Tuesday, February 1
Starkville
6:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
South Carolina
Gameday: Five Things To Know MSU-South Carolina
January 31, 2022 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball team begins its busy February slate which features nine games over a 26-day span as the Bulldogs renew its annual home-and-home series with South Carolina on Tuesday at Humphrey Coliseum.
State (13-7, 4-3 SEC) has protected its home floor with an 11-1 mark inside The Hump fueled by SEC victories over Arkansas (81-68 on 12/29), Georgia (88-72 on 01/12), No. 24 Alabama (78-76 on 01/15) and Ole Miss (78-60 on 01/22).
The Bulldogs are in sole possession of fifth place in the SEC standings. The Maroon and White is a half-game clear of four teams which includes South Carolina (13-7, 4-4 SEC). State trails Arkansas and Tennessee by a half-game for the third spot.
The Bulldogs are in the midst of six of seven games against NCAA NET Quad 1 competition from Jan. 25-Feb. 16 with trips to Arkansas, LSU and Alabama on the horizon.
A balanced scoring effort has been key to Mississippi State's success this season. The Bulldogs have posted a 9-1 mark when at least four players register 10-plus points. State has accomplished that feat during three of its four SEC victories.
The Gamecocks have pieced together a three-game winning streak against Georgia (83-66 on 01/22), Vanderbilt (70-61 on 01/26) and Texas A&M (74-63 on 01/29). South Carolina has outscored its opponents by a 17.0 points per game margin during the second half to spark the three-game run.
In accordance with Mississippi State University's indoor mask requirement announced on Jan. 31, all individuals must wear face coverings inside all university buildings, including athletic facilities. The requirement applies to all fans attending basketball games at Humphrey Coliseum except while actively eating or drinking.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (13-7, 4-3 SEC) vs. South Carolina (13-7, 4-4 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Tuesday, February 1, 6:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: ESPNU (Watch ESPN App)
Talent: Kevin Fitzgerald, Jimmy Dykes
DirecTV: Ch. 208, Dish: Ch. 141, AT&T U-Verse: Ch. 1605, MaxxSouth: Ch. 1162, C Spire: Ch. 206
Online: Watch ESPN App (Cable Subscription Required)
(https://hailst.at/WatchESPN)
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WKBB-FM 100.9 Starkville/West Point (Full List: https://hailst.at/MBKAffiliates)
Free Online Audio: Hail State Plus (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); The Varsity Network App
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Entering this week's action, Mississippi State holds top three marks on the SEC leaderboard in field goal percentage (47.4 – 2nd), rebounding margin (+7.5 – 2nd) and defensive rebounding percentage (75.9 – 3rd).
The +7.5 rebounding margin for State is tied for 18th nationally. The Bulldogs have rated among the nation's top 20 in rebounding margin during each of the last three seasons.
The Maroon and White is rated No. 29 nationally with a 112.7 offensive efficiency rating according to KenPom.com. The Bulldogs have finished among the nation's top 30 in that category during three of the last four seasons.
State sits at No. 26 in the ESPN BPI, checks in at No. 44 in the KenPom.com ratings and holds the No. 48 spot in the NCAA NET rankings. Four of the seven losses for the Bulldogs have come against NCAA Quad 1 opponents on the road or at a neutral site with three of those setbacks coming by single digits.
2. Mississippi State's coaching staff led by Ben Howland along with assistant coaches George Brooks, Korey McCray and Ernie Zeigler are in their seventh season together in Starkville during the 2021-22 season. The Bulldogs coaching quartet is second-longest tenured group at the Power 5 level only behind the West Virginia staff, who is entering its 10th season under Bob Huggins.
Howland and his staff piled up three consecutive 20-plus win seasons from 2017-18 to 2019-20 and has totaled 99 victories since the start of 2017-18. The 99 wins are sixth among SEC teams behind Auburn (114), Kentucky (107), Tennessee (106), LSU (102) and Arkansas (102).
3. Last time out, Mississippi State was defeated at No. 13 Texas Tech by a 76-50 margin during Saturday's Big 12/SEC Challenge.
The Bulldogs had three players secure double figures in Iverson Molinar (12 points), D.J. Jeffries (11 points) and Rocket Watts (10 points).
The Red Raiders took control of the contest behind an 11-2 spurt to close the opening half and took a 15-point advantage into the locker room. Texas Tech forced the Bulldogs into a season-high 22 turnovers.
4. Iverson Molinar is the only SEC player to score in double figures in every game his team has played in this season. His streak of 20 straight outings to start a season with 10-plus points is the longest for a MSU player since Tony Watts reached double figures during all 28 games in 1991-92.
