Tuesday, February 25
Starkville
8:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Alabama
Gameday: Five Things to Know About MSU-Alabama
February 24, 2020 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State looks to bounce back from a road setback to Texas A&M over the weekend and faces another fellow NCAA Tournament hopeful in Alabama on Tuesday at Humphrey Coliseum.
The Bulldogs enter this week's action in a three-way tie with South Carolina and Texas A&M for fifth place in the SEC standings. The trio trails Florida by one game for the last double bye at next month's SEC Tournament and are one-game ahead of Alabama and Tennessee who are deadlocked for the eighth spot.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (17-10, 8-6 SEC) vs. Alabama (15-12, 7-7 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 8:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
Tickets: MSU Ticket Office (https://hailst.at/tix-MBKvsBama)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Dave Neal, Daymeon Fishback
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/BamavsMSU022520)
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-ALABAMA HARDWOOD SERIES
Mississippi State and Alabama renew acquaintances with the Bulldogs looking for their third straight home win and third consecutive season split with the Crimson Tide. Alabama holds a 126-76 overall series advantage, but Mississippi State possesses a 58-38 edge in games played in Starkville.
The Bulldogs received a balanced scoring attack headed by Lamar Peters and Quinndary Weatherspoon who ripped off 22 and 20 points, respectively, during last year's 81-62 win over Alabama in Starkville. Reggie Perry also dialed up a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as Mississippi State took advantage of 18 Crimson Tide turnovers en route to 28-5 advantage in points off miscues.
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
Fans can receive a free general admission ticket to Tuesday's game while supplies last for every $10 donated to the American Cancer Society at www.hailst.at/3blHjep as part of the "Get Cancer Over The Hump" campaign. To redeem your free ticket, fans are asked to bring their donation confirmation via phone or email to the Humphrey Coliseum Box Office on gameday. Coach Howland will personally donate $10,500 to the American Cancer Society if 10,000 fans are in attendance at Tuesday's game.
There are $1 tickets available for all MSU faculty and staff when purchased in advance at www.HailState.com/tickets using the promo code "FSDEAL". The $1 promotion ends two hours prior to tipoff.
Tuesday's food promotional items include free pizza and king cake for all fans between portals F and G 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 $700 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. Last time out, Tyson Carter and Robert Woodard II pumped in 32 of their combined 37 points during the second half, but Texas A&M's sharp shooting was difficult to overcome as the Aggies defeated Mississippi State, 87-75. The Bulldogs had their four-game winning streak over Texas A&M. Carter fired in 19 points courtesy of a 7-for-12 shooting clip. He connected on a season-high tying five treys. Woodard II delivered 16 of his SEC career-high 18 points during the second half and was 7-of-14 from the floor. He added three rebounds and two blocks. The 18-point effort for Woodard II was his highest scoring output since he notched a career-high 21 points versus New Orleans on Nov. 17. Reggie Perry nearly compiled his 15 double-double of the season and filled the box score with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Nick Weatherspoon contributed 11 points and made five of his six shot attempts. He tacked on five assists and four rebounds before he fouled out. Abdul Ado chipped in six points, six rebounds and two blocks, while Iverson Molinar garnered five points and a career-best three steals. The Carter-Molinar combination provided 24 of the game's 27 bench points. D.J. Stewart Jr. was limited to two points but impacted the game in other ways. He passed out a career-high five assists to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Texas A&M made a season-high 31 field goals on 52 shot attempts en route to a season's best 59.6 field goal percentage.
2. Mississippi State has tucked away 65 victories dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season which is tied for fourth in the SEC with LSU and only behind Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee. The Bulldogs are three wins shy of coming away with their third consecutive season with 20-plus victories. The last time MSU accomplished the feat was in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons which also marked the last time the Bulldogs made the postseason in three straight seasons. Mississippi State is two wins away from back-to-back seasons with 10 wins in SEC action. The last time the program accomplished that feat was in 1994-95 and 1995-96 under Richard Williams … 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 weekend's action with a 37.7 percent offensive rebounding percentage … The Bulldogs have secured a +7.6 rebounding margin which is 1st in the SEC, 5th among Power 5 teams and 11th nationally. Mississippi State also checks in 3rd in the SEC, 9th among Power 5 teams and 28th nationally with 12.30 offensive rebounds per game.
