Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-South Carolina

Wednesday, February 19

Starkville

8:00 PM

Mississippi State

South Carolina

Buy tickets

Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-South Carolina

February 18, 2020 | Men's Basketball

Buy Tickets Gameday Info WATCH: Coach Howland Presser WATCH: SEC Network LISTEN: Hail State Plus Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State embarks on the final third of its SEC schedule and meets fellow NCAA Tournament hopeful South Carolina on Wednesday at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Bulldogs enter the week in sole possession of sixth place in the SEC standings. Mississippi State trails Florida and South Carolina by a game for fourth place, while the Bulldogs sit one game up on Alabama, Tennessee and Texas A&M who are in a three-way tie for seventh.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (16-9, 7-5 SEC) vs. South Carolina (16-9, 8-4 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 8:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
Tickets: MSU Ticket Office (https://hailst.at/tix-MBKvsUSC)

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. 220-222
Online: WatchESPN App (https://hailst.at/SCvsMSU021920)

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-SOUTH CAROLINA HARDWOOD SERIES
The two teams have split the last eight meetings since becoming home-and-home opponents leading into the 2015-16 season. Five of the last six outings have been decided by six points or less.

Mississippi State holds a 22-15 overall series advantage and has won 12 of the 16 meetings at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs erased a 16-point first half deficit en route to a 76-61 win in Starkville last season. Reggie Perry dialed up 17 of a then career-high 21 points on a flawless 7-of-7 shooting effort during the second half.

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
General admission tickets for Wednesday's matchup against South Carolina 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.

Wednesday's food promotional item is free chicken and waffles located between portals F and G on the concourse while supplies last. Other promotions include 275 Hail State Rewards points for students, 150 points for Bully's Kids Club members and an opportunity to win $600 for any Hail State Rewards member.

Mississippi State is offering a $10 "Super Saturday" ticket for the Ole Miss game on Saturday, March 7 which includes general admission to the baseball game versus Quinnipiac at Dudy Noble Field earlier that day. Fans can purchase this special combined ticket offer online only at www.HailState.com/tickets under the multi-sport packages button.

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 captured a season-sweep of Arkansas with a dramatic 78-77 last-second victory last Saturday. The Bulldogs, one of the nation's top offensive rebounding teams, got a tipin from Abdul Ado with 0.6 seconds remaining to earn their second NCAA Net Quad 1 road victory on the season. It marked Mississippi State's program-best sixth consecutive victory over the Razorbacks under fifth-year coach Ben Howland. Tyson Carter pumped in 17 of his SEC career-high 26 points during the second half. It marked his highest scoring output going back to a season's best 28 points against Sam Houston State on 11/08. He knocked down 8-of-14 from the floor and hit on 8-of-10 at the free throw line. The 26-point effort allowed Carter to move into a tie with Jack Bouldin (1970-71-72) for 22nd place on MSU's all-time list. Reggie Perry tacked on 17 points and eight rebounds followed by 10 points apiece for D.J. Stewart Jr. and Nick Weatherspoon, respectively. Iverson Molinar chipped in eight points, all during the first half, on a flawless 4-of-4 shooting. The Carter-Molinar combo paced Mississippi State to a 34-2 edge in bench points. Ado's winning basket was his lone bucket of the contest. He also compiled seven rebounds and two blocks. Robert Woodard II secured five points, five rebounds and two blocks to round out the scoring for the Bulldogs. Arkansas was fueled by Mason Jones' 38 points en route to his fourth 30-point performance in the last six appearances.

2. Mississippi State has a top 50 strength of schedule and has played five non-conference opponents who won at least a share of their regular season conference championship last season. The Bulldogs are one of 12 teams in the country to play two or fewer games against opponents who are currently ranked 201 and above in the NET.

Mississippi State continues to do damage as one of the nation's best offensive rebounding teams. The Bulldogs not only lead the SEC but ranked third in the nation behind only West Virginia and Houston heading into this week's action with a 38.0 percent offensive rebounding percentage … The Bulldogs have secured a +7.8 rebounding margin which is 1st in the SEC, 4th among Power 5 teams and 9th nationally. Mississippi State also checks in 2nd in the SEC, 7th among Power 5 teams and 26th nationally with 12.48 offensive rebounds per game.

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 preseason 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 preseason candidate for six major awards which included the John R. Wooden, Karl Malone, Lute Olson, Naismith, NABC and Oscar Robertson. The sophomore was named one of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award awarded to the nation's top power forward in early February.