Molinar along with Alabama's Jahvon Quinerly are two of eight Power 5 players to be ranked among top 10 of their respective leagues in points (18.1 – 3rd), field goal percentage (49.8 – 5th) and assists (4.2 – 7th). The list includes Terrell Brown, Jr. (Washington), Mike Miles, Jr. (TCU), Isaiah Mobley (Southern Cal), Will Richardson (Oregon), Alondes Williams (Wake Forest) and Payton Willis (Minnesota).
Molinar also is ranked among the SEC leaders in free throw percentage (87.0 – 2nd), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.13 – 4th).
Molinar became the 41st player in MSU history and eighth during Howland's MSU tenure to eclipse 1,000 career points with a 20-point performance against Ole Miss (01/22). He enters Tuesday's action nine points shy of being able to pass three additional players on the program's all-time scoring list and move into 36th place.
Molinar has amassed at least 15 points and five assists in seven games this season. The seven games of 15-5 are tied for 2nd among Power 5 players with Joseph Girard (Syracuse) and Wendell Moore, Jr. (Duke). The trio trails only Baylor's James Akinjo.
Tolu Smith is the SEC's defending rebounding champion and racked up the most double-doubles among SEC players last season. He is considered week-to-week after being injured during the Ole Miss game (01/22). Smith has garnered 10-plus in six of his eight appearances this season.
If Smith qualified for the SEC leaderboard, he would rank 1st in field goal percentage (61.9), 10th in rebounds (6.6) and 13th in points (13.3). He has tallied a pair of double-doubles over his eight appearances in 2021-22 headed by a 22-point, 11-rebound performance against Richmond (11/27).
5. Mississippi State's transfer class of Garrison Brooks, D.J. Jeffries, Shakeel Moore and Rocket Watts has amassed 3,089 career points and 144 career games in double figures. Their teams have posted a combined 103-41 record when providing 10-plus points headed by Jeffries' 30-7 and Watts' 17-3 marks, respectively.
Brooks holds the top spot among SEC active players and tied for eighth nationally with 924 career rebounds in addition to sitting fifth among SEC's active players with 1,496 career points. He has pumped in 10-plus points during three of his last five outings.
Brooks tucked away his second double-double of the season, 16 points and 10 rebounds, versus No. 24 Alabama (01/15). He also piled up a SEC season's best 17 points against Ole Miss (01/22).
Mississippi State is 9-2 when Jeffries scores in double figures. He amassed a season's best 19 points against Winthrop (12/21) and his SEC season-high is 13 points at Ole Miss (01/08).
Jeffries has showcased his versatility with 10 games of 2-plus assists, 7 games of 5-plus rebounds, 5 games of 2-plus blocks and 3 games of 2-plus steals.
Moore has had 10 of 15 career games of 10-plus points come this season at MSU. He has registered double figures in three of his last five games. The North Carolina native provided a SEC's season's best 18 points at Florida (01/19) coupled with a pair of 15-point efforts during SEC victories over Arkansas (12/29) and No. 24 Alabama (01/15).
Moore has collected multiple steals on 12 occasions this season and his 1.9 steals per game check in eighth on the SEC leaderboard.
Watts has missed five games this season and but has tallied 19 points over his last two road outings against top 15 competition. He piled up a season-high 15 points versus Lamar (12/02). Watts has scored 45.8 percent of his points during his six SEC appearances.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM – HEAD COACH BEN HOWLAND
"We did end up watching film as a team. I wanted to flush that game [at Texas Tech] given how it turned out, but the team saw a number of edits from Saturday's game. I think they'll respond well today [at practice]. Yesterday, we did not go through a live practice, because we were trying to recover physically. We did mentally check through what South Carolina will run both offensively and defensively."
"South Carolina has won three SEC games in a row and are playing their best basketball of the year. They just had a great road win against Texas A&M who is really tough to play on the road. This gives them more momentum and confidence heading up against us tomorrow. Their two guys who have been there in the past, [Jermaine] Cousinard and [Keyshawn] Bryant are really starting to play well for them and are key to their success. Then, you add their leading scorers [James] Reese V and [Erik] Stevenson. Reese played against us in the Hump as a player for North Texas. I knew he was a really good player. Stevenson has been making big shots for them too."
"South Carolina plays 10 or 11 guys and are very physical. They dive on the ball and take charges. They attack the glass hard as well. This will be an all-out war tomorrow, and I'll make our team very aware of that … You have to prepare for that any time you play a Frank Martin team."