3. Reggie Perry was 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 25 of his last 27 games headed by 19.4 PPG over his last 12 outings. He has piled up 20-plus points in four of his last eight, seven of his last 12 and in nine of his last 16 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 17.3 points per game are 6th, while his 9.8 rebounds per game headline the SEC.
Perry has secured a SEC-leading 14 double-doubles this season highlighted by 10 double-doubles in his last 17 games since 12/22. Seven of those 10 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 23 career double-doubles are tops among SEC active players, and the most by a MSU player during his freshman and sophomore seasons combined since Brown also compiled 23 during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons.
Perry is just outside of joining a group of five Power 5 conference players to average a double-double this season. The club includes Udoka Azubuike (Kansas), 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 during each of his four seasons at Mississippi State. The senior guard ranks inside the league's leaders in points (13.3 – 20th), free throw percentage (85.4 – 3rd) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5 – 8th). Carter has regained his form and dialed up 10-plus points in eight of his last 11 appearances 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 143 of MSU's 195 bench points (73.3 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 Tuesday's game with 1,285 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 1,285 points are 16 points shy of passing Timmy Bowers (2001-02-03-04) for 21st place on the program's list. 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 210 treys which is tops among SEC active players and fifth in program history.
5. Nick Weatherspoon has been a welcomed addition back to the starting lineup where he has posted 11.9 points and 4.4 assists per game … He has started in 76 of 77 career games and secured double digit points in 13 of his 17 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 nine of 12 games during Weatherspoon's career when he has dished out five or more assists … His 4.9 APG are tied for 3rd, while his 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is tied for 4th against SEC opponents on the league leaderboard … The Canton native has distributed 58 of his 75 assists over his last 11 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 Tuesday's action in 28th 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 SEC season-high was 14 points versus South Carolina on 02/19, while his overall 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 1.7 blocks per game in 2019-20 are good enough for 4th place on the SEC leaderboard … Ado has racked up 171 career blocks over 94 career games and has climbed to sixth place on MSU's list … His 1.82 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 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game on the season … The 6.8 RPG are tied for 10th whereas his 1.2 SPG are just outside the SEC's top 10 … He produced a SEC career-high 18 points at Texas A&M on 02/22 … 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 16 games which is third on the team behind Reggie Perry and Tyson Carter … He has registered 10-plus points in six of nine, seven of his last 11 and 12 of his last 19 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 19 games of 10-plus points during their freshman season … The Carter-Molinar-Stewart Jr. trio has accounted for 349 of the team's 434 bench points (80.4 percent) when coming off the bench … The Bulldogs are 11-3 this season when Stewart Jr. secures 10-plus points … Stewart Jr. has started MSU's last 12 games and upped his averages to 12.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG over his last seven games (02/01-02/22) … 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 Crimson Tide have split their last six games going back to the Tennessee game on 02/04. Last time out, Alabama picked up its third SEC road victory during a 103-78 rout of Ole Miss last Saturday.
The Crimson Tide's high-octane offense averages 83.3 points per game and has buried 11.0 three-pointers per game. Both marks not only pace the SEC but also rank second nationally.
Alabama has a trio of players in double figures in Kira Lewis Jr. (17.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 SPG), John Petty Jr. (15.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.1 SPG) and Jaden Shackelford (14.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG). The trio has upped its scoring average to 58.8 over Alabama's last five games as the Crimson Tide has notched 91.0 points per game and knocked down 14.4 treys per game.
Lewis Jr. has garnered 18 straight games in double figures and poured in a season's best 37 points at Georgia on 02/08. He possesses the SEC's only triple-double on the season with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists at Auburn on 02/12. The two-time SEC Player of the Week has piled up a team-leading eight games over the 20-point plateau on the season.
Petty Jr. also has collected eight games of 20-plus points, most recently a 21-point performance at Ole Miss on 02/22. He has lived by the three-pointer with 83 of his 136 buckets coming from beyond the three-point arc. Petty Jr. has drained at least 7 or more treys in four games on the season which is a program single-season record.
Shackelford has ripped off double figures in 11 consecutive games dating back to the Missouri game on 01/18. He has piled up five of his seven outings of 20-plus points during the streak. Shackelford dialed up a pair of 28-point efforts versus Arkansas on 02/01 and at Auburn on 02/12. He also secured 26 points against LSU on 02/15 and 24 points during the Texas A&M game on 02/19.
