Photo by: Kevin Snyder/MSU Athletics
Rocket Igniting
February 04, 2022 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE – Rocket Watts wanted more than anything to make an immediate impact in his first season at Mississippi State.
However, the former Michigan State transfer was slowed by offseason hip surgery but has certainly sparked the Bulldogs off the bench of late. Watts has averaged 10 points over the past three games and provided Mississippi State with another solid scoring option in its backcourt.
"I'm not really concerned about my hip anymore," Watts said. "I'm just finding my groove on the court. I'm putting in a lot of work to get stronger and faster day-by-day and just staying consistent. That's what I'm standing on today."
Watts' point production has increased over the last three games as well. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard scored nine points at Kentucky, 10 points at Texas Tech and posted a personal SEC-high 11 points in the win over South Carolina on Tuesday night.
Watts has made 11 of his 24 shots from the field over that span including five 3-pointers during that span.
"That just comes with me putting in a lot of work with my shot," Watts said. "I never stopped believing and never gave up. I just keep putting in the work on my shot and my all-around game. It's all going to come together soon."
Against the Gamecocks, Watts made four of his eight shots from the floor – three of which were 3's – to go along with a season-high three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 19 minutes of play.
"I think he's turning the corner right now and playing with a lot of confidence," said head coach Ben Howland. "He's got his health back. He's not worried so much. I think he's playing much better defensively. My big thing for him is to be able to hold his own on the defensive end of the floor when he comes into the game. I thought he did that (Tuesday) for the most part… That was his best game since he arrived in StarkVegas."
Watts was a four-star prospect rated the No. 33 recruit in the country by ESPN coming out of high school. The Detroit native started 31 of 55 games during his two-year career at Michigan State. He averaged nine points per game in 2019-20, earning All Big Ten Freshman honors and scored 7.7 points last season.
Thus far at Mississippi State, Watts has averaged 14 minutes in 15 games off the bench while contributing 4.8 points. Since SEC play started, however, Watts has been the Bulldogs' top option off the bench shooting 45.9 percent and scoring 6.3 points.
"The SEC is very competitive," Watts said. "There are a lot of great players in the SEC obviously. It is a way faster pace than when I played in the Big 10 last year. It is more athletic and faster. Any given night you can win, or you can lose. So, it is really about how you [start] the game and hit the other team first. The SEC is a great conference to play in."
Watts will attempt to continue his offensive progression for a fourth straight game as the Bulldogs travel to Arkansas on Saturday night at 7:30. He scored seven points in only eight minutes during the first meeting against the Razorbacks, which was an 81-68 victory for the Bulldogs on Dec. 29.
It is also an opportunity for Mississippi State to capture its first road win of the season and also add a Quadrant 1 victory to its postseason resume.
"The focus has to increase a lot," Watts said. "I feel like we haven't won a road game yet. That's our focus right now, to stay locked in, keep practicing, watching film, and to keep moving forward. It is very key to our game."
However, the former Michigan State transfer was slowed by offseason hip surgery but has certainly sparked the Bulldogs off the bench of late. Watts has averaged 10 points over the past three games and provided Mississippi State with another solid scoring option in its backcourt.
"I'm not really concerned about my hip anymore," Watts said. "I'm just finding my groove on the court. I'm putting in a lot of work to get stronger and faster day-by-day and just staying consistent. That's what I'm standing on today."
Watts' point production has increased over the last three games as well. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard scored nine points at Kentucky, 10 points at Texas Tech and posted a personal SEC-high 11 points in the win over South Carolina on Tuesday night.
Watts has made 11 of his 24 shots from the field over that span including five 3-pointers during that span.
"That just comes with me putting in a lot of work with my shot," Watts said. "I never stopped believing and never gave up. I just keep putting in the work on my shot and my all-around game. It's all going to come together soon."
Against the Gamecocks, Watts made four of his eight shots from the floor – three of which were 3's – to go along with a season-high three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 19 minutes of play.
"I think he's turning the corner right now and playing with a lot of confidence," said head coach Ben Howland. "He's got his health back. He's not worried so much. I think he's playing much better defensively. My big thing for him is to be able to hold his own on the defensive end of the floor when he comes into the game. I thought he did that (Tuesday) for the most part… That was his best game since he arrived in StarkVegas."
Watts was a four-star prospect rated the No. 33 recruit in the country by ESPN coming out of high school. The Detroit native started 31 of 55 games during his two-year career at Michigan State. He averaged nine points per game in 2019-20, earning All Big Ten Freshman honors and scored 7.7 points last season.
Thus far at Mississippi State, Watts has averaged 14 minutes in 15 games off the bench while contributing 4.8 points. Since SEC play started, however, Watts has been the Bulldogs' top option off the bench shooting 45.9 percent and scoring 6.3 points.
"The SEC is very competitive," Watts said. "There are a lot of great players in the SEC obviously. It is a way faster pace than when I played in the Big 10 last year. It is more athletic and faster. Any given night you can win, or you can lose. So, it is really about how you [start] the game and hit the other team first. The SEC is a great conference to play in."
Watts will attempt to continue his offensive progression for a fourth straight game as the Bulldogs travel to Arkansas on Saturday night at 7:30. He scored seven points in only eight minutes during the first meeting against the Razorbacks, which was an 81-68 victory for the Bulldogs on Dec. 29.
It is also an opportunity for Mississippi State to capture its first road win of the season and also add a Quadrant 1 victory to its postseason resume.
"The focus has to increase a lot," Watts said. "I feel like we haven't won a road game yet. That's our focus right now, to stay locked in, keep practicing, watching film, and to keep moving forward. It is very key to our game."
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