Wells Soaks In Return To The Hump
February 05, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Former Bulldog center is one of school’s all-time best rebounders and shot-blockers.
STARKVILLE – Several years had passed since Kalpatrick Wells had last walked into the Humphrey Coliseum before he arrived for Mississippi State's Saturday game against Missouri. The former MSU center was last in attendance a few seasons back when the school honored previous players.
Yet no matter how much time goes by between Wells' visits to Starkville, he's still just as comfortable as he always was.
"It just feels so good to be back," Wells shared during halftime of the Bulldogs' eventual win over the Tigers. "I feel like I'm at home."
It felt like home because it will forever be a home for Wells. The many handshakes and conversations he had with Bulldog fans upon his return illustrated such.
It's no surprise Wells is fondly remembered. He's still all over the Mississippi State record books. Wells, who starred at State from 1980 through 1983 before getting drafted by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and eventually playing overseas, is still eighth in school history with his 830 career rebounds. He's still sixth in school history in blocks with 183 of them.
Wells was MSU's leading rebounder for his sophomore, junior and senior years. He led the team in blocks all four seasons he was on campus.
As for Wells' ability to attack the boards, the numbers likely don't even truly reflect just how good the big man was at grabbing them.
"We played such a slow-down type of basketball," Wells remembered. "When [former MSU head coach] Bob Boyd came in, he slowed the system down where we weren't shooting as much. My sophomore year, I averaged around 10 rebounds a game. Then it dropped down the next two years [after Boyd took over] when we didn't shoot as much."
Of course, Wells' rebounding numbers might've also been better if not for the incredible talent of one of his teammates that just so happened to be getting honored on Saturday night.
Jeff Malone was recognized by MSU on Saturday, 40 years since the legendary guard set the Bulldogs' all-time scoring record. Malone's State career concluded with him tallying 2,142 points, and all of them came before the inception of the three-point line in college basketball.
Wells enjoyed seeing Malone put the ball in the basket all those years. Wells was more than happy to miss out on a few rebounds to benefit from Malone's unbelievable scoring ability.
"Jeff didn't look like much of an athlete when we first came in, then we started playing pickup games before we started practicing and I was like, 'OK, this guy can shoot,'" Wells remembered. "It really shocked me because he didn't look like an athlete. I mean, Jeff is one of the best shooters I've ever seen. With Jeff, I was surprised when he missed. It was just great to be with Jeff for four years in the trenches. I knew he was going to give it all he had every game and to play with that type of talent was just an honor…Yeah, my rebounds – not many came off of Jeff's shots."
These days, Wells – originally from Vidalia, Louisiana – resides in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he and his wife have lived since 1997. Wells retired in 2017 after working for Ergon for about 20 years.
"Now, I'm just always between Vicksburg and Vidalia," Wells said. "I've got my wife and three grown kids and three grandkids. I'm just living the dream."
And while Wells is enjoying this phase of his life, he certainly won't ever lose appreciation for the part that happened in Starkville. That much was very apparent all throughout Saturday.
"I really do feel like I'm home now," Wells said. "Being in Starkville for four years, I walked 100 yards from McArthur dormitory over here [to the Humphrey Coliseum] to practice. I was telling my grandkid earlier [when out on campus], 'Look. That fifth-floor window, first room, was my old window. I was in that room for three years.' I was just showing her that. It just feels like home. I spent four years of my life here. I got my education here. I'm just thankful. I come from a background where, if I wasn't an athlete, I couldn't have afforded to go to college. So, I'm thankful Mississippi State saw something in me and gave me an opportunity."