Alex Reese (9.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.0 BPG) and Herbert Jones (8.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG) have been solid contributors for the Crimson Tide. Jones has tallied a trio of double-doubles and has been an impact rebounder since returning from injury.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State concludes a stretch of eight road games over a 12-game span since Jan. 25 with back-to-back trips to Columbia. The Bulldogs meet Missouri on Saturday with tip time set for 2:30 p.m. CT from Mizzou Arena. 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 24, 2020
Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: What do you feel happened the last time you played Alabama, and where do you think there were defensive miscommunications?
BH: "I just thought that when we were talking about how we wanted to play them, it confused our guys in terms of we were giving no help on drives. We were so concerned about being out on [Jaden] Shackelford and being out on [John] Petty [Jr.] and being out on Kira [Lewis Jr.] that we were basically playing one-on-one defense. You were on an island by yourself. Obviously, you can't play that way. You have to have a good team defensive concept. That's what I was speaking to."
Q: How much has Alabama changed since the last time you played them, and how has your team grown?
BH: "I watched that game last night. Our defense was really something to be desired in that game. So, I think that we're better than we were the first time we played. Obviously, they are as well. They are very talented. You look at how they're shooting. They've just gotten better and better. They're coming off one of their most impressive wins of the year at Ole Miss where they thoroughly dominated the game. They won by 25 on the road which is really hard to do in this league."
Q: What things have to get better on a consistent standpoint looking back at the film from the Texas A&M game?
BH: "I just thought that our defense intensity in that game particularly had to be better than it was. They're good. It's funny when you look at their NET [ranking]. We talked about that going in. It wasn't even indicative at all of how good [they are]. Texas A&M is a problem. They're really a good team and very well-coached. They've grown an incredible amount [from the start of the season]. You've got to give them credit, they have outstanding players. They have good personal, but we've got to be better. When you look at taking care of the basketball, we had 16 turnovers in that game that led to 22 points. It's not just turning it over. When you turn it over, it leads to easy baskets at the other end or uncontested layups. It's really a problem."
Q: D.J. Stewart Jr. has played so well over the last month. Do you feel it just an off day for him at Texas A&M, or do you feel it was something that Texas A&M was doing defensively?
BH: "I don't think it was anything that they were doing. He was 1-for-7 from the field. He still had five assists and made some really good passes. I know that he was not pleased with his performance in that game. He was in the gym early yesterday getting extra shots up before we met. He lifted and went through some stuff as a team yesterday. That's the kind of kid he is."
Closing Statement
BH: "Tomorrow's game is again an 8 p.m. game, which is always tough here in Starkville. So many of our fans from out of the area have to come from so far away, and we're so appreciative of that. We're also want to promote that tomorrow is American Cancer Society Day for us. Part of the game is about raising money to fight cancer."
"Everybody in this room, everybody that you know, everybody in our family has been touched by cancer. All of our lives have been effected. We can all go into so many experiences and stories about it. My daughter is a pediatric oncology nurse for a living. She deals with this with children on a daily basis. Everybody's got things that you want to give money to. To me, there's nothing more important than giving money to help do more research to find the cure to cancer … I wish someone would say, 'We need to spend a trillion dollars to figure out the cure for cancer.' That would be money well spent when you think about all the lives that have been devastated by it."
Forward Reggie Perry
Q: What has to get better for this team to close out the season strong?
RP: "My defense – playing harder than the other team each and every night. Coming in with the mindset of being the better [defensive] team. I feel like we are executing pretty well on offense. It's not like teams are shutting us out. They are just outscoring us because we can't defend them. So, just becoming a better defensive team."
Q: How hard is it to have a "one game at a time mentality" heading down the stretch?
RP: "It's not really hard. We have it in our minds all the time to take it just one game at a time. Of course, we've looked at who we have and all those games we feel like we can win.
Guard Iverson Molinar
Q: How hard is it to have a "one game at a time mentality" heading down the stretch?
IM: "We're not really worried about the outside noise. We're in this together, and we are working hard together to achieve the goal we want."
Q: What's your mindset when you come off the bench?
IM: "Playing as hard as I can. It's something I've always done. I talked to Coach [Howland], and that's what he wants me to do. Play hard every time I come into the game. Every time I touch the ball, I'm trying to make something happen. That's really my mindset."
