Saturday, January 23
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
5:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
#18 Alabama
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Gameday: Five Things to Know about MSU-No. 18 Alabama
January 22, 2021 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications
The home team has won the last seven meetings in the series dating back to 2016-17 season. Five of those seven meetings have been decided by single digits. Overall, the Crimson Tide have totaled a 126-77 advantage on the strength of an 81-15 mark in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State used a 21-point, 12-rebound performance from Reggie Perry to emerge with the 80-73 victory in Starkville. Tyson Carter, the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year, provided 19 points and five assists.
Alabama took a 90-69 decision in Tuscaloosa behind a combined 35 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists courtesy of Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty Jr.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (9-6, 4-3 SEC) vs. No. 18 Alabama (12-3, 7-0 SEC)
Where: Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Coleman Coliseum
When: Saturday, January 23, 5:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Mike Morgan, Mark Wise
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/MSUvsBAMA012321)
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. 380 (XM), Ch. 970 (Internet)
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 77 victories since the start of the 2017-18 season which is tied for fourth-most in the SEC with LSU and only behind Auburn (89), Kentucky (85) and Tennessee (84). 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 37 games in double figures, headed by 11 outings of 20-plus points. Molinar, Smith and Stewart Jr. have racked up 48.3 points per game, which is second-most in the SEC only behind LSU's Cameron Thomas, Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart.
Molinar (17.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG) has notched double figures in 11 of his 12 outings and during 15 of his 20 career starts. He will look to bounce back from a season-low seven points versus Ole Miss last time out. MSU has racked up a 13-3 record when Molinar provides 10-plus points in his career. His 17.4 points is fourth, his 49.1 field goal percentage is fifth and his 3.3 assists are tied for 10th 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 nine of his top 11 career scoring efforts this season.
Molinar's 11.5 points per game improvement from his freshmen to his sophomore season is tops among SEC players this season and the tied for the fourth-highest in the SEC over the last decade slightly. He is tied with former Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis. Current Toronto Raptors and former Ole Miss guard Terence Davis from the 2015-16 to 2016-17 season holds the top spot at a 13.1 improvement.
Molinar and Stewart Jr. joined by Gavin Ware (2015-16) as the only MSU players during the 2000s to start a season with 11 straight games of 10-plus points. The duo also were two of nine MSU players total and the only sophomores or younger to accomplish the feat since 1982-83.
Stewart Jr. (17.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG) has captured 10 of his top 13 career scoring performances in 2020-21. The Bulldogs have posted a 20-8 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 already equaled his 2019-20 total with 14 games in double figures, highlighted by a 12 consecutive games to start the season. He piled up 20 of his SEC career-best 24 points during the second half of State's 78-63 win over No. 13 Missouri (01/05). Stewart Jr.'s 17.4 points per game are fifth and his 44.1 percent shooting clip is 10th among SEC leaders. He and Molinar are two of eight SEC players to have at least four games of 20-plus points this season.
Smith (13.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG) has collected 12 games in double figures during his first season in the 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 is the SEC's leader with five double-doubles on the season, most recently career-bests with 27 points and 14 rebounds against Florida (01/16). He tallied 17 of his 27 points, eight of his 14 rebounds and sank all six of his shot attempts during the second half. Smith's 8.8 rebounds per game, 3.7 offensive rebounds per contest and six games of 10-plus boards headline the SEC. His 57.9 shooting clip is second and 1.1 blocks per game is tied for 10th in the SEC rankings. Smith has racked up 15.6 points per game on 31-of-45 from the field over his last five appearances.
3. Abdul Ado (5.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 BPG), the SEC's active leader in blocks and rebounds, is scheduled to make his 113th career start during Saturday's Alabama game. The 113 starts are good enough for sole possession of fifth place and nine shy of all-time leader Dee Bost (2009-10-11-12) in program history. He ranks first among Power five players and fourth overall among NCAA active players in blocks followed by a 12th 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 2.0 blocks per game are tied for third this season. Overall, Ado has piled up 212 career blocks, which ranks third in program history. His 1.88 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 Alabama contest among players with at least 250 baskets made. His 59.7 career shooting clip also checks in fifth among active Power 5 players and is 12th highest overall among the NCAA active players. Ado came away with a SEC season's best with 11 points and nine rebounds against Florida (01/16).
