Bulldogs Host Defending National Champions in NIT Second Round
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State rebounded nicely from its devastating loss to 2nd-ranked Kentucky in the finals of the SEC Tournament by upending Jackson State in the opening round of the NIT on Tuesday.
Now, the rejuvenated and well-rested Bulldogs face another monumental task on Saturday when defending national champion North Carolina visits Humphrey Coliseum for the first time ever in an 11 a.m. showdown televised by ESPN.
It will mark the fifth meeting between the two, with the perennial power Tar Heels holding a 4-0 lead in a series that’s been on hiatus since 1965.
“They may be down from last year, but they still have seven McDonald’s All-Americans on their team,” 12th-year MSU coach Rick Stansbury said. “They’re going to be as good as anyone we’ve played.”
The Bulldogs, who sport a 24-11 ledger, are certainly no stranger to the Atlantic Coast Conference. They’ve played 11 of the 12 teams that currently comprise the league and are 30-40 in those games. The last time MSU played an ACC foe came during the 2008 campaign when it lost to Miami (64-58) and Clemson (84-82), both at Humphrey Coliseum.
The last ACC team the Bulldogs faced in the postseason was Florida State in the 2007 NIT quarterfinals, a home game they won 86-71 to advance to New York City. Prior to that, it was Duke in the second round of 2005 NCAA Tournament, won by Blue Devils, 63-55.
“They are capable of beating anyone anywhere,” Stansbury said. “Just the tradition of North Carolina should be respected. You know (Coach Roy) Williams’ teams are going to show up. They believe they are supposed to win.”
Carolina (17-16) is the first non-SEC team that’s won a national championship to visit Starkville. In fact, it’s the school’s first time to play in the state of Mississippi.
And while they weren’t able to defend their national championship in the NCAAs, the Tar Heels are anything but void of talent.
They are led by senior forward Deon Thompson’s 13.8 points and 6.3 boards, while sophomore guard Larry Drew is averaging 8.4 points and is second in the ACC with 6.0 assists per game.
The Bulldogs, who have won 8 of their last 12 games, are paced by senior All-SEC forward Jarvis Varnado at 13.8 points, while his 10.3 rebounds are tops in the SEC. Against Jackson State, he poured in 21 points to go along with his three blocks to give him 166 on the year, the second most in the nation.
Also in double-digit scoring are Ravern Johnson (13.2), Dee Bost (13.0) and Barry Stewart (11.6).
Johnson has drained a team-high 83 3-pointers, the fourth-most in the SEC and an effort that matches his total from a year ago. Bost has dished out 184 assists, second in the league behind SEC Player of the Year, John Wall.
After Saturday, the winner of this game will play either North Carolina State or UAB.
“For them to be coming here, it’s a pretty important thing,” Stansbury said of Saturday’s rare matchup. “We’ve got to make sure the Hump is packed.”
Now, the rejuvenated and well-rested Bulldogs face another monumental task on Saturday when defending national champion North Carolina visits Humphrey Coliseum for the first time ever in an 11 a.m. showdown televised by ESPN.
It will mark the fifth meeting between the two, with the perennial power Tar Heels holding a 4-0 lead in a series that’s been on hiatus since 1965.
“They may be down from last year, but they still have seven McDonald’s All-Americans on their team,” 12th-year MSU coach Rick Stansbury said. “They’re going to be as good as anyone we’ve played.”
The Bulldogs, who sport a 24-11 ledger, are certainly no stranger to the Atlantic Coast Conference. They’ve played 11 of the 12 teams that currently comprise the league and are 30-40 in those games. The last time MSU played an ACC foe came during the 2008 campaign when it lost to Miami (64-58) and Clemson (84-82), both at Humphrey Coliseum.
The last ACC team the Bulldogs faced in the postseason was Florida State in the 2007 NIT quarterfinals, a home game they won 86-71 to advance to New York City. Prior to that, it was Duke in the second round of 2005 NCAA Tournament, won by Blue Devils, 63-55.
“They are capable of beating anyone anywhere,” Stansbury said. “Just the tradition of North Carolina should be respected. You know (Coach Roy) Williams’ teams are going to show up. They believe they are supposed to win.”
Carolina (17-16) is the first non-SEC team that’s won a national championship to visit Starkville. In fact, it’s the school’s first time to play in the state of Mississippi.
And while they weren’t able to defend their national championship in the NCAAs, the Tar Heels are anything but void of talent.
They are led by senior forward Deon Thompson’s 13.8 points and 6.3 boards, while sophomore guard Larry Drew is averaging 8.4 points and is second in the ACC with 6.0 assists per game.
The Bulldogs, who have won 8 of their last 12 games, are paced by senior All-SEC forward Jarvis Varnado at 13.8 points, while his 10.3 rebounds are tops in the SEC. Against Jackson State, he poured in 21 points to go along with his three blocks to give him 166 on the year, the second most in the nation.
Also in double-digit scoring are Ravern Johnson (13.2), Dee Bost (13.0) and Barry Stewart (11.6).
Johnson has drained a team-high 83 3-pointers, the fourth-most in the SEC and an effort that matches his total from a year ago. Bost has dished out 184 assists, second in the league behind SEC Player of the Year, John Wall.
After Saturday, the winner of this game will play either North Carolina State or UAB.
“For them to be coming here, it’s a pretty important thing,” Stansbury said of Saturday’s rare matchup. “We’ve got to make sure the Hump is packed.”