Wednesday, January 13
Starkville
8:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Texas A&M
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Gameday: Five Things to Know about MSU-Texas A&M
January 12, 2021 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State men's basketball team will ride a two-game winning streak into the start of three-game homestand as the Bulldogs welcome Texas A&M to Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs (8-4, 3-1 SEC) enter the week in a three-way tie with LSU and Tennessee for fourth place in the SEC standings.
Mississippi State has begun SEC play with a 3-1 mark two times under sixth-year coach Ben Howland, the last time came during the 2016-17 season.
Last time out, State validated its win over No. 13 Missouri and fended off Vanderbilt by an 84-81 margin. The Bulldogs connected for a 60.8 field goal percentage, which marked the program's best during a SEC road game since the Bulldogs garnered a 63.5 shooting clip at Auburn on 01/29/1992.
Iverson Molinar, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, sparked a four-player attack with 10-plus points as he poured in a career-high tying 24 points coupled with a career-best eight rebounds and four steals. The Panama native was joined by Tolu Smith (18), D.J. Stewart Jr. (16) and Jalen Johnson (10) in double figures.
A balanced offensive attack has been a successful formula for Mississippi State in 2020-21 as the Bulldogs have posted a 6-1 record when four players or more reach double figures.
Mississippi State has outrebounded 11 of its 12 opponents, highlighted by a +10 rebounding margin in five (5) games in 2020-21.
A win over Texas A&M would give the Bulldogs their first 4-1 SEC start since the 2008-09 season and their fourth start of 4-1 or better during the 2000s. State accomplished the feat during 2003-04, 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
MSU-TEXAS A&M HARDWOOD SERIES
Mississippi State and Texas A&M have split its previous 14 meetings on the hardwood. The Bulldogs have won four of the last five outings, highlighted by a trio of double-digit victories going back to the 2016-17 campaign.
Texas A&M emerged with an 87-75 decision during the lone meeting last season in Bryan-College Station. Robert Woodard II and Tyson Carter collected 32 of their 37 combined points in the second half.
The Aggies stretched a six-point halftime edge to double figures midway through the second half before State got back within six in the closing minutes. Josh Nebo and Wendell Mitchell tallied 21 and 20 points, respectively, to lead Texas A&M.
Mississippi State Athletics has received capacity guidelines and designed a socially distanced seating plan to host fans in the healthiest manner possible for the 2020-21 season.
The plan is focused on the recommended health and safety protocols put in place by health officials from the Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi State University, the city of Starkville, the Southeastern Conference and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to protect the well-being of all student-athletes, fans and staff.
Capacity at Humphrey Coliseum for the 2020-21 season will be 10 percent as determined by the Governor's most recent Executive Order.
All fans will be required to wear a face covering, face shield or mask, over the nose and mouth during all times except when actively eating or drinking while inside Humphrey Coliseum.
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.
Doors to Humphrey Coliseum open 60 minutes prior to tipoff. For more gameday information, fans are encouraged to visit: https://hailst.at/MBKGameday.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Mississippi State has garnered 20+ overall wins in three straight seasons and captured 10+ SEC victories during back-to-back campaigns under sixth-year coach Ben Howland. The Bulldogs have amassed 76 victories since the start of the 2017-18 season which is fourth-most in the SEC, only behind Auburn (87), Kentucky (85) and Tennessee (83). This year's squad will look to join the 1960-61, 1961-62 and 1962-63 teams as the only group in program history to win 10+ SEC games in three consecutive seasons.
Howland along with assistant coaches George Brooks, Korey McCray and Ernie Zeigler are in their sixth season together in Starkville during the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs coaching quartet of head coach and three assistants is one of eight staffs in the country to remain together at the same school for the last six seasons. The other staffs include Michigan State (11th) led by Tom Izzo, West Virginia (9th) led by Bob Huggins, UAlbany (9th) led by Will Brown, Kansas (7th) led by Bill Self, Oregon (7th) led by Dana Altman, Vermont (7th) led by John Becker and Bradley (6th) led by Brian Wardle.
2. Iverson Molinar, Tolu Smith and D.J. Stewart Jr. are etching their names among the notable freshmen-to-sophomore jumps at Mississippi State, under Ben Howland and in the SEC over the last decade. The trio has piled up 31 games in double figures, headed by nine outings of 20-plus points.
Molinar, Smith and Stewart Jr. have racked up 51.0 points per game, which is second-most in the SEC only behind LSU's Cameron Thomas, Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart.