4. Mississippi State's roster features a talented group of newcomers. The freshmen class is ignited by Deivon Smith (4.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG) and Cameron Matthews (2.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 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 4.9 points and 1.1 steals per game in SEC action. He has distributed 17 assists against seven turnovers in SEC play and has dished out three-plus dimes in five of his seven conference outings.
Matthews has impacted the game on the defensive end with steals in 10 of 15 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. Matthews tallied a SEC season's best five points versus Texas A&M (01/13) and has chipped in five-plus points in four games.
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 (7.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG), Javian Davis (4.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Quinten Post (3.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG).
Johnson has piled up 1,168 points and 531 rebounds over 114 career games with his previous stops being at Saint Louis and Louisiana-Lafayette. He has amassed 58 career outings of 10-plus points and 11 outings of 20-plus points. Johnson has upped his averages to 8.4 points per game and knocked down 16 of his 21 treys over his last nine 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 5.0 points per game over his last seven outings. He chipped in five points, seven rebounds and two assists versus Kentucky (01/02) and returned to the rotation after a four-game absence against Ole Miss (01/19).
Post fired in a career-best 10 points versus Mississippi Valley State (12/21) to claim his first career game in double figures. He tacked on SEC career-highs of five points and three rebounds against Texas A&M (01/13). The Netherlands native has scored in 12 of his 21 career appearances at Mississippi State.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Crimson Tide have won five of their seven SEC decisions by 10-plus points and will be looking for the program's first 8-0 SEC start since the 1986-87 campaign.
Alabama has lived from three-point territory and canned 11.0 triples per game, which not only headlines the SEC but is tied for sixth nationally. Last time out, the Crimson Tide drained a SEC single-game mark 23 three's at LSU on 01/19. Seven players have canned 10-plus treys for the season.
John Petty Jr. (14.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG) has reeled off seven consecutive games in double figures, headed by pair of 20-plus points performances. The two-time SEC Player of the Week and reigning NCAA National Player of the Week exploded for a season's best 24 points and rattled home eight three-pointers at LSU.
Jahvon Quinerly (13.3 PPG, 3.3 APG), a transfer from Villanova, has improved his scoring average by 10.1 points per game. It's the fourth-highest freshmen-sophomore scoring jump among the SEC players this season. He has dialed up double figures in four of his last five outings and secured 22 points on six treys at LSU.
Jaden Shackelford (13.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.4 APG) and Herbert Jones (12.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG) give the Crimson Tide four players in double figures. Jones has done a little bit of everything for Alabama with a pair of double-doubles, six outings of two-plus steals and five games of multiple bocks. He has dished out 14 assists over the last five games.
Joshua Primo (8.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG) and Jordan Bruner (7.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.2 BPG) have reached the 20-point barrier this season. Primo notched a pair of 22-point efforts at Auburn on 01/09 and at LSU on 01/19, whereas Bruner came away with 20 points and seven rebounds at Auburn 01/09.
FROM THE BENCH – BEN HOWLAND MEDIA SESSION
Q: What is your general overall thought on what you guys are walking into tomorrow with Alabama?
BH: "Well, they're the best team in our league for sure as you look at it right now. They've got some great road wins. They demolished LSU, winning at Tennessee and winning at Kentucky – they're playing great basketball. I'm not surprised. I thought they were really good this year going in just because they're having [Herbert] Jones and [John] Petty [Jr.] as seniors. Any time you have high quality players that are seniors in your program, you see both of their games have taken them into a whole new level from where they were a year ago."
"Then, [Jaden] Shackelford is a year older. I think [Jahvon] Quinerly has been a great addition. Obviously, they lost Kira Lewis [Jr]. They all shoot it so well. [Joshua] Primo starts for them as a freshman out of Canada. He's a very good shooter and really shoots the ball well. They're playing good defense. Their field goal percentage defense is among the best in our league, so they're playing both sides of the ball very well."