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State looks to bounce back from a road setback to Texas A&M over the weekend and faces another fellow NCAA Tournament hopeful in Alabama on Tuesday at Humphrey Coliseum.
The Bulldogs enter this week's action in a three-way tie with South Carolina and Texas A&M for fifth place in the SEC standings. The trio trails Florida by one game for the last double bye at next month's SEC Tournament and are one-game ahead of Alabama and Tennessee who are deadlocked for the eighth spot.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (17-10, 8-6 SEC) vs. Alabama (15-12, 7-7 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 8:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
Tickets: MSU Ticket Office (https://hailst.at/tix-MBKvsBama)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Dave Neal, Daymeon Fishback
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/BamavsMSU022520)
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-ALABAMA HARDWOOD SERIES
Mississippi State and Alabama renew acquaintances with the Bulldogs looking for their third straight home win and third consecutive season split with the Crimson Tide. Alabama holds a 126-76 overall series advantage, but Mississippi State possesses a 58-38 edge in games played in Starkville.
The Bulldogs received a balanced scoring attack headed by Lamar Peters and Quinndary Weatherspoon who ripped off 22 and 20 points, respectively, during last year's 81-62 win over Alabama in Starkville. Reggie Perry also dialed up a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as Mississippi State took advantage of 18 Crimson Tide turnovers en route to 28-5 advantage in points off miscues.
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
Fans can receive a free general admission ticket to Tuesday's game while supplies last for every $10 donated to the American Cancer Society at www.hailst.at/3blHjep as part of the "Get Cancer Over The Hump" campaign. To redeem your free ticket, fans are asked to bring their donation confirmation via phone or email to the Humphrey Coliseum Box Office on gameday. Coach Howland will personally donate $10,500 to the American Cancer Society if 10,000 fans are in attendance at Tuesday's game.
There are $1 tickets available for all MSU faculty and staff when purchased in advance at www.HailState.com/tickets using the promo code "FSDEAL". The $1 promotion ends two hours prior to tipoff.
Tuesday's food promotional items include free pizza and king cake for all fans between portals F and G 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 $700 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. Last time out, Tyson Carter and Robert Woodard II pumped in 32 of their combined 37 points during the second half, but Texas A&M's sharp shooting was difficult to overcome as the Aggies defeated Mississippi State, 87-75. The Bulldogs had their four-game winning streak over Texas A&M. Carter fired in 19 points courtesy of a 7-for-12 shooting clip. He connected on a season-high tying five treys. Woodard II delivered 16 of his SEC career-high 18 points during the second half and was 7-of-14 from the floor. He added three rebounds and two blocks. The 18-point effort for Woodard II was his highest scoring output since he notched a career-high 21 points versus New Orleans on Nov. 17. Reggie Perry nearly compiled his 15 double-double of the season and filled the box score with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Nick Weatherspoon contributed 11 points and made five of his six shot attempts. He tacked on five assists and four rebounds before he fouled out. Abdul Ado chipped in six points, six rebounds and two blocks, while Iverson Molinar garnered five points and a career-best three steals. The Carter-Molinar combination provided 24 of the game's 27 bench points. D.J. Stewart Jr. was limited to two points but impacted the game in other ways. He passed out a career-high five assists to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Texas A&M made a season-high 31 field goals on 52 shot attempts en route to a season's best 59.6 field goal percentage.
2. Mississippi State has tucked away 65 victories dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season which is tied for fourth in the SEC with LSU and only behind Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee. The Bulldogs are three wins shy of coming away with their third consecutive season with 20-plus victories. The last time MSU accomplished the feat was in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons which also marked the last time the Bulldogs made the postseason in three straight seasons. Mississippi State is two wins away from back-to-back seasons with 10 wins in SEC action. The last time the program accomplished that feat was in 1994-95 and 1995-96 under Richard Williams … 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 weekend's action with a 37.7 percent offensive rebounding percentage … The Bulldogs have secured a +7.6 rebounding margin which is 1st in the SEC, 5th among Power 5 teams and 11th nationally. Mississippi State also checks in 3rd in the SEC, 9th among Power 5 teams and 28th nationally with 12.30 offensive rebounds per game.