Molinar (19.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 SPG) has notched double figures in all nine of his outings in 2020-21 and during 13 of his 17 career starts. MSU has racked up a 12-2 record when Molinar provides 10-plus points in his career. His 19.2 points is third, his 51.2 field goal percentage is fourth, his 3.3 assists are 14th and his 1.4 steals are 15th on the SEC leaderboard. Molinar amassed career-highs with 24 points at Vanderbilt (01/09) and at Georgia (12/30). The Panama native has piled up eight of his top 10 career scoring efforts this season.
Molinar's 13.3 points per game improvement from his freshmen to his sophomore season is tops among SEC players this season and the highest over the last decade slightly ahead of current Toronto Raptors and former Ole Miss guard Terence Davis in 2016-17 (+13.1).
Stewart Jr. (18.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.6 APG) has captured nine of his top 12 career scoring performances in 2020-21. The Bulldogs have posted a 19-7 record when he scores 10-plus points during his career. Stewart Jr. exploded for a career-high and SEC season's best 32 points on 13-of-22 shooting versus Dayton (12/12). The Grace, Mississippi, native has joined Gavin Ware (2015-16) as the only MSU players during the 2000s to start a season with 12 straight games of 10-plus points. He is one of eight players and the only sophomore or younger to accomplish the feat since 1982-83. Stewart Jr.'s 18.6 points per game are fourth on the SEC leaderboard. He and Molinar are two of four SEC players to have double figures in each of their team's games in 2020-21 and two of six SEC players to have four games of 20-plus points this season.
Another game of 10-plus points for Molinar and Stewart Jr. would extend the duo's run to its first 10 appearances of the season in double figures. Prior to this season, the last MSU pair to register a nine-game streak to start the season in double figures was Cameron Burns and Greg Carter during the program's 1990-91 SEC regular season championship season. Molinar and Stewart Jr. would be the first to accomplish the feat as freshmen or sophomores since Rickey Brown and Ray White in 1976-77.
Smith (13.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG) has collected 10 games in double figures during his first season in Maroon and White. Prior to his time at MSU, his previous career-high was nine points against West Virginia (11/16/2018) while at Western Kentucky.
Smith paces all SEC players with four double-doubles on the season, most recently a 13-point, 12-rebound effort against Mississippi Valley State (12/21). His 8.8 rebounds are first, whereas his 3.8 offensive rebounds per game coupled with his five games of 10-plus boards also headline the SEC. Smith has posted 16.5 points per game on 12-of-15 from the field over his last two appearances.
3. Abdul Ado (5.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.9 BPG), the SEC's active leader in blocks and rebounds, is scheduled to make his 110th career start during Wednesday's Texas A&M game. The 110 starts are good enough for sole possession of sixth place going back to the 1986-87 season. He ranks first among Power five players and fourth overall among NCAA active players in blocks followed by a 13th place showing among active Power 5 players in rebounds.
Ado has ranked among the SEC's top 10 in blocks shots during all four seasons and his 1.9 blocks per game are fourth this season. Overall, Ado has piled up 205 career blocks, which ranks third in program history. His 1.86 career blocks per game also is third in program history, only behind NCAA all-time leader Jarvis Varnado and Erick Dampier. The Nigeria native moved into third place and eclipsed 200 career blocks with four rejections versus Kentucky (01/02).
Ado is Mississippi State's all-time field goal percentage leader heading into the Texas A&M contest among players with at least 250 baskets made. His 59.6 career shooting clip also checks in sixth among active Power 5 players and is 15th highest overall among the NCAA active players.
4. Mississippi State's roster features a talented group of newcomers. The freshmen class is ignited by Deivon Smith (4.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 APG) and Cameron Matthews (2.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG), who became the first freshmen tandem to start a MSU season opener since Tyson Carter and Mario Kegler during the 2016-17 season.
Smith, the eighth ESPN top 100 signee to play with the Bulldogs under head coach Ben Howland, exploded for a career-best 13 points. He also handed out three assists and added two steals in his home state at Georgia (12/30). Smith has tallied 6.3 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game in SEC action. He has distributed 10 assists against three turnovers over his four SEC outings. Matthews has impacted the game on the defensive end with steals in 9 of 12 games and registered multiple steals on five occasions. He secured the game-clinching steal on Vanderbilt's Scotty Pippen Jr. during the closing seconds in Nashville.
