A Storm is Brewing

STARKVILLE – In a Mississippi summertime, it's not uncommon to sit on the back porch, stare off in the distance, see the dark clouds forming and know a storm is on the way.

Well if you gaze off in the direction of Humphrey Coliseum these days, the figurative thunder is rumbling. The lightning is striking. The Mississippi State men's basketball team is working and pushing, all with the hopes to be raining down 3s, blowing past defenders and more come this fall.

"We're excited," Bulldogs head coach Ben Howland said. "We're excited about our players. We're excited about the enthusiasm and excitement for this coming season. Our players are working really hard. We've got good kids – talented kids. So it's a lot to look forward to."

There's a solid foundation for optimism when it comes to the 2021-22 MSU squad. The closing chapters of last season's tale left State eagerly anticipating the sequel as the Bulldogs got red hot down the stretch and advanced all the way to the NIT championship game.

"Our goal obviously is to play in the NCAA Tournament," Howland said. I always look at the NIT as a tournament that leads you into the next year to get back in the NCAA Tournament. That's kind of what happened when we went after my third year here. We got to the final four [of the NIT] up in New York and lost to Penn State. But that really helped us for the following year, getting that postseason experience."

There's experience in the maroon and white fueling MSU's positive outlook for sure. But there's also a new influx of Bulldog talent that has State already itching for the chance to take the court this fall. Take for instance the four possible instant-impact transfers.

First, there's forward Garrison Brooks. The son of MSU assistant George Brooks, Garrison should provide the Bulldogs with a versatile post presence following a successful four years at North Carolina.

"He really knows how to play," Howland said of Garrison Brooks. "He's tough. He has a lot of experience and is strong. He's physical. Defensively, he has a very good feel for the game. He's very smart. He has a great understanding of basketball being a coach's son. He's been around it his whole life. I like how he shoots the ball. He's shooting the ball extremely well from the perimeter. He's scoring around the basket. He's playing good defense. He's rebounding. So he's playing a complete game on both sides of the basketball, offensively and defensively. And he provides a lot of leadership. He was a two-time captain at his previous stop. It's part of who he is. He's very positive and a good teammate. So I'm really excited about Garrison."

Garrison Brooks would've been an outstanding pickup all on his own. But Howland and the Bulldogs kept adding incredibly useful tools to the State toolbox. Forward D.J. Jeffries returns to his home state after spending two seasons at Memphis. Guard Rocket Watts is swapping MSUs, coming to the Bulldogs after a pair of strong years at Michigan State. Like Watts, Shakeel Moore is on track to be a boost to Howland's backcourt. Moore spent his freshman season last year at N.C. State. All four transfers are former four-star prospects. Here's a quick look at Howland's early thoughts on each:

On Jeffries: "An outstanding talent and he plays extremely hard. He really has a motor – a great motor. He's long. He's athletic. He's an outstanding passer. He's a kid that wants to make others around him better and create for others, yet he can still score and make things happen. I think he's a very good defender in terms of being in help side with good quickness on the ball. He's got length and size. I'm really excited about him and he's a great kid. He's got good leadership qualities and I think he's really excited to be here. So that's fun."
On Watts: "Rocket comes with two years of high major experience at a very good program. He's a very good shooter. I think his shooting percentage will be much higher than it's been the previous two years from three. He's a kid that's very quick, explosive, has a feel for the game. He's a good defender and plays hard defensively. He has great pride at that end of the floor and is a good competitor."
On Moore: "He's really a true point guard. I've been excited about his knowledge of the game and his ability to get into the gaps, jump-stop and create for others. He can make open shots. He's one of the better shooters on the team. And he's very strong and physical."

So why these four guys? Of all the options State could've turned to, how did Howland settle on targeting Brooks, Jeffries, Watts and Moore as he built his latest Bulldog roster?

"It was just to try and get the best players we can that fit our program," Howland said. "We're always looking for high character out of our recruits and all four of them I think are high-character kids that we got as transfers. But we needed immediate help – help that could come in right away and battle for starting positions and really give us an injection of talent. I think we've done that with those four. My staff did a great job. I'm really proud of [assistant coaches] George [Brooks], Korey [McCray] and Ernie [Zeigler]. They did a really, really fine job working the transfer portal."

Brooks, Jeffries, Watts and Moore are all certainly critical ingredients to MSU's brewing storm. It's easy to get lost in the potential of each guy, like a kid that can't keep staring at his or her new toys. But don't forget about the pieces that were already in place.

Guard Iverson Molinar is of course back. A season after pacing MSU in scoring, not only do the Bulldogs return his production, but he's out on the floor in summer workouts like an additional assistant coach, leading and guiding all the new State faces. Then there's forward Tolu Smith, the Southeastern Conference's leading rebounder a year ago who also averaged 12.6 points a game.

"I think Tolu and Iverson both have incredible work ethics," Howland said. "They really have the drive to be the best they can be. They love the game and love working hard. We expect big things out of both of them. They're both definitely two of our leaders."

And oh, don't forget about the kids. In addition to last year's freshmen such as forwards Cameron Matthews and Derek Fountain – both of whom exploded onto the scene and have another year of development – there are a new bunch of youngsters in the forms of forward KeShawn Murphy, guard Cam Carter and forward Alden Applewhite. Howland lights up talking about their potential.

"I'm very excited about KeShawn," Howland said. "You look at his size, 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, but yet he has very good hands and can really shoot the ball from the perimeter. He has a great shooting touch. He has the best shooting touch of any big I've recruited since I've been here, as just a freshman."

Howland lauds Carter's effort and competitiveness. He heaps praise on Applewhite's sweet left-handed shot. Even after being in the coaching business for nearly four decades, it's quickly apparent this group of Bulldogs, from the young to the old, is keeping plenty of pep in Howland's step.

It's energizing the MSU fan base too. Howland has gotten to experience that firsthand. He recently was a part of State's Road Dawgs Tour and could feel the buzz about his team.

"We made four stops in two days," Howland said. "It was great. I got a chance to meet a lot of our alums and fans and you could definitely feel it. Everybody is following this team already via online and the internet. They know who's coming in. So there's definitely a lot of excitement going into this season."

Excitement means there are high expectations. Excitement means there's promise. Excitement means there are lofty goals. It's seemingly just the way Howland likes it.

All there is to do now for Howland and his Bulldogs is to keep working. State wants the storm to continue to grow in power before moving in. And once it does, perhaps it will put MSU on the road to dancing once again come March.

"That's definitely our goal, to get back in the NCAA Tournament," Howland said. "That's the mantra that we're all working for. But our team has to continue to evolve and has to continue to grow and has to continue to improve."

Players Mentioned

Derek Fountain

Cameron Matthews

Iverson Molinar

Tolu Smith III

Mississippi State University Athletics