Fun To Keep Playing
March 15, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Mississippi State happy to have the chance to return to the floor.
STARKVILLE – There have been months of hard work. There have been many ups. There have been some downs.
The end result of it all? Come Wednesday at 6 p.m., Mississippi State will be playing in a postseason basketball tournament for the fourth straight year in which tournaments have been held. The Bulldogs will take on Virginia in the NIT Round of 32.
There's no getting around the fact this isn't the March dance MSU would prefer to be shaking a leg in. But what it is, is another opportunity to compete. For that, the Bulldogs are grateful.
"I think it's fun to continue to play," State head coach Ben Howland said. "We've been going since June if you consider when we started this whole process 10 months ago or close to it. We've put a lot of work in. The kids have worked really hard."
Now, the Bulldogs can reap the fruits of their labor by simply being afforded the chance to continue doing what they love.
There's plenty to play for, too. Of course there's an NIT championship to aim for, but beyond that, there's more.
There's the chance for Tolu Smith to finish strong after his rollercoaster ride of a season in which he's been in and out of the lineup.
"Tolu only got to play in about 60 percent of the games this year because of his injuries, so I know he's really excited to keep playing," Howland said.
A broken foot, a broken toe and a patella injury are just three of the roadblocks that have been in Smith's way this season. But he's persevered and comes into the NIT playing his best basketball of the campaign. Smith is averaging 19.5 points and seven rebounds a game in his last six contests.
How about Garrison Brooks? The NIT prolongs Brooks' collegiate career. The graduate forward is doing all he can to not just extend his playing days but win a few more times as well.
Remember Brooks transferred to MSU from North Carolina. He's all too familiar with the toughness of Virginia, having battled them plenty previously in the ACC. Brooks eagerly shared a quick scouting report with his Bulldog brothers.
"I think Garrison put out on their team [group message] thread, 'It's going to be a football game because it's going to be very physical,'" Howland shared. "[Brooks] played against them for four years and has great respect for Virginia and how physical they are and how tough they are and how they fight you for everything."
The NIT grants Iverson Molinar the stage to add another chapter to his All-SEC season. Andersson Garcia can keep on blossoming as he has all year long. Perhaps D.J. Jeffries, Shakeel Moore or Javian Davis can serve up some Bulldog postseason heroics. Freshman Cam Carter can use the extra playing time as a springboard for growth, much as Cameron Matthews and Derek Fountain did in the NIT a year ago.
Mississippi State isn't short on reasons to show up and get after it on Wednesday. And yes, the Bulldogs will have to bring all they've got.
The Cavaliers boast an offense that prides itself on taking good shots, sharing and taking care of the basketball. But the Virginia calling card is its defense.
"They are so packed in and they are so reactive to any drives," Howland said. "They are in constant help so you are really required to make some jump shots to beat a [Virginia head coach Tony] Bennett team. They are going to get a hand up and contest the level of release. They do a great job doubling the post and trying to keep the ball out of the post as much as possible. They often have three guys back on defense and you never have much chance at transition. They make it a half-court game."
Howland says the secret to overcoming the Cavaliers is to sink shots from the perimeter. Thus, the Bulldogs have yet another reason to come out and give it their all on Wednesday. It's a shot at redemption.
MSU has at times struggled mightily from three-point range. The Bulldogs started to sink a few treys in the SEC Tournament, and now, they'll perhaps have to succeed from long range as much as they have all season long, overcoming what has been one of this year's biggest frustrations.
It's seemed to plague everyone at times, even the team's centerpiece, Molinar.
"For Iverson to go from 44 percent on the year [from three-point range last season] down into the 20s [this season] was something I'd have never expected," Howland said. "A lot of that's just confidence. I'm hoping he can just loosen up now."
It's a tip that perhaps everyone in Maroon and White could take to heart.
"We're not going to be in the NCAA Tournament," Howland said. "We're in the NIT. Let's go out and play loose and let the ball go."
Play loose. Play with confidence. But above all else, just go play.
Not everyone gets to perform this time of year, but the Bulldogs do.