MSU's freshmen class also features Keondre Montgomery and Derek Fountain, who coupled with Matthews, are the state of Mississippi's top three prospects for the Class of 2020. Montgomery and Fountain sank their first career baskets against Texas State (11/30) and Jackson State (12/08), respectively.
5. The Bulldogs also have received solid contributions from Jalen Johnson (7.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG), Javian Davis (4.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG) and Quinten Post (3.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG).
Johnson has piled up 1,156 points and 526 rebounds over 111 career games with his previous stops being at Saint Louis and Louisiana-Lafayette. He has amassed 56 career outings of 10-plus points and 11 outings of 20-plus points. Johnson has upped his averages to 10.7 points per game and knocked down 15 of his 20 treys over his last six games since being inserted in the starting lineup against Central Arkansas (12/16).
Davis posted 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game over his 31 appearances as a redshirt freshmen at Alabama in 2019-20. His top Bama performance was a 20-point, 10-rebound effort against South Carolina (02/29/2020). Davis has upped his marks to 5.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game over his last six outings. He chipped in five points, seven rebounds and two assists versus Kentucky (01/02).
Post fired in a career-best 10 points versus Mississippi Valley State (12/21) to claim his first career game in double figures. He provided nine points to go along with career-bests of five rebounds, three assists and two blocks during the Texas State game (11/30). Post tacked on six points and a steal against Dayton (12/12). The Netherlands native SEC-highs are three points and three rebounds at Vanderbilt (01/09). He has scored in 11 of his 19 career appearances at Mississippi State.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Aggies have been handed back-to-back defeats by South Carolina (78-54 on 01/06) and No. 9 Tennessee (68-54 on 01/09). Texas A&M's conference victory came over Auburn (68-66 on 01/02).
A&M is led by Emanuel Miller (17.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG), who has provided double figures in eight of his nine appearances. His 10.7 PPG jump from his freshman-to-sophomore season is second among the SEC leaders and trails only MSU's Iverson Molinar.
Miller has captured three double-doubles, all three have been of the 20-plus points, 10-rebound variety against Tarleton State (12/02), Texas-Rio Grande Valley (12/06) and Southeastern Louisiana (12/15).
The trio of Quenton Jackson (12.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG), Andre Gordon (8.9 PPG, 2.6 APG, 1.0 SPG) and Savion Flagg (7.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.7 APG) have sank a combined 36 of A&M's 64 treys.
Flagg ended a stretch of six games without double-digit points and notched 12 points courtesy of a quartet of three's against No. 9 Tennessee. Jackson has come away with 10-plus points in three of his last four appearances. His SEC scoring-high is 17 points at LSU on 12/29.
Jay Jay Chandler (6.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG) and Hassan Diarra (6.6 PPG, 1.3 SPG) give the Aggies six players who are averaging more than six points per contest. Diarra made his third start of the season, most recently versus No. 9 Tennessee.
FROM THE BENCH – BEN HOWLAND MEDIA SESSION
Q: What have you seen from Texas A&M on film, and what do you feel your team has to do to be successful against them?
BH: "I think they're very talented. If you look at their team, everybody's back [from last year's team] with the exception of [Wendell] Mitchell and [Josh] Nebo that beat us a year ago [in College Station]. They handled us pretty good, and we had a good team. We were playing pretty well at the time. They finished incredibly strong a year ago."
"If you look at their talent, Savion Flagg had been in a shooting slump from three. In the last game against Tennessee, he made four three's. I'm sure that's really boosted his confidence. He's a good player. [Emanuel] Miller is a very good player. He's one of the leading scorers in the conference, and he's a sophomore. You could see as a freshman that he was really good. He's a Canadian kid. Quenton Jackson has played really well against us, as has [Jay Jay] Chandler. Chandler is a good player. I really like Andre Gordon."
"They have good pieces. They're a very hard team to score against, in that they are so help conscious. They are very much in the gaps. When you drive the basketball, you're going to have three people on you, not one. You have to have good spacing and get the ball moving to be able to have some spacing to penetrate and create help, then give it up. [You don't want] to try and over-penetrate because it will turn into turnovers. They're trying to do a little more, and they're trying to be more aggressive to create steals and to create offense out of some of their defense."
Q: Could you put your finger on a couple of reasons why your team is winning right now?
BH: "Well, one, is that we have great leadership at the five spot, and I think the best defensive five-man in our league with Abdul [Ado.] You know, so many offenses, are based on ball screen actions. He is so good at defending them in all the different ways. Icing the ball screen, hard hedging the ball screen, or plugging the ball screen and recovering."
