead with 2:30 to go on the road against Florida and played great against Florida. They were exceptional. They had some tough ones with the game at Penn State, I rewatched that last night. They got robbed on a block-charge call that could've made the difference in that game. Penn State is an NCAA Tournament team. This team is really a talented team that we are playing against, so it will be a tremendous challenge for us."
"The pace of play and handling their pressure defensively is going to be critical. [We have to] not get sped up on offense to where we are shooting ill-advised shots. The most important thing on offense is taking good shots. Shot selection is your number one thing on offense. We have to better tomorrow than we did on Saturday in that area. We are still trying to defend. They really spread you out. Then, drive you, draw and kick to three-point shooters. They take a lot of threes and just about everybody can shoot them."
Q: How much of an emphasis do you put on getting the ball to Reggie Perry?
BH: "Every game, not just the Alabama game. We've got to get the ball to Reggie every single game. The thing that's great about giving it to him, this is not the black hole. This guy is an incredible passer. We had a scout here yesterday from the Memphis Grizzlies. He was questioning about some of our players, and I said, 'Reggie, the thing that is so special about him is his ability to pass.' I don't think it could ever be appreciated enough from a guy who's 6-10, 250 pounds, to be able to pass the way that he does. You want to run as much as you can through him and let him make plays for others."
"When we cut the lead to 48-46 in that game, he made a jump stop pass to Robert [Woodard II] for a backdoor dunk. I had to give him a blow. When he goes out, boom, the lead goes from 10. We've got to do a better job when he's out of the game to shorten it up. I thought Reggie had a fantastic game in our last game. We want to get it to him every night against everybody."
Guard Nick Weatherspoon
Q: What are some things you guys have to correct getting on the road this week?
NW: "We're going to try to slow down and play with more poise and pace. I think we'll have to play a lot better in the second half and defend like we defend in the first 10 minutes of the first half [of the Auburn game]. We're going to try to do that for the full 40 minutes. I think we really defended pretty well, and I think if we can do that for 40 minutes, we can put something together."
Q: How much as a point guard do you look at how to shape the offense on where it needs to be?
NW: "I have a talk with one of our assistant coaches, and I'm going to try to focus on more of playing like how I'm practicing – playing to get the guys involved. I think with this team, that's something that I'm going to have to do. I think if I can get five or six assists a game, we'll be pretty good. That's something that I'm going to try to focus on and getting Robert [Woodard II] and Tyson [Carter] involved really early and get them going."
Q: How do you work yourself out of a slump like Tyson Carter is in now?
NW: "After the game, I texted Reggie [Perry] and told him we're going to have to talk to Tyson because that's our brother before basketball. I sent Tyson a text and told him that he was the best shooter that I've ever played with. I told him to keep shooting, and they're going to start to fall in. I'm going to keep hitting him, making the right pass and keep making him shoot it. I think it's going to fall in sooner or later."
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Mississippi State turns its attention to its SEC road slate as the Bulldogs make their annual trip to Tuscaloosa to meet Alabama on Wednesday at Coleman Coliseum.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (9-4, 0-1 SEC) vs. Alabama (7-6, 0-1 SEC)
Where: Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Coleman Coliseum
When: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 6:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Roy Philpott, Mark Wise
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/MSUvsBama010820)
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. 382 (XM), Ch. 972 (Internet)
MSU-ALABAMA HARDWOOD SERIES
Wednesday marks the 202nd meeting between the two schools who have played each other multiple times all but twice going back to the 1964-65 campaign. The Crimson Tide hold a 125-76 edge and have won 80 of the 95 previous meetings in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State's last win at Coleman Coliseum was a 67-61 decision on Feb. 20, 2016 during Ben Howland's first season. A pair of current NBA G League standouts, Quinndary Weatherspoon and Craig Sword, let the way for the Bulldogs with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
PROMOTIONS/TICKETS/SEC MINI PLANS
General admission tickets for Mississippi State's next home game against Missouri on Tuesday, Jan. 14 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.
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. Mississippi State received double-doubles courtesy of sophomore duo Reggie Perry and Robert Woodard II, but the Bulldogs were dealt an 80-68 loss by undefeated and No. 8 Auburn during Saturday's SEC opener. The Perry-Woodard II combo combined for 33 points and 24 rebounds headed by Perry who amassed 15 of his SEC career-high tying 21 points during the second half. He also collected 12 rebounds to secure his third consecutive double-double and SEC-leading seventh double-double of the season. Woodard II garnered 12 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double in 2019-20, and the pair combined for 13 of their 24 boards on the offensive end. Nick Weatherspoon added a season's best 18 points, while Abdul Ado filled the box score with 11 rebounds, a career-high nine blocks and six points. It would have marked the program's first double-double with rebounds and blocks. The nine blocks by Ado were the most for a MSU player since the NCAA's all-time blocks leader, Jarvis Varnado, also tallied nine at No. 18 Vanderbilt on Feb. 3, 2010. The 12-block performance for the team was the second-highest under fifth-year coach Ben Howland. The Bulldogs were limited to a season-low 33.8 shooting percentage but were able to win a physical battle of the boards between the SEC's top two rebounding squads, 46-44.