Q: Was there anything after watching film that was receptive to the players, and do you think it's a relatively easy fix?
BH: "I think our guys are very receptive. We had a good practice yesterday, and that's what I was looking for. Anytime you play poorly as we did against our rival and watching the film, everybody can see it. Our guys are smart, but they could actually see the slippage. We had a very spirited, hard-fought, very competitive, physical practice yesterday, and we need to have another one today. A big part of it is having better execution and really playing with a sense of urgency in every possession."
Q: How did you feel Javian Davis played against Ole Miss as far as his conditioning goes?
BH: "I think his conditioning was okay. We had a practice yesterday where we got up-and-down quite a bit, and I thought he did a better job. When you miss two weeks of being out there and practicing and running up and down, it's never easy especially for one of your bigs. So, I think he's made a pretty quick recovery. When he was out, he didn't put on any weight. In fact, he lost a little weight, which was good."
Q: Not that you would give anything away gameplan specific, do you have thoughts about trying to boost the offense?
BH: "I don't know if it's a slump. In the last game, I thought we took some really quick [shots]. We watched the whole game [against Ole Miss] yesterday before we practiced, and I really wanted our guys to see just how bad we were at both ends of the floor."
"Offensively, there were just a lot of one-on-one play versus just playing as a team. We weren't setting physical screens. We didn't do anything with any kind of physicality or toughness at either end of the floor against Ole Miss. We have to get back to that and be good. We have to get the ball inside more and play inside out, which we weren't doing at all, just executing better what we do is really the main thing."
Q: What issues do you think your team will run into matchup wise against Alabama?
BH: "Well kind of what I pointed out – [Herbert] Jones is just a very difficult matchup for everybody in our league because he plays the point offensively but really, he's a power forward. So, he's a hard matchup for your power forwards because he handles the ball like a point guard."
"He's a really, really good driver and penetrator. When he gets in the switches, they'll try to get you in the switch where he's being guarded by a one or a two, then he's just backing them down and going right in the post and spinning off of them. Those are the biggest issues in terms of the matchups that are concerning."
"They all shoot it, so you've got everybody who's out there on the floor. You know, [Alex] Reese isn't shooting a great percentage this year. For example, [John] Petty [Jr.] is shooting 56 or 57 percent from three in conference games. That's good."
Q: Do you feel like last game was maybe just a lapse? Then, tomorrow you'll show up to Alabama and you'll be blocking out better than you've seen all year?
BH: "Our blockouts in the Ole Miss game were despicable. We weren't blocking out anyone as a team. The first drill of the day [at yesterday's practice] was we did blockouts for 15 minutes to give you an idea … We'll block out better tomorrow. A lot of it is this team being [young] – we're going through things for the first time. Someone brought up earlier talking about D.J [Stewart Jr.] and Iverson [Molinar]. Well after the first four or five [SEC] games, all of a sudden, they've become media sensations within the SEC Network. They've got big bullseyes on their chests now. So, now they're getting everybody's best effort coming at them every single night. That's something that wasn't necessarily there to start our season as it was now. That's good, that's going to make them better in the long run."
UP NEXT
Mississippi State heads into the heart of its four-game SEC road swing and meets No. 6 Tennessee on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT from Thompson-Boling Arena, televised by the SEC Network 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.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The Mississippi State men's basketball team will face the first of back-to-back top 20 opponents on the road when the Bulldogs take on No. 18 Alabama at Coleman Coliseum on Saturday.
Mississippi State (9-6, 4-3 SEC) sits in a fifth-place tie with Florida in the SEC standings heading into the weekend's action. Only one game separates the two teams from LSU and the second position.
The Bulldogs have won nine of their last 13 decisions since opening weekend and will look to regroup from a 64-46 loss to Ole Miss on Tuesday. D.J. Stewart Jr. and Tolu Smith recorded 18 and 10 points, respectively, for State.
A balanced offensive attack has been a successful formula for Mississippi State in 2020-21 as the Bulldogs have posted a 7-1 record when four players or more reach double figures.