"Tolu [Smith] is leading the SEC in rebounding. We're not even talking about Tolu Smith. He's a solid point. He leads the league in rebounding, and he's getting 3.8 offensive rebounds per game. I thought this last week in particular he made a big jump and is really learning to slow down more and take his time around the basket in terms of his post moves. It will be tested tomorrow because he's going to get doubled every time he touches the ball. That's what part of their [Texas A&M] routine is, and their scheme is to double from the baseline side. He's doing a tremendous job for us, so we're getting good things."
"I think Deivon [Smith] has really grown as a player. I think he's playing his best basketball of the year here since we started the conference. He had a great game against Georgia. I thought he was very good against Missouri – he played the last 10 minutes of the game. Cameron [Matthews] did a really good job for us again in the last game [against Vanderbilt]. He had the big steal at the end of the game. He's providing a lot for us off the bench. Jalen [Johnson] has been 'Mr. Steady' because inserting him in the lineup stretches our ability to shoot the ball. He's shooting 50 percent from the three in conference games, and you have to respect him as a defense. If he's open and he has a shot, he's going to make it. Everybody is contributing. It's a team effort all the way."
Q: Is Iverson Molinar surpassing the expectation level that you had for him? How is he as a leader?
BH: "He's not exceeded my expectations because we saw this coming. I've been saying this as everybody's remembered how much he has improved between the last year and now because we've seen it throughout the summer and beginning of the fall. I'm happy for him because he's worked so hard. He's so talented and so good. He is a great kid. He's one of our main leaders. Abdul [Ado], D.J. [Stewart Jr.], and Iverson are our probably three guys, along with Tolu [Smith], that have been leading this team since we've came together in June. As I was saying earlier, the thing that's so great about all of those guys and Iverson, there's zero maintenance with everything you're supposed to do off the floor."
"I don't think the kid's [Molinar] had a less than a B since he's been here at Mississippi State in terms of academics. He really works hard in that area of his life. He's always on time to everything, always brings a great attitude, has just a beautiful smile and is just a really good person and human being. All those kids are, and they're the leaders for those younger guys. So, they're seeing the work ethics that are incredible. Iverson lived in the gym this past year between the end of last season to when we got started. He is earning and has earned, everything that he's doing."
Q: What did you think about Abdul Ado stopping a four-on-one breakaway against Vanderbilt?
BH: "He's so good defensively for us. He's such a huge factor. I thought he had a great block late in the game that went against him and sent [Scotty Pippen Jr.] to the line … He's doing a great job for us. I thought he did a good job last week setting screens for D.J. [Stewart Jr.]. When you go back to the Missouri game and you look at the six jump shots that he [Stewart Jr.] made – [one was] a pull up and another was a finish at the rim. Most of them were off Abdul's screens where he gets D.J. one-on-one with a big, going downhill and D.J. can go and deal with just about anybody."
"He [Ado] does so many things that don't show up on the stat sheet. He's still in the top three or four in our league for blocked shots. Changing shots is a different stat that you don't keep, but he's definitely changing shots. I think he's the best player in the conference, in terms of defending ball screen actions and picking up guards who are coming at him. He's very difficult to deal with because he's so athletic and can move laterally. He's big and strong."
Q: What did you see out of Quinten Post against Vanderbilt?
BH: "I thought he had a really good second half for us, in particular. He had three big defensive rebounds. He hit a big shot at the top of the key that put us up nine, and I think he played with a lot of confidence. We're going to need that moving forward."
Q: What have you seen from Andersson Garcia in practice and where is he at right now?
BH: "Andersson is getting better, and Andersson is improving. He is one of our best defenders. Every day, he might be one of our best three rebounders. He is a really good rebounder from the small forward position. He provides good competition for D.J. [Stewart Jr.] every day because he's the one that matches up to defend D.J."
"Everything is live, so there's a lot of competition there. It's helping him get better as a player guarding a player that good. It's also helping D.J. because he competes on every single possession. I really like Andersson. I think he's going to be a good player for us."
UP NEXT
Mississippi State's next test on its three-game homestand comes from Florida on Saturday. Tip time is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT from Humphrey Coliseum, televised by ESPN2 and available online courtesy of the Watch ESPN app.
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.
STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State men's basketball team will ride a two-game winning streak into the start of three-game homestand as the Bulldogs welcome Texas A&M to Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs (8-4, 3-1 SEC) enter the week in a three-way tie with LSU and Tennessee for fourth place in the SEC standings.