"South Carolina also changing defenses and playing more zone which they are very aggressive in. They have good length and have a lot of guys like [Wildens] Levesque, who are tough hard-nosed players. They do the work inside. They have a number of guys like that. I like their freshman guard Devin Carter, son of former NBA player Anthony Carter. He's active and can shoot the ball at 50 percent from three in conference games. They have a number of guys they can play and are difficult to match up with."
SERIES HISTORY
The Bulldogs have won six of the last eight outings with South Carolina dating back to the 2017-18 season. State swept last season's meetings by 21 and 16 points, respectively.
Overall, the Maroon and White possesses a 25-16 series advantage on the strength of a 14-4 mark at Humphrey Coliseum. D.J. Stewart Jr. provided 15 points and five assists during last season's matchup in Starkville.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Gamecocks are third in the SEC rankings in rebounds (39.6), blocks (5.25), offensive rebounding percentage (36.2) and field goal percentage defense (39.5).
South Carolina has three players averaging in double figures which include Erik Stevenson (11.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG), James Reese V (10.7 PPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG) and Jermaine Couisnard (10.3 PPG, 2.5 APG, 1.1 SPG). Couisnard has found his rhythm coming off the bench with three consecutive games in double figures.
Reese V has dialed up double figures in five of his last seven outings, headed by a 20-point performance at Texas A&M (01/29) last time out. He also has connected on multiple treys in five of his last six outings.
Stevenson has been just as solid with 10-plus points during four of his last five games. He dialed up a 20-point performance of his own versus Georgia (01/22). Stevenson also has been locked in from beyond in the three-point line with multiple triples in three straight games.
Wildens Leveque (8.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.0 BPG) has been South Carolina's top option on the interior, while Devin Carter (8.2 PPG) has been inserted into the starting lineup over the last four games. Leveque has connected on 63.4 percent from the floor.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State is back on the road for three of its next four games, all against NCAA NET Quad 1 opponents. First up is a return trip to Arkansas on Saturday. Tip time is set for 7:30 p.m. CT from Bud Walton Arena, televised by SEC Network and streaming online courtesy of the ESPN app and www.ESPN.com/watch.
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 – Mississippi State men's basketball team begins its busy February slate which features nine games over a 26-day span as the Bulldogs renew its annual home-and-home series with South Carolina on Tuesday at Humphrey Coliseum.
State (13-7, 4-3 SEC) has protected its home floor with an 11-1 mark inside The Hump fueled by SEC victories over Arkansas (81-68 on 12/29), Georgia (88-72 on 01/12), No. 24 Alabama (78-76 on 01/15) and Ole Miss (78-60 on 01/22).
The Bulldogs are in sole possession of fifth place in the SEC standings. The Maroon and White is a half-game clear of four teams which includes South Carolina (13-7, 4-4 SEC). State trails Arkansas and Tennessee by a half-game for the third spot.
The Bulldogs are in the midst of six of seven games against NCAA NET Quad 1 competition from Jan. 25-Feb. 16 with trips to Arkansas, LSU and Alabama on the horizon.
A balanced scoring effort has been key to Mississippi State's success this season. The Bulldogs have posted a 9-1 mark when at least four players register 10-plus points. State has accomplished that feat during three of its four SEC victories.
The Gamecocks have pieced together a three-game winning streak against Georgia (83-66 on 01/22), Vanderbilt (70-61 on 01/26) and Texas A&M (74-63 on 01/29). South Carolina has outscored its opponents by a 17.0 points per game margin during the second half to spark the three-game run.
In accordance with Mississippi State University's indoor mask requirement announced on Jan. 31, all individuals must wear face coverings inside all university buildings, including athletic facilities. The requirement applies to all fans attending basketball games at Humphrey Coliseum except while actively eating or drinking.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (13-7, 4-3 SEC) vs. South Carolina (13-7, 4-4 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Tuesday, February 1, 6:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
TV: ESPNU (Watch ESPN App)
Talent: Kevin Fitzgerald, Jimmy Dykes
DirecTV: Ch. 208, Dish: Ch. 141, AT&T U-Verse: Ch. 1605, MaxxSouth: Ch. 1162, C Spire: Ch. 206
Online: Watch ESPN App (Cable Subscription Required)
(https://hailst.at/WatchESPN)
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WKBB-FM 100.9 Starkville/West Point (Full List: https://hailst.at/MBKAffiliates)
Free Online Audio: Hail State Plus (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); The Varsity Network App
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Entering this week's action, Mississippi State holds top three marks on the SEC leaderboard in field goal percentage (47.4 – 2nd), rebounding margin (+7.5 – 2nd) and defensive rebounding percentage (75.9 – 3rd).