3. Reggie Perry was 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 25 of his last 27 games headed by 19.4 PPG over his last 12 outings. He has piled up 20-plus points in four of his last eight, seven of his last 12 and in nine of his last 16 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 17.3 points per game are 6th, while his 9.8 rebounds per game headline the SEC.
Perry has secured a SEC-leading 14 double-doubles this season highlighted by 10 double-doubles in his last 17 games since 12/22. Seven of those 10 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 23 career double-doubles are tops among SEC active players, and the most by a MSU player during his freshman and sophomore seasons combined since Brown also compiled 23 during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons.
Perry is just outside of joining a group of five Power 5 conference players to average a double-double this season. The club includes Udoka Azubuike (Kansas), 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 during each of his four seasons at Mississippi State. The senior guard ranks inside the league's leaders in points (13.3 – 20th), free throw percentage (85.4 – 3rd) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5 – 8th). Carter has regained his form and dialed up 10-plus points in eight of his last 11 appearances 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 143 of MSU's 195 bench points (73.3 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 Tuesday's game with 1,285 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 1,285 points are 16 points shy of passing Timmy Bowers (2001-02-03-04) for 21st place on the program's list. 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 210 treys which is tops among SEC active players and fifth in program history.
5. Nick Weatherspoon has been a welcomed addition back to the starting lineup where he has posted 11.9 points and 4.4 assists per game … He has started in 76 of 77 career games and secured double digit points in 13 of his 17 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 nine of 12 games during Weatherspoon's career when he has dished out five or more assists … His 4.9 APG are tied for 3rd, while his 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is tied for 4th against SEC opponents on the league leaderboard … The Canton native has distributed 58 of his 75 assists over his last 11 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 Tuesday's action in 28th 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 SEC season-high was 14 points versus South Carolina on 02/19, while his overall 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 1.7 blocks per game in 2019-20 are good enough for 4th place on the SEC leaderboard … Ado has racked up 171 career blocks over 94 career games and has climbed to sixth place on MSU's list … His 1.82 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 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game on the season … The 6.8 RPG are tied for 10th whereas his 1.2 SPG are just outside the SEC's top 10 … He produced a SEC career-high 18 points at Texas A&M on 02/22 … 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 16 games which is third on the team behind Reggie Perry and Tyson Carter … He has registered 10-plus points in six of nine, seven of his last 11 and 12 of his last 19 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 19 games of 10-plus points during their freshman season … The Carter-Molinar-Stewart Jr. trio has accounted for 349 of the team's 434 bench points (80.4 percent) when coming off the bench … The Bulldogs are 11-3 this season when Stewart Jr. secures 10-plus points … Stewart Jr. has started MSU's last 12 games and upped his averages to 12.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG over his last seven games (02/01-02/22) … 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 Crimson Tide have split their last six games going back to the Tennessee game on 02/04. Last time out, Alabama picked up its third SEC road victory during a 103-78 rout of Ole Miss last Saturday.
The Crimson Tide's high-octane offense averages 83.3 points per game and has buried 11.0 three-pointers per game. Both marks not only pace the SEC but also rank second nationally.
Alabama has a trio of players in double figures in Kira Lewis Jr. (17.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 SPG), John Petty Jr. (15.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.1 SPG) and Jaden Shackelford (14.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG). The trio has upped its scoring average to 58.8 over Alabama's last five games as the Crimson Tide has notched 91.0 points per game and knocked down 14.4 treys per game.
Lewis Jr. has garnered 18 straight games in double figures and poured in a season's best 37 points at Georgia on 02/08. He possesses the SEC's only triple-double on the season with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists at Auburn on 02/12. The two-time SEC Player of the Week has piled up a team-leading eight games over the 20-point plateau on the season.
Petty Jr. also has collected eight games of 20-plus points, most recently a 21-point performance at Ole Miss on 02/22. He has lived by the three-pointer with 83 of his 136 buckets coming from beyond the three-point arc. Petty Jr. has drained at least 7 or more treys in four games on the season which is a program single-season record.
Shackelford has ripped off double figures in 11 consecutive games dating back to the Missouri game on 01/18. He has piled up five of his seven outings of 20-plus points during the streak. Shackelford dialed up a pair of 28-point efforts versus Arkansas on 02/01 and at Auburn on 02/12. He also secured 26 points against LSU on 02/15 and 24 points during the Texas A&M game on 02/19.