Mississippi State has begun SEC play with a 3-1 mark two times under sixth-year coach Ben Howland, the last time came during the 2016-17 season.
Last time out, State validated its win over No. 13 Missouri and fended off Vanderbilt by an 84-81 margin. The Bulldogs connected for a 60.8 field goal percentage, which marked the program's best during a SEC road game since the Bulldogs garnered a 63.5 shooting clip at Auburn on 01/29/1992.
Iverson Molinar, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, sparked a four-player attack with 10-plus points as he poured in a career-high tying 24 points coupled with a career-best eight rebounds and four steals. The Panama native was joined by Tolu Smith (18), D.J. Stewart Jr. (16) and Jalen Johnson (10) in double figures.
A balanced offensive attack has been a successful formula for Mississippi State in 2020-21 as the Bulldogs have posted a 6-1 record when four players or more reach double figures.
Mississippi State has outrebounded 11 of its 12 opponents, highlighted by a +10 rebounding margin in five (5) games in 2020-21.
A win over Texas A&M would give the Bulldogs their first 4-1 SEC start since the 2008-09 season and their fourth start of 4-1 or better during the 2000s. State accomplished the feat during 2003-04, 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
MSU-TEXAS A&M HARDWOOD SERIES
Mississippi State and Texas A&M have split its previous 14 meetings on the hardwood. The Bulldogs have won four of the last five outings, highlighted by a trio of double-digit victories going back to the 2016-17 campaign.
Texas A&M emerged with an 87-75 decision during the lone meeting last season in Bryan-College Station. Robert Woodard II and Tyson Carter collected 32 of their 37 combined points in the second half.
The Aggies stretched a six-point halftime edge to double figures midway through the second half before State got back within six in the closing minutes. Josh Nebo and Wendell Mitchell tallied 21 and 20 points, respectively, to lead Texas A&M.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (8-4, 3-1 SEC) vs. Texas A&M (6-4, 1-3 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Wednesday, January 13, 8:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Mike Morgan, Debbie Antonelli
DirecTV: Ch. 611, Dish: Ch. 404/408, AT&T U-Verse: Ch. 1607, MaxxSouth: Ch. 1026, C Spire: Ch. 220
Online: Watch ESPN app & Watch ESPN online (Cable Subscription Required)
(http://hailst.at/MSUvsTAMU011321)
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield IMG College
Talent: Neil Price
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: Ch. 190 (XM), Ch. 961 (Internet)
Mississippi State Athletics has received capacity guidelines and designed a socially distanced seating plan to host fans in the healthiest manner possible for the 2020-21 season.
The plan is focused on the recommended health and safety protocols put in place by health officials from the Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi State University, the city of Starkville, the Southeastern Conference and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to protect the well-being of all student-athletes, fans and staff.
Capacity at Humphrey Coliseum for the 2020-21 season will be 10 percent as determined by the Governor's most recent Executive Order.
All fans will be required to wear a face covering, face shield or mask, over the nose and mouth during all times except when actively eating or drinking while inside Humphrey Coliseum.
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.
Doors to Humphrey Coliseum open 60 minutes prior to tipoff. For more gameday information, fans are encouraged to visit: https://hailst.at/MBKGameday.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Mississippi State has garnered 20+ overall wins in three straight seasons and captured 10+ SEC victories during back-to-back campaigns under sixth-year coach Ben Howland. The Bulldogs have amassed 76 victories since the start of the 2017-18 season which is fourth-most in the SEC, only behind Auburn (87), Kentucky (85) and Tennessee (83). This year's squad will look to join the 1960-61, 1961-62 and 1962-63 teams as the only group in program history to win 10+ SEC games in three consecutive seasons.
Howland along with assistant coaches George Brooks, Korey McCray and Ernie Zeigler are in their sixth season together in Starkville during the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs coaching quartet of head coach and three assistants is one of eight staffs in the country to remain together at the same school for the last six seasons. The other staffs include Michigan State (11th) led by Tom Izzo, West Virginia (9th) led by Bob Huggins, UAlbany (9th) led by Will Brown, Kansas (7th) led by Bill Self, Oregon (7th) led by Dana Altman, Vermont (7th) led by John Becker and Bradley (6th) led by Brian Wardle.
2. Iverson Molinar, Tolu Smith and D.J. Stewart Jr. are etching their names among the notable freshmen-to-sophomore jumps at Mississippi State, under Ben Howland and in the SEC over the last decade. The trio has piled up 31 games in double figures, headed by nine outings of 20-plus points.