2. Mississippi State faced five non-conference opponents who won at least a share of its regular season conference championship a season ago in Kansas State (Big 12), New Mexico State (WAC), Radford (Big South), Sam Houston State (Southland) and Villanova (BIG EAST). As a result, the Bulldogs head into Tuesday's action with the SEC's third toughest strength of schedule behind Alabama (No. 13) and Auburn (No. 19).
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 with Alabama's Kira Lewis Jr. and was the tournament's MVP at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Greece. He is currently 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 12 of his last 13 games headed by 20.5 PPG and 12.0 RPG over his last four outings. He has piled up 15-plus points in seven of his last nine 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. Perry has ripped off double-doubles in three consecutive games and in five of his last eight games going back to the Villanova game on 11/22. Overall, his 15.8 points per game are tied for 10th, while his 10.0 rebounds per game headline the SEC. He has secured a SEC-leading seven double-doubles this season and 16 double-doubles for his career which is tops among SEC active players. MSU has had three players average a double-double for a season in the 2000s. The list includes Lawrence Roberts (16.9 PPG, 11.0 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 (14.5 – 14th) and three-pointers made (2.0 – 10th). Carter has already piled up a quartet of 20-plus point performances which is tied for 9th in the SEC. He heads into Wednesday's game with double figures in six of his last nine appearances. Carter has registered 1,110 career points and is eying three players on MSU's all-time scoring list. He is seven points away from moving past W.D. Stroud (1961-62-63) into 33rd place and 14 points shy of 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 1,110 points 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 12.0 points, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game … He has started in 62 of 63 career games and posted a season's best 18 points against No. 8 Auburn on 01/04 … Abdul Ado has picked up 8.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over his last six outings … He managed season's bests with 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 1.9 blocks per game in 2019-20 are good enough for fourth place on the SEC leaderboard … Ado has racked up 149 career blocks over 80 career games and has climbed to seventh place on MSU's all-time list … His 1.86 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 11.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game on the season … The 7.7 RPG are seventh whereas the 1.6 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 eight games and four of his last five 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 126 of the team's 194 bench points (64.9 percent) when coming off the bench … Molinar provided 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 which includes three of his last five appearances … The Bulldogs are 7-0 this season when Stewart Jr. reaches double digit points … The last time Stewart Jr. reached double digits was a 12-point effort versus Kent State on 12/30 and his season scoring watermark is 15 points during the Sam Houston State game on 11/08 … KeyShawn Feazell and Prince Oduro also have been solid contributors to MSU's rotation … Oduro totaled four points versus Kent State on 12/30 whereas Feazell added three points and three rebounds against Radford on 12/18.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Crimson Tide had their three-game winning streak come to a close during a 104-98 double overtime loss at Florida in their SEC opening. Alabama has posted a SEC-best 83.9 points per game and knocked down a SEC-leading 11.2 treys per game.
The Crimson Tide have a trio of players in double figures headed by John Petty Jr. (16.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 13. SPG) and Kira Lewis Jr. (16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.9 SPG) who have each piled up double figures in four consecutive games. The duo has combined for seven games of 20-plus points. Most recently, Petty Jr. poured in 39 points at Samford on 12/18.
Jaden Shackelford (13.0 PPG) has put together a solid freshman season and found his rhythm with double figures in four consecutive games. He has started two of Bama's last three games. Shackelford pumped in season's best with 28 points and eight rebounds versus Richmond on 12/29.
Alabama's top option off the bench has been James Bolden (9.1 PPG), a transfer from West Virginia. He has dialed up 10-plus points on five occasions and came away with 15 points during the Florida game.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State caps a two-goad road trip with a stop at LSU on Saturday. Tip time is on-tap for 7 p.m. CT from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The game will be televised by ESPN 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 7, 2020
Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: How do you go into the Alabama game and not try to speed things up with the style they play?
BH: "We have to control tempo. They do play at a very quick pace. They shoot the ball pretty quickly and shoot it amazingly with a ton of three's. That's the key to their deal. They're taking 30 three-pointers per game. They literally are like the Houston Rockets of college basketball in terms of the analytics and how they're playing. They do a really good job."
