Mississippi State
1-0,0-0SEC
North Alabama
0-1,0-0ASUN
Dawgs Hope Season-Opening Win Only A Glimpse Of What’s Ahead
November 10, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
MSU starts strong, but believes it can be even better.
STARKVILLE – The rim was rattling inside the Humphrey Coliseum.
It was late in the second half in Mississippi State's season opener on Wednesday. The Bulldogs were looking to put away North Alabama. Shakeel Moore went up and threw down a dunk. In less than 60 seconds, Garrison Brooks and Cameron Matthews followed with slams of their own.
The thousands inside MSU's home arena were going wild.
"The Hump was rocking," Matthews said of the moment, but he could've just as easily been speaking about the night as whole. "They had us going."
Going all the way to the tune of a convincing 75-49 win for MSU. It was strong start for the Bulldogs. Yet at the same time, it only scratched the surface of what this State group has the potential to be.
These Bulldogs make no secrets of their 2021-22 expectations.
"Tournament team, nothing less," Matthews said.
March is a long way away. Wednesday, however, was a solid first step.
Matthews himself is part of the reason the Bulldogs can look ahead with optimism. MSU head coach Ben Howland has frequently spoken through the years about how a player's biggest jump often comes between his freshman and sophomore years. One game in, Matthews is adding evidence to Howland's claim.
The final tallies for Matthews? Seven points. A whopping 14 rebounds.
"Over the offseason, I've gained the confidence to play more aggressively," Matthews said.
That's great news for the Bulldogs and not-so-welcome news for everyone on MSU's schedule.
Matthews wasn't the only top performer on Wednesday. Garrison Brooks looked every bit like the impact player he's expected to be. The North Carolina transfer led State with 18 points and also pulled down five boards.
Freshman Cam Carter scored 11 points in his MSU debut. Brooks' fellow transfers Shakeel Moore and DJ Jeffries combined for 15 points and seven rebounds.
The steady hand of team leader Iverson Molinar, somewhat quietly, had a 13-point night.
What really impressed Howland though was State's defense.
North Alabama shot just 31 percent. State outrebounded the Lions by 10 and the Bulldogs forced 17 turnovers.
"I thought our defense was great," Howland said. "We really fed our offense. We shot it well. We got it inside…but our defense was the key."
Now it wasn't a completely perfect showing for State. Despite the win, the Bulldogs could certainly find areas to polish.
"We can really get a lot better," Brooks said. "We missed a lot of opportunities at the free-throw line. We didn't make a lot of 3s tonight. We missed some opportunities in halfcourt offense that we normally wouldn't."
Added Carter: "We've got to limit [opposing teams'] 3s, close out on shooters better and not allow [the opposition] to get as many shots up."
Iron out the kinks though, and the Bulldogs certainly have the makings of a team poised to make a run in the direction of March's big dance.
And oh, by the way, State did all of Wednesday's damage without some key pieces, including the SEC's leading rebounder of a year ago Tolu Smith and another highly-thought-of transfer, Rocket Watts. Both Smith and Watts are out with injuries in the early days of the season.
"We're going to be really good when we get those two guys back," Brooks said. "They're just good, veteran guys. They're guys who know how to play. They add a lot of experience to our team and a lot more scoring."
Watts could be back as soon as next week. Smith's timetable is a little longer. Nonetheless, it's almost inarguable that when they're available, the Bulldogs will grow stronger.
Now it bears reminding, Wednesday was only game one of many. But one game in, every ounce of excitement there has been for this MSU squad feels warranted.
It was a victorious start, and perhaps – if all goes well – a glimpse of what's to come.
"[The first win was] something we needed to get under our belt," Brooks said. "You can't win the 20th [game] without winning the first one."