Molinar, Smith and Stewart Jr. have racked up 51.0 points per game, which is second-most in the SEC only behind LSU's Cameron Thomas, Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart.
Molinar (19.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 SPG) has notched double figures in all nine of his outings in 2020-21 and during 13 of his 17 career starts. MSU has racked up a 12-2 record when Molinar provides 10-plus points in his career. His 19.2 points is third, his 51.2 field goal percentage is fourth, his 3.3 assists are 14th and his 1.4 steals are 15th on the SEC leaderboard. Molinar amassed career-highs with 24 points at Vanderbilt (01/09) and at Georgia (12/30). The Panama native has piled up eight of his top 10 career scoring efforts this season.
Molinar's 13.3 points per game improvement from his freshmen to his sophomore season is tops among SEC players this season and the highest over the last decade slightly ahead of current Toronto Raptors and former Ole Miss guard Terence Davis in 2016-17 (+13.1).
Stewart Jr. (18.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.6 APG) has captured nine of his top 12 career scoring performances in 2020-21. The Bulldogs have posted a 19-7 record when he scores 10-plus points during his career. Stewart Jr. exploded for a career-high and SEC season's best 32 points on 13-of-22 shooting versus Dayton (12/12). The Grace, Mississippi, native has joined Gavin Ware (2015-16) as the only MSU players during the 2000s to start a season with 12 straight games of 10-plus points. He is one of eight players and the only sophomore or younger to accomplish the feat since 1982-83. Stewart Jr.'s 18.6 points per game are fourth on the SEC leaderboard. He and Molinar are two of four SEC players to have double figures in each of their team's games in 2020-21 and two of six SEC players to have four games of 20-plus points this season.
Another game of 10-plus points for Molinar and Stewart Jr. would extend the duo's run to its first 10 appearances of the season in double figures. Prior to this season, the last MSU pair to register a nine-game streak to start the season in double figures was Cameron Burns and Greg Carter during the program's 1990-91 SEC regular season championship season. Molinar and Stewart Jr. would be the first to accomplish the feat as freshmen or sophomores since Rickey Brown and Ray White in 1976-77.
Smith (13.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG) has collected 10 games in double figures during his first season in Maroon and White. Prior to his time at MSU, his previous career-high was nine points against West Virginia (11/16/2018) while at Western Kentucky.
Smith paces all SEC players with four double-doubles on the season, most recently a 13-point, 12-rebound effort against Mississippi Valley State (12/21). His 8.8 rebounds are first, whereas his 3.8 offensive rebounds per game coupled with his five games of 10-plus boards also headline the SEC. Smith has posted 16.5 points per game on 12-of-15 from the field over his last two appearances.
3. Abdul Ado (5.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.9 BPG), the SEC's active leader in blocks and rebounds, is scheduled to make his 110th career start during Wednesday's Texas A&M game. The 110 starts are good enough for sole possession of sixth place going back to the 1986-87 season. He ranks first among Power five players and fourth overall among NCAA active players in blocks followed by a 13th place showing among active Power 5 players in rebounds.
Ado has ranked among the SEC's top 10 in blocks shots during all four seasons and his 1.9 blocks per game are fourth this season. Overall, Ado has piled up 205 career blocks, which ranks third in program history. His 1.86 career blocks per game also is third in program history, only behind NCAA all-time leader Jarvis Varnado and Erick Dampier. The Nigeria native moved into third place and eclipsed 200 career blocks with four rejections versus Kentucky (01/02).
Ado is Mississippi State's all-time field goal percentage leader heading into the Texas A&M contest among players with at least 250 baskets made. His 59.6 career shooting clip also checks in sixth among active Power 5 players and is 15th highest overall among the NCAA active players.
4. Mississippi State's roster features a talented group of newcomers. The freshmen class is ignited by Deivon Smith (4.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 APG) and Cameron Matthews (2.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG), who became the first freshmen tandem to start a MSU season opener since Tyson Carter and Mario Kegler during the 2016-17 season.
Smith, the eighth ESPN top 100 signee to play with the Bulldogs under head coach Ben Howland, exploded for a career-best 13 points. He also handed out three assists and added two steals in his home state at Georgia (12/30). Smith has tallied 6.3 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game in SEC action. He has distributed 10 assists against three turnovers over his four SEC outings. Matthews has impacted the game on the defensive end with steals in 9 of 12 games and registered multiple steals on five occasions. He secured the game-clinching steal on Vanderbilt's Scotty Pippen Jr. during the closing seconds in Nashville.
