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Showing posts with label Mississippi State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mississippi State. Show all posts
A 4-star running back/safety (scout.com and 247sports.com) from Itawamba Agricultural High School, Ashton Shumpert took some time to talk to me this afternoon. A big thanks to him for giving me some of that time (he's a pretty busy guy, ya know?).
(Photo courtesy of NEMS360.com)
While talking to Ashton, I had the feeling that I had caught him at just the right time to talk to him. I was right. Ashton has been hitting the gym HARD this summer. He's squatting 405 and benching 225 about 5 times. Everyone who knows anything about life knows that that hard work, will translate into a better product on the field. He thinks IAHS can surprise some people this fall. "I believe we can go as far as we want." Shumpert told me, "Everyone needs to play every down as hard as they can and everything will take care of itself."
On his college recruitment, Shumpert told me that "everybody is pretty much even, so it basically is wide open." Although its anyone's guess where he will end up, Shumpert did note that in-state schools Mississippi State and Ole Miss were pursuing him the hardest. I asked Ashton if he had grown up watching and pulling for either of those schools. Get this: Ashton Shumpert did not watch college football until he was a freshman in high school. That's the year that he told himself that if he worked hard enough, he could be a special football player. He also noted that his "special love for the game" is a major reason for his well-developed skills. Shumpert told me that he will most likely end up playing RB at the college level because of his ability to develop holes in the offensive line for himself as well as his ability to use moves that he uses in the second level of the defense. I also asked him about the Ole Miss recruiting tactic controversy (although I should point out, MSU isn't too far behind)and how that affects his attitude towards those schools. "It doesn't change it really."
Good-Win! Sports Blog- " I'm getting the feeling that you aren't going to set a timetable on your commitment, are you?" Ashton Shumpert- "No, I'm not. I'm going to ride it out as long as I can." G-W!SB- "Just trying to make the best decision?" AS: "Yeah. And have a little fun with it too. It's a great time."
Good luck to Ashton this fall with his senior year as well as his college recruitment (I'll wish him a good time too).
Any thoughts/comments/question? Thanks for reading!
If you'll notice the title, you'll read "The Final Draft". This might seem like a weird title to a blog post, but I'll point out that while yes it is rather unusual, it also connotes that there was a rough draft. So, that's what we will use when we refer to last year because, like on a rough draft, there were things I wish I could do better or even redo. Some might say: "I thought you did an excellent job with the blog last year!". To which I would say: "Thanks! I think I did too! I truly appreciate you reading my blog! But when I refer to things I wish I could redo, I mean things in my personal life." So without getting too personal, I will leave it at that. The way I was running the blog last year made me give up several things (one of which was this blog). So, this year is the redo. This year (and from then on) is the final copy. Things will be changed for the better. So enough with the regrets! The rest of this post will be dedicated to what will be done differently as well as new features on the blog (plus a request)
Towards the end of my writing (April and May), I started covering some recruiting that was not related to local sports. Honest time: I bit off more than I could chew. This year, I will try my best (no promises) to cover local (local is such a relative term) recruiting. I've learned my lesson. Leave the recruiting to Rivals.com, Scout.com, and 247sports.com. They're the pros.
This is important enough I'm giving it its own paragraph; take note. If you think you might possibly be interested in writing for the blog, please contact me. I would be more than happy to share this medium with anyone that wants to share their own opinion!I've even done it before!I'll even let you write about NASCAR (tongue-in-cheek). A big props to Andrew Toler (AKA tolernator) for stepping up and picking up the Ole Miss side of things here on the blog as well as the writing while I was on "vacation". And while none of us here are particular USM fans, we would be more than happy to welcome anyone who would like to pick that up!
Now.... Here's what's going on with the blog!
Madison Central
This is one area of the blog that I would really like to expand. Any students that would like to provide some perspective here are more than welcome! Last year we only covered football, which is disappointing because Madison Central had a lot of excellent athletic teams! Fast pitch softball won a state championship! Boy's basketball made the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Boys and Girls soccer both had great seasons that extended into the postseason. Boys track and fieldwon a state championship! Baseball went all the way to the state championship series! Last year was a great year to be a Jag! So help us cover some Jaguar sports!
What we're keeping: Well there isn't much to keep (we didn't do too much). We will definitely continue to do scouting reports on upcoming opponents!
What's new? We'll try our best to follow even more MC sports next year! Look for analysis after games with quotes from players and notes from us! Also look for player updates (reports written by players to help keep people in the know)!
What we're keeping: I'm going to continue to try to find Mississippi State recruits that will open up to the blog. I'll continue to search through the numbers to find the true story.
What's new? Not much in this category. If any opportunities arise, I'll see where it takes me and then reevaluate.
What we're keeping: Like i said before, not too much to keep.
What's new? What's not new? Look for Andrews new (insert amount of time)ly Rebel Report (the name was my idea). He'll talk about Ole Miss athletics and knowing him, there is nothing that he won't talk about when it comes to Ole Miss (He threatened me with Ole Miss tennis once). I think he will probably want to cover a tad of Ole Miss recruiting too.
Lastly, this may sound like a lot of new stuff. It's not. All I did was use big letters and fancy colors. Sure, there is some new stuff, but not a ton. We will try our best to keep the blog updated, but in the words of the all time winning-est coach in Mississippi State basketball history, "It is what it is."
Any thoughts/comments/questions? Thanks for reading!