Mississippi State has won four of its five decisions when committing 12 turnovers or less on the season. The Bulldogs also have amassed 512 paint points which is third on the SEC leaderboard this season.
A victory over the SEC frontrunner and No. 18 Alabama (12-3, 7-0 SEC) would snap a couple of streaks for the Bulldogs. It would mark Ben Howland's second win in Tuscaloosa and join a 67-61 victory from 02/20/2016 where Quinndary Weatherspoon led a four-player attack in double figures with 15 points.
Mississippi State would end an 11-game streak against top 25 opponents on the road. The last time the Bulldogs defeated a ranked opponent on the road was an 80-75 triumph over then No. 14 Ole Miss on 01/09/2010. Dee Bost pumped home 25 points and dished out six assists to lead State.
State would collect its second SEC top 25 victory, a first for the program going back to 2009-10. The Bulldogs knocked off No. 13 Missouri, 78-63, on 01/05/2021.
The home team has won the last seven meetings in the series dating back to 2016-17 season. Five of those seven meetings have been decided by single digits. Overall, the Crimson Tide have totaled a 126-77 advantage on the strength of an 81-15 mark in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State used a 21-point, 12-rebound performance from Reggie Perry to emerge with the 80-73 victory in Starkville. Tyson Carter, the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year, provided 19 points and five assists.
Alabama took a 90-69 decision in Tuscaloosa behind a combined 35 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists courtesy of Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty Jr.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (9-6, 4-3 SEC) vs. No. 18 Alabama (12-3, 7-0 SEC)
Where: Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Coleman Coliseum
When: Saturday, January 23, 5:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Mike Morgan, Mark Wise
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/MSUvsBAMA012321)
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. 380 (XM), Ch. 970 (Internet)
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 77 victories since the start of the 2017-18 season which is tied for fourth-most in the SEC with LSU and only behind Auburn (89), Kentucky (85) and Tennessee (84). 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 37 games in double figures, headed by 11 outings of 20-plus points. Molinar, Smith and Stewart Jr. have racked up 48.3 points per game, which is second-most in the SEC only behind LSU's Cameron Thomas, Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart.
Molinar (17.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG) has notched double figures in 11 of his 12 outings and during 15 of his 20 career starts. He will look to bounce back from a season-low seven points versus Ole Miss last time out. MSU has racked up a 13-3 record when Molinar provides 10-plus points in his career. His 17.4 points is fourth, his 49.1 field goal percentage is fifth and his 3.3 assists are tied for 10th 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 nine of his top 11 career scoring efforts this season.
Molinar's 11.5 points per game improvement from his freshmen to his sophomore season is tops among SEC players this season and the tied for the fourth-highest in the SEC over the last decade slightly. He is tied with former Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis. Current Toronto Raptors and former Ole Miss guard Terence Davis from the 2015-16 to 2016-17 season holds the top spot at a 13.1 improvement.
Molinar and Stewart Jr. joined by Gavin Ware (2015-16) as the only MSU players during the 2000s to start a season with 11 straight games of 10-plus points. The duo also were two of nine MSU players total and the only sophomores or younger to accomplish the feat since 1982-83.
Stewart Jr. (17.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG) has captured 10 of his top 13 career scoring performances in 2020-21. The Bulldogs have posted a 20-8 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 already equaled his 2019-20 total with 14 games in double figures, highlighted by a 12 consecutive games to start the season. He piled up 20 of his SEC career-best 24 points during the second half of State's 78-63 win over No. 13 Missouri (01/05). Stewart Jr.'s 17.4 points per game are fifth and his 44.1 percent shooting clip is 10th among SEC leaders. He and Molinar are two of eight SEC players to have at least four games of 20-plus points this season.
Smith (13.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG) has collected 12 games in double figures during his first season in the 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 is the SEC's leader with five double-doubles on the season, most recently career-bests with 27 points and 14 rebounds against Florida (01/16). He tallied 17 of his 27 points, eight of his 14 rebounds and sank all six of his shot attempts during the second half. Smith's 8.8 rebounds per game, 3.7 offensive rebounds per contest and six games of 10-plus boards headline the SEC. His 57.9 shooting clip is second and 1.1 blocks per game is tied for 10th in the SEC rankings. Smith has racked up 15.6 points per game on 31-of-45 from the field over his last five appearances.