The +7.5 rebounding margin for State is tied for 18th nationally. The Bulldogs have rated among the nation's top 20 in rebounding margin during each of the last three seasons.
The Maroon and White is rated No. 29 nationally with a 112.7 offensive efficiency rating according to KenPom.com. The Bulldogs have finished among the nation's top 30 in that category during three of the last four seasons.
State sits at No. 26 in the ESPN BPI, checks in at No. 44 in the KenPom.com ratings and holds the No. 48 spot in the NCAA NET rankings. Four of the seven losses for the Bulldogs have come against NCAA Quad 1 opponents on the road or at a neutral site with three of those setbacks coming by single digits.
2. Mississippi State's coaching staff led by Ben Howland along with assistant coaches George Brooks, Korey McCray and Ernie Zeigler are in their seventh season together in Starkville during the 2021-22 season. The Bulldogs coaching quartet is second-longest tenured group at the Power 5 level only behind the West Virginia staff, who is entering its 10th season under Bob Huggins.
Howland and his staff piled up three consecutive 20-plus win seasons from 2017-18 to 2019-20 and has totaled 99 victories since the start of 2017-18. The 99 wins are sixth among SEC teams behind Auburn (114), Kentucky (107), Tennessee (106), LSU (102) and Arkansas (102).
3. Last time out, Mississippi State was defeated at No. 13 Texas Tech by a 76-50 margin during Saturday's Big 12/SEC Challenge.
The Bulldogs had three players secure double figures in Iverson Molinar (12 points), D.J. Jeffries (11 points) and Rocket Watts (10 points).
The Red Raiders took control of the contest behind an 11-2 spurt to close the opening half and took a 15-point advantage into the locker room. Texas Tech forced the Bulldogs into a season-high 22 turnovers.
4. Iverson Molinar is the only SEC player to score in double figures in every game his team has played in this season. His streak of 20 straight outings to start a season with 10-plus points is the longest for a MSU player since Tony Watts reached double figures during all 28 games in 1991-92.
Molinar along with Alabama's Jahvon Quinerly are two of eight Power 5 players to be ranked among top 10 of their respective leagues in points (18.1 – 3rd), field goal percentage (49.8 – 5th) and assists (4.2 – 7th). The list includes Terrell Brown, Jr. (Washington), Mike Miles, Jr. (TCU), Isaiah Mobley (Southern Cal), Will Richardson (Oregon), Alondes Williams (Wake Forest) and Payton Willis (Minnesota).
Molinar also is ranked among the SEC leaders in free throw percentage (87.0 – 2nd), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.13 – 4th).
Molinar became the 41st player in MSU history and eighth during Howland's MSU tenure to eclipse 1,000 career points with a 20-point performance against Ole Miss (01/22). He enters Tuesday's action nine points shy of being able to pass three additional players on the program's all-time scoring list and move into 36th place.
Molinar has amassed at least 15 points and five assists in seven games this season. The seven games of 15-5 are tied for 2nd among Power 5 players with Joseph Girard (Syracuse) and Wendell Moore, Jr. (Duke). The trio trails only Baylor's James Akinjo.
Tolu Smith is the SEC's defending rebounding champion and racked up the most double-doubles among SEC players last season. He is considered week-to-week after being injured during the Ole Miss game (01/22). Smith has garnered 10-plus in six of his eight appearances this season.
If Smith qualified for the SEC leaderboard, he would rank 1st in field goal percentage (61.9), 10th in rebounds (6.6) and 13th in points (13.3). He has tallied a pair of double-doubles over his eight appearances in 2021-22 headed by a 22-point, 11-rebound performance against Richmond (11/27).
5. Mississippi State's transfer class of Garrison Brooks, D.J. Jeffries, Shakeel Moore and Rocket Watts has amassed 3,089 career points and 144 career games in double figures. Their teams have posted a combined 103-41 record when providing 10-plus points headed by Jeffries' 30-7 and Watts' 17-3 marks, respectively.
Brooks holds the top spot among SEC active players and tied for eighth nationally with 924 career rebounds in addition to sitting fifth among SEC's active players with 1,496 career points. He has pumped in 10-plus points during three of his last five outings.
Brooks tucked away his second double-double of the season, 16 points and 10 rebounds, versus No. 24 Alabama (01/15). He also piled up a SEC season's best 17 points against Ole Miss (01/22).