Alex Reese (9.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.0 BPG) and Herbert Jones (8.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG) have been solid contributors for the Crimson Tide. Jones has tallied a trio of double-doubles and has been an impact rebounder since returning from injury.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State concludes a stretch of eight road games over a 12-game span since Jan. 25 with back-to-back trips to Columbia. The Bulldogs meet Missouri on Saturday with tip time set for 2:30 p.m. CT from Mizzou Arena. 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 24, 2020
Head Coach Ben Howland
Q: What do you feel happened the last time you played Alabama, and where do you think there were defensive miscommunications?
BH: "I just thought that when we were talking about how we wanted to play them, it confused our guys in terms of we were giving no help on drives. We were so concerned about being out on [Jaden] Shackelford and being out on [John] Petty [Jr.] and being out on Kira [Lewis Jr.] that we were basically playing one-on-one defense. You were on an island by yourself. Obviously, you can't play that way. You have to have a good team defensive concept. That's what I was speaking to."
Q: How much has Alabama changed since the last time you played them, and how has your team grown?
BH: "I watched that game last night. Our defense was really something to be desired in that game. So, I think that we're better than we were the first time we played. Obviously, they are as well. They are very talented. You look at how they're shooting. They've just gotten better and better. They're coming off one of their most impressive wins of the year at Ole Miss where they thoroughly dominated the game. They won by 25 on the road which is really hard to do in this league."
Q: What things have to get better on a consistent standpoint looking back at the film from the Texas A&M game?
BH: "I just thought that our defense intensity in that game particularly had to be better than it was. They're good. It's funny when you look at their NET [ranking]. We talked about that going in. It wasn't even indicative at all of how good [they are]. Texas A&M is a problem. They're really a good team and very well-coached. They've grown an incredible amount [from the start of the season]. You've got to give them credit, they have outstanding players. They have good personal, but we've got to be better. When you look at taking care of the basketball, we had 16 turnovers in that game that led to 22 points. It's not just turning it over. When you turn it over, it leads to easy baskets at the other end or uncontested layups. It's really a problem."
Q: D.J. Stewart Jr. has played so well over the last month. Do you feel it just an off day for him at Texas A&M, or do you feel it was something that Texas A&M was doing defensively?
BH: "I don't think it was anything that they were doing. He was 1-for-7 from the field. He still had five assists and made some really good passes. I know that he was not pleased with his performance in that game. He was in the gym early yesterday getting extra shots up before we met. He lifted and went through some stuff as a team yesterday. That's the kind of kid he is."
Closing Statement
BH: "Tomorrow's game is again an 8 p.m. game, which is always tough here in Starkville. So many of our fans from out of the area have to come from so far away, and we're so appreciative of that. We're also want to promote that tomorrow is American Cancer Society Day for us. Part of the game is about raising money to fight cancer."
"Everybody in this room, everybody that you know, everybody in our family has been touched by cancer. All of our lives have been effected. We can all go into so many experiences and stories about it. My daughter is a pediatric oncology nurse for a living. She deals with this with children on a daily basis. Everybody's got things that you want to give money to. To me, there's nothing more important than giving money to help do more research to find the cure to cancer … I wish someone would say, 'We need to spend a trillion dollars to figure out the cure for cancer.' That would be money well spent when you think about all the lives that have been devastated by it."
Forward Reggie Perry
Q: What has to get better for this team to close out the season strong?
RP: "My defense – playing harder than the other team each and every night. Coming in with the mindset of being the better [defensive] team. I feel like we are executing pretty well on offense. It's not like teams are shutting us out. They are just outscoring us because we can't defend them. So, just becoming a better defensive team."
Q: How hard is it to have a "one game at a time mentality" heading down the stretch?
RP: "It's not really hard. We have it in our minds all the time to take it just one game at a time. Of course, we've looked at who we have and all those games we feel like we can win.
Guard Iverson Molinar
Q: How hard is it to have a "one game at a time mentality" heading down the stretch?
IM: "We're not really worried about the outside noise. We're in this together, and we are working hard together to achieve the goal we want."
Q: What's your mindset when you come off the bench?
IM: "Playing as hard as I can. It's something I've always done. I talked to Coach [Howland], and that's what he wants me to do. Play hard every time I come into the game. Every time I touch the ball, I'm trying to make something happen. That's really my mindset."
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