Bulldogs, Bruins To Tangle In John R. Wooden Classic

STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Mississippi State has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2009 John R. Wooden Classic, the university announced on Thursday.

The Bulldogs will battle traditional powerhouse UCLA on Dec. 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., marking the second meeting between the two schools. They first met in the 1995 NCAA Tournament, with the Bruins claiming an 86-67 victory in Oakland, Calif.

This two-game, one-day event, now in its 16th season, also features Washington and a team to be announced to soon.

“No. 1, it’s very meaningful to be playing in a tournament with John Wooden’s name attached to it,” said 12th-year MSU coach Rick Stansbury, the school’s all-time winningest coach with 231 victories. “I think everyone understands the importance and prestige of his name. Second, this gives us a chance to play a high-caliber team from a BCS conference.”

The John R. Wooden Classic invitation is the second for the Mississippi State program. In 2004, the Bulldogs dropped a 68-64 decision to No. 20 Arizona. In that contest, Winsome Frazier paced MSU with 18 points, while Gary Ervin and Marcus Campbell poured in 10. The Wildcats were led by Channing Frye’s 18 points and his Wooden Classic record 16 rebounds.

“To come back for a second time and play against one of the better programs in the history of college basketball, especially against a team John Wooden used to coach, is special,” Stansbury said. “I know our players are really excited about this our opportunity, and our fans will be too.”

The Bulldogs posted a 23-13 ledger this past season en route to winning the SEC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the last eight years. MSU also returns five starters from that squad, including All-SEC standout forward Jarvis Varnado, who averaged 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds, while leading the nation with 170 blocked shots, an SEC single-season record.

The Bruins, who finished second in the Pac-10 standings behind the Huskies, went 26-9 and were ousted in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Villanova, 89-69.

John R. Wooden Classic Records

Individual Records

Most Points: 33 ? Lou Roe, Massachusetts, ’94: Rogers Washington, LSU ?96
Most Assists: 11 ? Jacque Vaughn, Kansas ?94
Most Rebounds: 16 ? Channing Frye, Arizona ?04
Most Steals: 6 ? Bennett Davison, Arizona ?96
Most Blocks: 11 ? Jelani McCoy, UCLA ?95
Most Three-point FGs: 5 ? Ezra Williams, Georgia ’02; Amit Tamir, Cal ’02; Mark Walters, New Mexico ?05

Team Records
Most Points: 93 ? Louisville ?96
Most Assists: 24 ? Kansas ?94
Most Rebounds: 50 ? UCLA ?95
Most Blocked Shots: 12 ? UCLA ?95
Most Steals: 13 ? Massachusetts ’94; Arizona ’96, Duke ?99
Most Three-point FGs: 9 ? Cal ?02
Most Turnovers Forced: 29 ? Maryland ?95

Mississippi State University Athletics

Bulldogs, Bruins To Tangle In John R. Wooden Classic