"When you think about Kira Lewis [Jr.] and John Petty [Jr.], there's not a better pair of guards in our league anywhere. Those guys are really talented. They can both shoot it, drive it, create for others and do so many things well. Herbert Jones is a tremendous player and so versatile with how he handles the ball. They run him through the point sometimes, and they run the offense through him. He starts at the three and play half of his minutes at the four. He's a really versatile player who does really a lot of great things for their team. All those guys are veteran guys.
"[Jaden] Shackelford, who will start or be the first guy from the bench, is a great three-point shooter. [He's a] lefty and is really shooting the ball well off of the perimeter. [Alex] Reese is shooting great … When you have him out there, there's a 6-10 guy shooting 36 percent and can really shoot threes. He's attempted as many threes as Kira Lewis [Jr.], for example."
"The two guys inside, Galin Smith and Javian Davis, are very good, powerful, physical players who are really doing a great job of their role of playing good post defense, banging the offensive glass and finishing around the hoop."
Q: How important is winning this game on the road after starting 0-1 in conference play?
BH: "Bottom line is that we just look at things one at a time. Obviously, we're disappointed to lose our first home game against a very good Auburn team. When I went back and watched the film, four different times what really hurt us in that game was our offense. We had a chance at 17-9 to build on a lead. We're playing in front of our first really big crowd we had all season."
"We had anxiety that really showed up on our offense. We've got to really have better poise. Now, it's tested even more when you're on the road, and you're playing in a foreign environment where it's us against the world. Some ways, that can be a positive. I've had that with teams. No question, our whole focus is one game at a time, and it's the University of Alabama at six o'clock."
"Their coming off of a very disappointing loss as well. They had a nine-point lead with 2:30 to go on the road against Florida and played great against Florida. They were exceptional. They had some tough ones with the game at Penn State, I rewatched that last night. They got robbed on a block-charge call that could've made the difference in that game. Penn State is an NCAA Tournament team. This team is really a talented team that we are playing against, so it will be a tremendous challenge for us."
"The pace of play and handling their pressure defensively is going to be critical. [We have to] not get sped up on offense to where we are shooting ill-advised shots. The most important thing on offense is taking good shots. Shot selection is your number one thing on offense. We have to better tomorrow than we did on Saturday in that area. We are still trying to defend. They really spread you out. Then, drive you, draw and kick to three-point shooters. They take a lot of threes and just about everybody can shoot them."
Q: How much of an emphasis do you put on getting the ball to Reggie Perry?
BH: "Every game, not just the Alabama game. We've got to get the ball to Reggie every single game. The thing that's great about giving it to him, this is not the black hole. This guy is an incredible passer. We had a scout here yesterday from the Memphis Grizzlies. He was questioning about some of our players, and I said, 'Reggie, the thing that is so special about him is his ability to pass.' I don't think it could ever be appreciated enough from a guy who's 6-10, 250 pounds, to be able to pass the way that he does. You want to run as much as you can through him and let him make plays for others."
"When we cut the lead to 48-46 in that game, he made a jump stop pass to Robert [Woodard II] for a backdoor dunk. I had to give him a blow. When he goes out, boom, the lead goes from 10. We've got to do a better job when he's out of the game to shorten it up. I thought Reggie had a fantastic game in our last game. We want to get it to him every night against everybody."
Guard Nick Weatherspoon
Q: What are some things you guys have to correct getting on the road this week?
NW: "We're going to try to slow down and play with more poise and pace. I think we'll have to play a lot better in the second half and defend like we defend in the first 10 minutes of the first half [of the Auburn game]. We're going to try to do that for the full 40 minutes. I think we really defended pretty well, and I think if we can do that for 40 minutes, we can put something together."
Q: How much as a point guard do you look at how to shape the offense on where it needs to be?
NW: "I have a talk with one of our assistant coaches, and I'm going to try to focus on more of playing like how I'm practicing – playing to get the guys involved. I think with this team, that's something that I'm going to have to do. I think if I can get five or six assists a game, we'll be pretty good. That's something that I'm going to try to focus on and getting Robert [Woodard II] and Tyson [Carter] involved really early and get them going."
Q: How do you work yourself out of a slump like Tyson Carter is in now?
NW: "After the game, I texted Reggie [Perry] and told him we're going to have to talk to Tyson because that's our brother before basketball. I sent Tyson a text and told him that he was the best shooter that I've ever played with. I told him to keep shooting, and they're going to start to fall in. I'm going to keep hitting him, making the right pass and keep making him shoot it. I think it's going to fall in sooner or later."
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