Perry, the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week for 02/03 and two-time SEC Player of the Week, has amassed double figures in 23 of his last 25 games headed by 20.9 PPG over his last 10 outings. He has piled up 20-plus points in four of his last six, seven of his last 10 and in nine of his last 14 appearances. Perry has posted his top five scoring performances versus SEC opponents during the run fueled by a career-high 27 points at Florida on 01/28, 26 points against Arkansas on 01/22, 25 points versus Vanderbilt on 02/08 and 24 points during the Tennessee and Ole Miss games on 02/01 and 02/11, respectively. Overall, Perry's 17.7 points per game are 4th, while his 9.8 rebounds per game headline the SEC.

Perry has secured a SEC-leading 13 double-doubles this season highlighted by nine double-doubles in his last 15 games since 12/22. Seven of those nine double-doubles have been of the 20-points, 10-rebound variety. He became the first MSU player since Rickey Brown to start the 1979-80 to piece together three consecutive 20-10 games when he accomplished the feat during the Missouri, Arkansas and Georgia games from 01/14 to 01/22. Perry's 22 career double-doubles are tops among SEC active players, and the most by a MSU player during his freshman and sophomore seasons combined since Erick Dampier compiled 20 during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.

Perry along with Kansas' Udoka Azubuike and Iowa's Luke Garza are just outside of joining a group of four Power 5 conference players this season to average a double-double. The club includes John Mooney (Notre Dame), Daniel Oturo (Minnesota), Jalen Smith (Maryland) and Xavier Tillman (Michigan State). MSU has had 11 players overall and three players average a season double-double during the 2000s. The 2000s 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 (13.4 – 20th), free throw percentage (85.1 – 3rd) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6 – 6th). Carter has regained his form and dialed up 10-plus points in eight of his last 10 games since the Missouri game on 01/14 when coming off the bench. He poured in a SEC career-high 26 points, 17 coming during the second half, at Arkansas on 02/15. The Starkville native has piled up 134 of MSU's 183 bench points (73.2 percent) during that span. The Bulldogs are 38-11 since the start of 2017-18 when Carter scores 10 points or more and have won nine of 12 games when the Starkville native reaches the 20-point plateau.

Carter heads into Wednesday's game with 1,257 career points and has passed his father, Greg Carter, on the MSU 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 1,257 points now rank tied for 22nd in program history, and he's one point shy of passing Jack Bouldin (1970-71-72). He also is fourth among SEC active players behind Ole Miss' Breein Tyree, LSU's Skylar Mays and Tennessee's Jordan Bowden. Carter has canned 204 treys which is tops among SEC active players. He moved into fifth place on the MSU's list at Oklahoma on 01/25.

5. Nick Weatherspoon has been a welcomed addition back to the starting lineup where he has posted 11.6 points and 4.3 assists per game … He has started in 74 of 75 career games and secured double digit points in 12 of his 15 appearances sparked by a 21-point effort versus Vanderbilt on 02/08 and a 20-point performance at Alabama on 01/08 … Mississippi State has won eight of 10 games during Weatherspoon's career when he has dished out five or more assists … His 4.8 APG are 4th, while his 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio is 5th against SEC opponents on the league leaderboard … The Canton native has distributed 47 assists against 24 turnovers over his last nine games … Weatherspoon filled the box score 11 points coupled with career-bests of nine assists and eight rebounds during the Tennessee game on 02/01.

Abdul Ado became the 36th player in program history to surpass 500 career rebounds at Florida on 01/28 … He enters Wednesday's action in 30th place on the MSU's all-time list and his 6.8 rebounds are 12th on the SEC list … Ado has a pair of double-doubles in 2019-20: the last was 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 4th place on the SEC leaderboard … Ado has racked up 168 career blocks over 92 career games and has climbed to sixth 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 11.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game on the season … The 7.0 RPG are 9th whereas his 1.2 SPG are just outside the SEC's top 10 … Woodard II and Perry possess two of the SEC's four 20-plus point, 15-plus rebound games this season, Florida's Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Georgia's Anthony Edwards have the other two … Woodard II has already collected double figures in 15 games which is third on the team behind Reggie Perry and Tyson Carter … He has registered 10-plus points in five of seven, six of his last nine and 11 of his last 17 outings after having three games of 10-plus during the entire 2018-19 season … Woodard II has a trio of double-doubles on the season: the last was 12 points and 12 rebounds against No. 8 Auburn on 01/04.