MSU's freshmen class also features Keondre Montgomery and Derek Fountain, who coupled with Matthews, are the state of Mississippi's top three prospects for the Class of 2020. Montgomery and Fountain sank their first career baskets against Texas State (11/30) and Jackson State (12/08), respectively.
5. The Bulldogs also have received solid contributions from Jalen Johnson (7.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG), Javian Davis (4.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG) and Quinten Post (3.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG).
Johnson has piled up 1,156 points and 526 rebounds over 111 career games with his previous stops being at Saint Louis and Louisiana-Lafayette. He has amassed 56 career outings of 10-plus points and 11 outings of 20-plus points. Johnson has upped his averages to 10.7 points per game and knocked down 15 of his 20 treys over his last six games since being inserted in the starting lineup against Central Arkansas (12/16).
Davis posted 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game over his 31 appearances as a redshirt freshmen at Alabama in 2019-20. His top Bama performance was a 20-point, 10-rebound effort against South Carolina (02/29/2020). Davis has upped his marks to 5.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game over his last six outings. He chipped in five points, seven rebounds and two assists versus Kentucky (01/02).
Post fired in a career-best 10 points versus Mississippi Valley State (12/21) to claim his first career game in double figures. He provided nine points to go along with career-bests of five rebounds, three assists and two blocks during the Texas State game (11/30). Post tacked on six points and a steal against Dayton (12/12). The Netherlands native SEC-highs are three points and three rebounds at Vanderbilt (01/09). He has scored in 11 of his 19 career appearances at Mississippi State.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Aggies have been handed back-to-back defeats by South Carolina (78-54 on 01/06) and No. 9 Tennessee (68-54 on 01/09). Texas A&M's conference victory came over Auburn (68-66 on 01/02).
A&M is led by Emanuel Miller (17.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG), who has provided double figures in eight of his nine appearances. His 10.7 PPG jump from his freshman-to-sophomore season is second among the SEC leaders and trails only MSU's Iverson Molinar.
Miller has captured three double-doubles, all three have been of the 20-plus points, 10-rebound variety against Tarleton State (12/02), Texas-Rio Grande Valley (12/06) and Southeastern Louisiana (12/15).
The trio of Quenton Jackson (12.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG), Andre Gordon (8.9 PPG, 2.6 APG, 1.0 SPG) and Savion Flagg (7.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.7 APG) have sank a combined 36 of A&M's 64 treys.
Flagg ended a stretch of six games without double-digit points and notched 12 points courtesy of a quartet of three's against No. 9 Tennessee. Jackson has come away with 10-plus points in three of his last four appearances. His SEC scoring-high is 17 points at LSU on 12/29.
Jay Jay Chandler (6.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG) and Hassan Diarra (6.6 PPG, 1.3 SPG) give the Aggies six players who are averaging more than six points per contest. Diarra made his third start of the season, most recently versus No. 9 Tennessee.
FROM THE BENCH – BEN HOWLAND MEDIA SESSION
Q: What have you seen from Texas A&M on film, and what do you feel your team has to do to be successful against them?
BH: "I think they're very talented. If you look at their team, everybody's back [from last year's team] with the exception of [Wendell] Mitchell and [Josh] Nebo that beat us a year ago [in College Station]. They handled us pretty good, and we had a good team. We were playing pretty well at the time. They finished incredibly strong a year ago."
"If you look at their talent, Savion Flagg had been in a shooting slump from three. In the last game against Tennessee, he made four three's. I'm sure that's really boosted his confidence. He's a good player. [Emanuel] Miller is a very good player. He's one of the leading scorers in the conference, and he's a sophomore. You could see as a freshman that he was really good. He's a Canadian kid. Quenton Jackson has played really well against us, as has [Jay Jay] Chandler. Chandler is a good player. I really like Andre Gordon."
"They have good pieces. They're a very hard team to score against, in that they are so help conscious. They are very much in the gaps. When you drive the basketball, you're going to have three people on you, not one. You have to have good spacing and get the ball moving to be able to have some spacing to penetrate and create help, then give it up. [You don't want] to try and over-penetrate because it will turn into turnovers. They're trying to do a little more, and they're trying to be more aggressive to create steals and to create offense out of some of their defense."
Q: Could you put your finger on a couple of reasons why your team is winning right now?
