State’s Strong Start Capturing Attention From NBA Legend And More
November 27, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Resilient and fun Bulldog group’s 5-0 start is garnering attention as team prepares for two games in Tempe.
STARKVILLE – NBA legend Dwyane Wade stood in the Mississippi State locker room all smiles last Friday night in Dallas, Texas.
One of the greatest shooting guards to ever hit the hardwood, Wade had just sat as a spectator and watched the Bulldogs top SMU while also getting to meet his relative, MSU star Josh Hubbard, for the first time. Then when Wade got the chance to speak to the guys in Maroon and White, the Dawgs were hanging on every word Wade had to say.
"I wish our guys looked at me like that with their undivided attention when I'm addressing them as much as they did him," State head coach Chris Jans joked.
How could the Bulldogs not be mesmerized by a 13-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Finals champion? But maybe the coolest part of it all was Wade also found himself captivated by State's style of play.
"In the midst [of the game], we got a chance to become fans of you guys," Wade told State's players.
It's easy to understand why NBA royalty made the choice to hitch his wagon to the Bulldogs. Five games in, this is one tough, gritty, fun group.
"We've got good vibes," KeShawn Murphy said. "I've even seen Coach Jans smiling a little, so it's a good locker room right now."
Starts like this year's will certainly do a lot to both boost morale and get eyeballs looking. Mississippi State heads to the Arizona Tipoff in Tempe for a pair of games boasting a perfect 5-0 record. The Bulldogs are now ranked as the No. 25 team in the country according to the latest Associated Press poll released on Monday.
It certainly appears as though the Bulldogs haven't just captured the attention of Wade. The country is seeing the exciting things happening in Starkville.
"It means you're doing something right, and people are taking notice," Jans said of being ranked. "Having some attention isn't a bad thing. Now we're going to find out if our guys can stay focused."
The lights are for sure about to get brighter for the Bulldogs as they'll take the floor with a number by their name for the first time this season when they face UNLV at 8:30 p.m. CT on Thanksgiving night. But if this season's first few games have taught us anything, it's that pressure has seemed to bring out the best in the Bulldogs.
In each of the last two games, State has faced double-digit first-half deficits. Both times, MSU simply put its head down, went to work and found a way to win. It says a lot about the makeup of this particular group.
"I really think it just goes back to how hard we practice every single day and how Coach Jans pushes us every single day," RJ Melendez said. "We just chip away and chip away every single minute. We know a lot of times [games] just come down to who is tougher, so we chip away and all do our jobs."
The Dawgs are resilient. They're motivated. They're unselfish and together, too.
Just check last game's box score to see that. Of State's 84 points against SMU, 54 of them came from the bench.
"Everybody has the same mentality," Murphy said. "We're ready when our number is called, and we know we have to maintain the same level of energy whether we're starting or coming off the bench."
Maybe the most promising thing of all though is how this seems to be a team that won't settle. They'll do all they can to improve. Case in point: rebounding.
It's an issue Jans brought up repeatedly over the course of the year's first two or three games. With no Tolu Smith III and Jimmy Bell Jr. on this year's roster, State often gives up some size in the post to opponents. Slowly but surely though, MSU is getting better at crashing the boards, as was apparent against SMU when the Bulldogs outrebounded the Mustangs and got 16 crucial offensive rebounds that resulted in 16 huge State points.
"That's been a big point for us in the last few weeks is just getting better at both ends of the floor rebounding the basketball," Jans said. "That's where the separators are. There are teams that are willing crashers and disciplined crashers to the glass. You want to be a team that will do the work on the ground and track the ball and have all five guys doing what they can to finish the possession.
"We feel like our first-shot defense will be plenty good enough in most games, but how are we going to do when the real possession starts when the ball is in the air? It's nice to see that we're getting better at it."
It's a long season for sure, but from the improvements, to the culture, to the winning, it's undeniable that this is how special campaigns begin. However, that means very little if those characteristics don't continue to carry over week to week and month to month. Or day to day for that matter.
So, the next step for Mississippi State? Enjoy Thanksgiving with a little side of more winning. That's something Jans wants to share with the Dawg family as well.
"I definitely want to wish all the Bulldogs out there a great Thanksgiving, and as you're in for your seconds and thirds, hopefully we'll have a bunch of people watching us on TV this week," Jans said.
All of State's action on Thursday and Friday out in Tempe will be televised by CBS Sports Network. After the UNLV game at 8:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, MSU will face either Butler or Northwestern at either 6 p.m. CT or 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday.