Iverson Molinar and D.J. Stewart Jr. have teamed for 18 games of 10-plus points during their freshman season … The Carter-Molinar-Stewart Jr. trio has accounted for 313 of the team's 398 bench points (78.6 percent) when coming off the bench … The Bulldogs are 10-3 this season when Stewart Jr. secures 10-plus points … Stewart Jr. has started MSU's last 10 games and upped his averages to 12.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG over his last eight games (01/22-02/15) … He has amassed four of his top 5 scoring performances over that span … Stewart Jr. exploded for a season's best 20 points aided by 16 points on four treys during the second half versus Tennessee on 02/01 … Molinar provided a SEC career-high eight points during the Arkansas games on 01/22 and 02/15 … Molinar's season-high is 21 points aided by four treys against Tulane on 11/21 … 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
The Gamecocks are one of the hottest teams in the league winners of three straight, six of their last seven and eight of their last 10 since beginning SEC action with a 0-2 mark. South Carolina's only losses during that stretch were at Auburn (80-67 on 01/22) and at Ole Miss (84-70 on 02/05).

The Gamecocks have three players averaging in double figures which include A.J. Lawson (13.8 PPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG), Jermaine Couisnard (11.9 PPG, 2.8 APG) and Maik Kotsar (10.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.1 BPG).

Lawson has pumped in double figures in 18 of 25 appearances headed by seven of his last nine outings. He reached the 20-point barrier for the sixth time on the season with a 20-point effort on 7-of-10 shooting at Georgia on 02/12. The Lawson-Couisnard-Jair Bolden trio has drained 114 of the team's 147 treys this season with Lawson hitting multiple three-pointers in six of his last nine games.

Couisinard has come into his own since being inserted into the starting lineup 10 games ago with 10-plus points in five consecutive games and in nine of his last 11 SEC appearances. He piled up 26 points sparked by a buzzer-beating trey to defeat Kentucky on 01/15. The freshman ripped off a season's best 28 points on 8-of-18 from the floor at Ole Miss on 02/05.

Kotsar has compiled a pair of double-doubles, most notably a 21-point and 11-rebound effort versus Missouri on 02/01. He has registered double-digit points during six straight games. The 21 points against Missouri were a season-high. Kotsar piled up a career-best 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting coupled with 10 rebounds during South Carolina's overtime win over Mississippi State last season.

The Gamecocks top options off the bench have been Bolden (8.9 PPG) and Jalyn McCreary (4.0 PPG) as of late. McCreary has tallied eight points apiece during the Georgia and Tennessee games on 02/12 and 02/15, respectively. Bolden racked up a season's best 22 points during South Carolina's signature non-conference win over defending national champion Virginia on 12/22.

UP NEXT
Mississippi State will play its second of three consecutive weekend road games at Texas A&M on Saturday. Tip time is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by the 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
February 18, 2020

Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: What was behind the play call on the last play of the game at Arkansas?
BH: "You know, we watched [film] edits yesterday with the team because we had Sunday off with tomorrow being a Wednesday game. So, just reliving that with the team a little bit, we had a 17-point lead with 14:34 to go. Then, you look two minutes later, literally 2:15 later, it was down to seven. It went that quick. It was just an incredibly tough game. [Mason] Jones is such a difficult guy to match up with. It seemed like he had maybe three or four of the old-fashioned and-one three-point plays at the rim."

"We watched all the way to Tyson [Carter's] steal that was late in the game there in the 1:30. That put us up one. They came down, got to the line and took the lead. We missed a jump shot, and they came back. We got a stop. Tyson actually played great defense on Jones where he contested the ball. Actually, it was an air ball, but we got the rebound. Tyson was bringing it up on the right side of the floor, which was closest to our bench."

"When we were at our bench I said, 'Go the rim!' so we have a chance to get fouled and have a chance to get an offensive rebound. He drove in there and got up a pretty good look. There was a lot of bodies flying around. Actually, the guy who was guarding Abdul [Ado] slipped on his own teammate's foot so he went down. So, Abdul's right there and there's no one blocking him out. Thank the Lord that Abdul was right there because it was just a great tip to put it back in. I couldn't be happier for a young man and more fitting that it would be Abdul Ado that he got his hands on it and tipped it in with point-six seconds left. It was just great. Obviously, a huge lift for our team to get the point and win against a very good opponent on their home floor in a tough environment."