Mississippi State is 9-2 when Jeffries scores in double figures. He amassed a season's best 19 points against Winthrop (12/21) and his SEC season-high is 13 points at Ole Miss (01/08).
Jeffries has showcased his versatility with 10 games of 2-plus assists, 7 games of 5-plus rebounds, 5 games of 2-plus blocks and 3 games of 2-plus steals.
Moore has had 10 of 15 career games of 10-plus points come this season at MSU. He has registered double figures in three of his last five games. The North Carolina native provided a SEC's season's best 18 points at Florida (01/19) coupled with a pair of 15-point efforts during SEC victories over Arkansas (12/29) and No. 24 Alabama (01/15).
Moore has collected multiple steals on 12 occasions this season and his 1.9 steals per game check in eighth on the SEC leaderboard.
Watts has missed five games this season and but has tallied 19 points over his last two road outings against top 15 competition. He piled up a season-high 15 points versus Lamar (12/02). Watts has scored 45.8 percent of his points during his six SEC appearances.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM – HEAD COACH BEN HOWLAND
"We did end up watching film as a team. I wanted to flush that game [at Texas Tech] given how it turned out, but the team saw a number of edits from Saturday's game. I think they'll respond well today [at practice]. Yesterday, we did not go through a live practice, because we were trying to recover physically. We did mentally check through what South Carolina will run both offensively and defensively."
"South Carolina has won three SEC games in a row and are playing their best basketball of the year. They just had a great road win against Texas A&M who is really tough to play on the road. This gives them more momentum and confidence heading up against us tomorrow. Their two guys who have been there in the past, [Jermaine] Cousinard and [Keyshawn] Bryant are really starting to play well for them and are key to their success. Then, you add their leading scorers [James] Reese V and [Erik] Stevenson. Reese played against us in the Hump as a player for North Texas. I knew he was a really good player. Stevenson has been making big shots for them too."
"South Carolina plays 10 or 11 guys and are very physical. They dive on the ball and take charges. They attack the glass hard as well. This will be an all-out war tomorrow, and I'll make our team very aware of that … You have to prepare for that any time you play a Frank Martin team."
"South Carolina also changing defenses and playing more zone which they are very aggressive in. They have good length and have a lot of guys like [Wildens] Levesque, who are tough hard-nosed players. They do the work inside. They have a number of guys like that. I like their freshman guard Devin Carter, son of former NBA player Anthony Carter. He's active and can shoot the ball at 50 percent from three in conference games. They have a number of guys they can play and are difficult to match up with."
SERIES HISTORY
The Bulldogs have won six of the last eight outings with South Carolina dating back to the 2017-18 season. State swept last season's meetings by 21 and 16 points, respectively.
Overall, the Maroon and White possesses a 25-16 series advantage on the strength of a 14-4 mark at Humphrey Coliseum. D.J. Stewart Jr. provided 15 points and five assists during last season's matchup in Starkville.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Gamecocks are third in the SEC rankings in rebounds (39.6), blocks (5.25), offensive rebounding percentage (36.2) and field goal percentage defense (39.5).
South Carolina has three players averaging in double figures which include Erik Stevenson (11.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG), James Reese V (10.7 PPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG) and Jermaine Couisnard (10.3 PPG, 2.5 APG, 1.1 SPG). Couisnard has found his rhythm coming off the bench with three consecutive games in double figures.
Reese V has dialed up double figures in five of his last seven outings, headed by a 20-point performance at Texas A&M (01/29) last time out. He also has connected on multiple treys in five of his last six outings.
Stevenson has been just as solid with 10-plus points during four of his last five games. He dialed up a 20-point performance of his own versus Georgia (01/22). Stevenson also has been locked in from beyond in the three-point line with multiple triples in three straight games.
Wildens Leveque (8.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.0 BPG) has been South Carolina's top option on the interior, while Devin Carter (8.2 PPG) has been inserted into the starting lineup over the last four games. Leveque has connected on 63.4 percent from the floor.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State is back on the road for three of its next four games, all against NCAA NET Quad 1 opponents. First up is a return trip to Arkansas on Saturday. Tip time is set for 7:30 p.m. CT from Bud Walton Arena, televised by SEC Network and streaming online courtesy of the ESPN app and www.ESPN.com/watch.
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.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballMEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Media Session - 11/12/25
Wednesday, November 12
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Postgame Press Conference vs. Iowa State | 11/10/25
Monday, November 10
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Josh Hubbard & Sergej Macura Postgame vs. North Alabama - 11/5/25
Wednesday, November 05
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Postgame vs. North Alabama - 11/5/25
Wednesday, November 05