BH: "Well, one, is that we have great leadership at the five spot, and I think the best defensive five-man in our league with Abdul [Ado.] You know, so many offenses, are based on ball screen actions. He is so good at defending them in all the different ways. Icing the ball screen, hard hedging the ball screen, or plugging the ball screen and recovering."
"Tolu [Smith] is leading the SEC in rebounding. We're not even talking about Tolu Smith. He's a solid point. He leads the league in rebounding, and he's getting 3.8 offensive rebounds per game. I thought this last week in particular he made a big jump and is really learning to slow down more and take his time around the basket in terms of his post moves. It will be tested tomorrow because he's going to get doubled every time he touches the ball. That's what part of their [Texas A&M] routine is, and their scheme is to double from the baseline side. He's doing a tremendous job for us, so we're getting good things."
"I think Deivon [Smith] has really grown as a player. I think he's playing his best basketball of the year here since we started the conference. He had a great game against Georgia. I thought he was very good against Missouri – he played the last 10 minutes of the game. Cameron [Matthews] did a really good job for us again in the last game [against Vanderbilt]. He had the big steal at the end of the game. He's providing a lot for us off the bench. Jalen [Johnson] has been 'Mr. Steady' because inserting him in the lineup stretches our ability to shoot the ball. He's shooting 50 percent from the three in conference games, and you have to respect him as a defense. If he's open and he has a shot, he's going to make it. Everybody is contributing. It's a team effort all the way."
Q: Is Iverson Molinar surpassing the expectation level that you had for him? How is he as a leader?
BH: "He's not exceeded my expectations because we saw this coming. I've been saying this as everybody's remembered how much he has improved between the last year and now because we've seen it throughout the summer and beginning of the fall. I'm happy for him because he's worked so hard. He's so talented and so good. He is a great kid. He's one of our main leaders. Abdul [Ado], D.J. [Stewart Jr.], and Iverson are our probably three guys, along with Tolu [Smith], that have been leading this team since we've came together in June. As I was saying earlier, the thing that's so great about all of those guys and Iverson, there's zero maintenance with everything you're supposed to do off the floor."
"I don't think the kid's [Molinar] had a less than a B since he's been here at Mississippi State in terms of academics. He really works hard in that area of his life. He's always on time to everything, always brings a great attitude, has just a beautiful smile and is just a really good person and human being. All those kids are, and they're the leaders for those younger guys. So, they're seeing the work ethics that are incredible. Iverson lived in the gym this past year between the end of last season to when we got started. He is earning and has earned, everything that he's doing."
Q: What did you think about Abdul Ado stopping a four-on-one breakaway against Vanderbilt?
BH: "He's so good defensively for us. He's such a huge factor. I thought he had a great block late in the game that went against him and sent [Scotty Pippen Jr.] to the line … He's doing a great job for us. I thought he did a good job last week setting screens for D.J. [Stewart Jr.]. When you go back to the Missouri game and you look at the six jump shots that he [Stewart Jr.] made – [one was] a pull up and another was a finish at the rim. Most of them were off Abdul's screens where he gets D.J. one-on-one with a big, going downhill and D.J. can go and deal with just about anybody."
"He [Ado] does so many things that don't show up on the stat sheet. He's still in the top three or four in our league for blocked shots. Changing shots is a different stat that you don't keep, but he's definitely changing shots. I think he's the best player in the conference, in terms of defending ball screen actions and picking up guards who are coming at him. He's very difficult to deal with because he's so athletic and can move laterally. He's big and strong."
Q: What did you see out of Quinten Post against Vanderbilt?
BH: "I thought he had a really good second half for us, in particular. He had three big defensive rebounds. He hit a big shot at the top of the key that put us up nine, and I think he played with a lot of confidence. We're going to need that moving forward."
Q: What have you seen from Andersson Garcia in practice and where is he at right now?
BH: "Andersson is getting better, and Andersson is improving. He is one of our best defenders. Every day, he might be one of our best three rebounders. He is a really good rebounder from the small forward position. He provides good competition for D.J. [Stewart Jr.] every day because he's the one that matches up to defend D.J."
"Everything is live, so there's a lot of competition there. It's helping him get better as a player guarding a player that good. It's also helping D.J. because he competes on every single possession. I really like Andersson. I think he's going to be a good player for us."
UP NEXT
Mississippi State's next test on its three-game homestand comes from Florida on Saturday. Tip time is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT from Humphrey Coliseum, televised by ESPN2 and available online courtesy of the Watch ESPN app.
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.
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