Q: How big of a difference do you think A.J. Lawson has been in their resurgence since they started 0-2 in the conference?
BH: "I think when [Jermaine] Couisnard was starting at the point, it really changed the dynamics of their team if you sit there and watch and study them on film and listen to everything. But no question, [A.J.] Lawson is playing great. He was on [SEC] All-Freshman team last year. He's really skilled with a lot of NBA watch lists going into the season. He's a very good player."

"I think [Maik] Kotsar, he's the guy. He's doing so much to help their team win. He's one of the best defensive players in our league. He's so strong, physical and has great lateral quickness and great feet. He's a really good presence. He's a great rebounder and passer. He's just tough as nails. He's a huge guy that we have to contend with as well."

Q: Does it matter now about looking at the NET rankings because it is such a crucial part of the season?
BH: "The NET [rankings] was really strange. We got a road win, and our NET got worse. It's one of the tools that they use, but it's not the end-law. They're looking at quad-one versus quad-two. You look at our league, our league is so good. It's such a monster. You have three teams that are clearly in, and everybody else is fighting for the position to get in. There's no question that Kentucky, Auburn and LSU are in the field. Everybody else is scratching and clawing and trying to fight their way in."

Q: How do you think your team this year matches up with South Carolina's physicality?
BH: "I think we matchup good. I think it's going to be a really tough, physical game. They play different defenses. They're going to change it up and play some 2-3 zone. They're going to play a little 1-2-2, three-quarter court press back to a 3-2 zone. They're going to really get out and deny everything with their man-on-man defense and really pressure you and get into the ball. Everything is contested. Every screen, they're going through physically. It's going to be a very physical game. The guys that played against them last year understand that. For Iverson [Molinar], who's really the only guy new that's in the rotation, it'll be a new experience for him."

Q: Have you seen Tyson Carter improve on his defense throughout his past four years at Mississippi State?
BH: "In his time here, he's come a long way. Part of that is just getting stronger and strength. Tyson, one of his greatest blessings as a basketball player, is that he's highly intelligent. He's a coach's son. He's been around the game his entire life, literally. He's been running around the basketball floor since the day he walked. He's a kid that when we were at LSU earlier in the season, we met a lady who had him in first or second grade. She talked about how all he wanted to talk about as a first grader was the basketball team. She was explaining to us how he brought in a program from a game. She kind of helped him learn numbers and the alphabet from a basketball program. That's how much he's involved with it and has been his whole life. He's got a good basketball IQ and is smart."

Forward Abdul Ado
Q: How much more special is that shot at Arkansas knowing that every game is basically a must-win?
AA: "That was really exciting. I felt like the game should have never got to that point where we needed that one basket to go ahead. But for me, that was one of the biggest moments of my life. Being able to say I was there for a tipin to help my team so our season could go on, that was really big-time for me."

Q: How did you see the play develop?
AA: "We are a good offensive rebounding team. I always have confidence in Tyson every time he drives the ball because I always know that he's either going to get a basket or get fouled. When it comes out, I'm going to get a put-back … I was like 'If it comes out, I'm going to tip this back in'. That was my whole mindset – that we would leave that arena with a win, and we sure did."

Q: How do you feel about seeing South Carolina again having had so much experience against them?
AA: "It's exciting, I always get excited playing South Carolina, especially knowing how physically they play. You can't really call all of the fouls, so the refs have to let some go. It's going to be a 'no blood, no foul' kind of game, which I'm really excited about. I've played them for the last three years, and it's been fun, honestly. I'm always excited playing them, and they have a great coach."

Guard Tyson Carter
Q: How different is it fighting for a tournament spot when at this point last year, you had a spot locked up?
TC: "Right now it seems like we're fighting for our lives, basically. Last year, I wouldn't say we relaxed, but at this point we're trying to win every game. [Fighting for a tournament spot] helps with the focus because when you're winning a lot, you can lose focus sometimes, but right now, every single day that we come into practice, everybody is focused and locked in."

Q: Does winning a close game prepare you more for the games at the end of the year?
TC: "Yes, because it just brings experience in close games and you need that. In the past, we didn't have much experience in close games. We would make mistakes and lose games that we shouldn't lose so, just like last game, we didn't panic even when we lost the lead. They took a lead and it was loud in there, but we didn't panic. We just kept fighting and we got the win so we're going to keep doing that."

Q: How much does basketball mean to you?
TC: "It's been everything for me all my life. All I've wanted to do is just play basketball and ever since I can remember, I was keeping up with basketball. So, it's just everything to me. That's why this last season means a lot to me and that's why we don't want to lose games like the last one. That's why we're taking every game one game at a time right now."

– HailState.com –