Bonding And Building
September 07, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Bulldogs are growing together and have high hopes for the season to come.
STARKVILLE – D.J. Jeffries has only had on the Maroon and White of Mississippi State for a short few months now. The transfer forward, who joined the Bulldogs over the offseason after two seasons at Memphis, is still acclimating to his surroundings.
There are new places to learn. There are different routines to embrace. Then, there's the team Jeffries now finds himself surrounded by. It's still a couple of months out from tip-off, but it's a group Jeffries can't help but feel has the chance to be special.
"We have a good mixture of older guys and younger guys," Jeffries said. "We have guys that have been through wars and battles. We have the chance to be really good."
Indeed, it's not difficult to count the reasons for Jeffries' optimism. On the heels of a momentum-building 2020-21 season that saw MSU win seven of its final 10 contests and earn a spot in the NIT title game, head coach Ben Howland and company went out in the spring and summer months and brought in a load of new talent to an already strong roster.
There was of course Jeffries, but also transferring in was forward Garrison Brooks and guards Shakeel Moore and Rocket Watts. Brooks comes to Starkville after spending the previous four seasons at North Carolina. Moore was at N.C. State last year for his freshman season, while Watts has swapped MSUs – from Michigan State to Mississippi State. All four transfers are former four-star prospects and ready to make an instant impact.
It's quite an influx of both experience and skill. As word got out Jeffries, Brooks, Moore and Watts were Starkville bound, veteran MSU forward Tolu Smith was overjoyed.
"It was great to hear," Smith said. "I just want to be a part of a winning program so having that type of talent come in, it just gives you a sense of hope that we can be and will be good."
Of course Smith is a big reason for State's high hopes all on his own. The junior post presence was a force for the Bulldogs last year, leading the Southeastern Conference in rebounds per game (8.5) as well as double-doubles (eight).
Now add in Brooks, who averaged 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game over the last two seasons with the Tar Heels, along with an improved Javian Davis, who shined in the NIT last year, and MSU sure looks like it could be incredibly strong down low.
"I think we could be one of the best frontcourts in the SEC," Brooks said. "You've got Tolu who led the SEC in rebounds last year. [Davis] is a really good player and coming off last year, he's going to be even better. Then, you have me. I just think we have a really good group."
The MSU guards are loaded with potential as well. There's third-year Bulldog Iverson Molinar, who ranked among the SEC's top 10 in points per game, field goal percentage and 20-plus point games last season. Then, add in Moore and Watts, along with four-star freshman Cam Carter and the pieces seem to be in place for State to be an incredibly well-rounded squad.
"We've got some really good players coming in and that's exciting to have all this talent coming into a team and trying to incorporate them into the team," Molinar said.
There's little question about the caliber of the players making up MSU's current roster. From the aforementioned young men to names like Cam Matthews and Derek Fountain, who both had strong debut seasons last year and are now looking to make big leaps, there is talent at every turn. Throw in forward and ESPN Top 100 prospect KeShawn Murphy and fellow freshman forward Alden Applewhite's versatile skill set and State's cupboard is stocked.
But just how are all the guys getting along? Team chemistry is such a big part of basketball. Fortunately for MSU, these Bulldogs have bonded quickly.
"It's been going good," Jeffries said. "From the first day, we all embraced each other. We all loved each other. We all go out to eat and have fun and joke. It's kind of like we've all been knowing each other for years."
"We're all connected," adds Moore. "It's wonderful to have that chemistry early on and I look forward to these relationships continuing to grow."
It bears remembering that it's only September. There is still plenty of time to go before a single point is scored or a rebound is gathered.
Yet there's no denying MSU's 2021-22 mixture has the makings of a team that can make plenty of noise. There's talent. There's togetherness. There's a drive within the group to succeed. All the ingredients seem to be in place. It's now on the Bulldogs to keep putting in the work to make sure all comes together as planned.
"I've been a part of a few teams that have been really talented and really good," Brooks said. "I look around at this team and I see how hard everyone works all the time. I see Tolu and Iverson coming in the gym every day. I see [Davis] every day. I see all these guys here relentlessly trying to get better. I think that's just one of the positive things you look at and see everyone trying to get better. I think our team is going to be really good."