3. Abdul Ado (5.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 BPG), the SEC's active leader in blocks and rebounds, is scheduled to make his 113th career start during Saturday's Alabama game. The 113 starts are good enough for sole possession of fifth place and nine shy of all-time leader Dee Bost (2009-10-11-12) in program history. He ranks first among Power five players and fourth overall among NCAA active players in blocks followed by a 12th 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 2.0 blocks per game are tied for third this season. Overall, Ado has piled up 212 career blocks, which ranks third in program history. His 1.88 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 Alabama contest among players with at least 250 baskets made. His 59.7 career shooting clip also checks in fifth among active Power 5 players and is 12th highest overall among the NCAA active players. Ado came away with a SEC season's best with 11 points and nine rebounds against Florida (01/16).
4. Mississippi State's roster features a talented group of newcomers. The freshmen class is ignited by Deivon Smith (4.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG) and Cameron Matthews (2.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 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 4.9 points and 1.1 steals per game in SEC action. He has distributed 17 assists against seven turnovers in SEC play and has dished out three-plus dimes in five of his seven conference outings.
Matthews has impacted the game on the defensive end with steals in 10 of 15 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. Matthews tallied a SEC season's best five points versus Texas A&M (01/13) and has chipped in five-plus points in four games.
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 (7.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG), Javian Davis (4.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Quinten Post (3.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG).
Johnson has piled up 1,168 points and 531 rebounds over 114 career games with his previous stops being at Saint Louis and Louisiana-Lafayette. He has amassed 58 career outings of 10-plus points and 11 outings of 20-plus points. Johnson has upped his averages to 8.4 points per game and knocked down 16 of his 21 treys over his last nine 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 5.0 points per game over his last seven outings. He chipped in five points, seven rebounds and two assists versus Kentucky (01/02) and returned to the rotation after a four-game absence against Ole Miss (01/19).
Post fired in a career-best 10 points versus Mississippi Valley State (12/21) to claim his first career game in double figures. He tacked on SEC career-highs of five points and three rebounds against Texas A&M (01/13). The Netherlands native has scored in 12 of his 21 career appearances at Mississippi State.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Crimson Tide have won five of their seven SEC decisions by 10-plus points and will be looking for the program's first 8-0 SEC start since the 1986-87 campaign.
Alabama has lived from three-point territory and canned 11.0 triples per game, which not only headlines the SEC but is tied for sixth nationally. Last time out, the Crimson Tide drained a SEC single-game mark 23 three's at LSU on 01/19. Seven players have canned 10-plus treys for the season.
John Petty Jr. (14.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG) has reeled off seven consecutive games in double figures, headed by pair of 20-plus points performances. The two-time SEC Player of the Week and reigning NCAA National Player of the Week exploded for a season's best 24 points and rattled home eight three-pointers at LSU.
Jahvon Quinerly (13.3 PPG, 3.3 APG), a transfer from Villanova, has improved his scoring average by 10.1 points per game. It's the fourth-highest freshmen-sophomore scoring jump among the SEC players this season. He has dialed up double figures in four of his last five outings and secured 22 points on six treys at LSU.
Jaden Shackelford (13.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.4 APG) and Herbert Jones (12.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG) give the Crimson Tide four players in double figures. Jones has done a little bit of everything for Alabama with a pair of double-doubles, six outings of two-plus steals and five games of multiple bocks. He has dished out 14 assists over the last five games.
Joshua Primo (8.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG) and Jordan Bruner (7.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.2 BPG) have reached the 20-point barrier this season. Primo notched a pair of 22-point efforts at Auburn on 01/09 and at LSU on 01/19, whereas Bruner came away with 20 points and seven rebounds at Auburn 01/09.
FROM THE BENCH – BEN HOWLAND MEDIA SESSION
Q: What is your general overall thought on what you guys are walking into tomorrow with Alabama?
BH: "Well, they're the best team in our league for sure as you look at it right now. They've got some great road wins. They demolished LSU, winning at Tennessee and winning at Kentucky – they're playing great basketball. I'm not surprised. I thought they were really good this year going in just because they're having [Herbert] Jones and [John] Petty [Jr.] as seniors. Any time you have high quality players that are seniors in your program, you see both of their games have taken them into a whole new level from where they were a year ago."
"Then, [Jaden] Shackelford is a year older. I think [Jahvon] Quinerly has been a great addition. Obviously, they lost Kira Lewis [Jr]. They all shoot it so well. [Joshua] Primo starts for them as a freshman out of Canada. He's a very good shooter and really shoots the ball well. They're playing good defense. Their field goal percentage defense is among the best in our league, so they're playing both sides of the ball very well."
Q: Was there anything after watching film that was receptive to the players, and do you think it's a relatively easy fix?
BH: "I think our guys are very receptive. We had a good practice yesterday, and that's what I was looking for. Anytime you play poorly as we did against our rival and watching the film, everybody can see it. Our guys are smart, but they could actually see the slippage. We had a very spirited, hard-fought, very competitive, physical practice yesterday, and we need to have another one today. A big part of it is having better execution and really playing with a sense of urgency in every possession."
Q: How did you feel Javian Davis played against Ole Miss as far as his conditioning goes?
BH: "I think his conditioning was okay. We had a practice yesterday where we got up-and-down quite a bit, and I thought he did a better job. When you miss two weeks of being out there and practicing and running up and down, it's never easy especially for one of your bigs. So, I think he's made a pretty quick recovery. When he was out, he didn't put on any weight. In fact, he lost a little weight, which was good."
Q: Not that you would give anything away gameplan specific, do you have thoughts about trying to boost the offense?
BH: "I don't know if it's a slump. In the last game, I thought we took some really quick [shots]. We watched the whole game [against Ole Miss] yesterday before we practiced, and I really wanted our guys to see just how bad we were at both ends of the floor."
"Offensively, there were just a lot of one-on-one play versus just playing as a team. We weren't setting physical screens. We didn't do anything with any kind of physicality or toughness at either end of the floor against Ole Miss. We have to get back to that and be good. We have to get the ball inside more and play inside out, which we weren't doing at all, just executing better what we do is really the main thing."
Q: What issues do you think your team will run into matchup wise against Alabama?
BH: "Well kind of what I pointed out – [Herbert] Jones is just a very difficult matchup for everybody in our league because he plays the point offensively but really, he's a power forward. So, he's a hard matchup for your power forwards because he handles the ball like a point guard."
"He's a really, really good driver and penetrator. When he gets in the switches, they'll try to get you in the switch where he's being guarded by a one or a two, then he's just backing them down and going right in the post and spinning off of them. Those are the biggest issues in terms of the matchups that are concerning."
"They all shoot it, so you've got everybody who's out there on the floor. You know, [Alex] Reese isn't shooting a great percentage this year. For example, [John] Petty [Jr.] is shooting 56 or 57 percent from three in conference games. That's good."
Q: Do you feel like last game was maybe just a lapse? Then, tomorrow you'll show up to Alabama and you'll be blocking out better than you've seen all year?
BH: "Our blockouts in the Ole Miss game were despicable. We weren't blocking out anyone as a team. The first drill of the day [at yesterday's practice] was we did blockouts for 15 minutes to give you an idea … We'll block out better tomorrow. A lot of it is this team being [young] – we're going through things for the first time. Someone brought up earlier talking about D.J [Stewart Jr.] and Iverson [Molinar]. Well after the first four or five [SEC] games, all of a sudden, they've become media sensations within the SEC Network. They've got big bullseyes on their chests now. So, now they're getting everybody's best effort coming at them every single night. That's something that wasn't necessarily there to start our season as it was now. That's good, that's going to make them better in the long run."
UP NEXT
Mississippi State heads into the heart of its four-game SEC road swing and meets No. 6 Tennessee on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT from Thompson-Boling Arena, televised by the SEC Network 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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