Jake Thomas is a 4 star Offensive Tackle (scout.com) from Columbus, Mississippi. Below you'll find nearly everything you need to know about his recruitment.
Last updated: 5/9/12
Top Schools-
Alabama (Scholarship offered/Stoutland)
University of Mississippi (No scholarship offered/Luke)
Mississippi State (Scholarship offered/Hevesy)
Southern Miss (Scholarship offered/Unknown)
Jake has no current "favorites", but has spent the most time at MSU and Alabama.
Main Recruiting Factors:
- Good academics
- Good athletics program
- Comfort factor
- Distance NOT a major factor
Jake has been nominated for the Army All American bowl. (5/9/11)
Jacoby Davis is a MSU basketball signee from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is currently attending school at West Charlotte High School.
Good-Win! Sports Blog-Jacoby, thanks for talking with us. Tell us about yourself.
Jacoby Davis, Jr.- I'm a family guy. I'm really close with my father. I love being in the gym. I'm really a funny person. I love meeting new people everyday and I'm a kid that's just striving to reach many goals in life.
G-W!SB- What can you bring to the MSU program?
JDJ- Hardworking, leadership, scoring when needed and just being that general on the floor to control the games. Plus being the best defender at all times.
G-W!SB- Tell us about your recruitment (other schools, besides MSU, and what they did to recruit you, etc. )
JDJ- My recruitment was everywhere. Meaning mid-majors and high-majors such as Western Kentucky, Hofstra, Jacksonville, Houston, Seton Hall, South Carolina, and Southern Cal.
G-W!SB- When did MSU come into the picture?
JDJ- Honestly about a week when coach ray got the job.
G-W!SB- What recruiting pitch(es) did MSU win you on?
JDJ- The Facilities and the fans actually knowing who I was when I came on campus.
G-W!SB- Can you talk about what you feel this program can achieve over the next 4 years?
JDJ- I think in the next 4 years it will be in at least 4 NCAA tourneys and have a couple SEC titles
G-W!SB- That's pretty ambitious. What reasons make you think your team can achieve a feat like that?
JDJ- We are hard workers and have a great coaching staff who are leading us in a great direction.
G-W!SB- When did you know you were going to sign with MSU? Was there a specific event?
JDJ- No. Just went with my gut and praying to God to help me make the best decision for me and my family.
G-W!SB-Well, I wish you the best of luck, Jacoby. Thanks for your time!
JDJ- Your welcome!
Thanks to Jacoby for his time and we wish him the best at MSU!
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Price High School (CA) Point Guard Trey Dickerson sat down with the Good-Win! Sports Blog to discuss his past, present, and future basketball career.
I HIGHLY recommend that you watch this video. However, if you don't have time here are the highlights.
Good-Win! Sports Blog- Give us your top 5 school choices. Trey Dickerson- Mississippi State, Duquesne University, Hofstra University, Quinnipiac University, and Southern Cal.
G-W!SB- I'm putting you on the spot here. If you had to, rank those schools you mentioned earlier. TP- 1. Mississippi State 2. Hofstra 3. Duquesne 4. Quinnipiac University 5. Southern Cal
G-W!SB- Can we talk to you again maybe? Keep up with your recruitment? TD- Sure! Let's talk in about a week or so!
Thanks again to Trey for talking to me! He's an awesome guy and I'm really looking forward to talking to him again. Here is him dunking (He's 6'1".)
As you all know, two new teams were added to the SEC starting in the 2012 football season. With the conference realignment, I think it would be a fun idea to do a little mascot realignment, if you catch my drift.
I just want to start off with a little introduction. My name is Andrew, and I will be helping out my man Will. Keep reading our blog.
Let's start with the West. In no particular order.
1. Alabama, formerly know as the Crimson Tide.
New mascot: Thundering Elephant Herd.
I know this is jipping a certain C-USA team. But seriously, C-USA? No one cares about their mascots anyway. And Alabama has been long overdue for a mascot change. Crimson Tide? What does that have to do with elephants?
2. Arkansas, formerly known as the Razorbacks.
New mascot: The Ones That Never Catch A Break.
Darren McFadden never won the Heisman, and they have only been selected for 1 BCS bowl regardless of their recently high rankings. And then when they actually get a decent coach, he has to mess things up for them. Really Bobby? Really?
3. Auburn. Formerly known as the Tigers.
New mascot: Plainclothesmen.
For all of you familiar with college football locales, particularly in the great state of Alabama, it is known that Auburn University is located in the region of the state called "the plains". But don't think there's anything plain about the state of Alabama. They have the last 3 BCS championships.
4. LSU, formerly know as the Tigers.
Too many tigers. WAY too many tigers. And bulldogs. But we'll get to that later.
New mascot: Ragin' Cajuns.
Sorry. Had to steal another mascot. Sorry to that little Sunbelt team in south Louisiana, but this mascot fits those corndog-eating, beer-watergun-shooting "fans" better than any other.
P.S. I don't like LSU.
5. Ole Miss, formerly know as the Rebels.
This was an easy one, seeing as this is the team closest to my heart, which all you readers will definitely realize as I begin to write.
New mascot: Flood.
Jackson, Mississippi, Easter 1979. One of the worst floods the mighty Pearl river has ever produced. Yeah, it messed a lot of stuff up, which is something the Ole Miss frat boys have been doing a lot of lately to get that atrocious excuse for a football season off their minds.
6. Mississippi State, formerly know as the Bulldogs.
Again, too many bulldogs.
New mascot: Turf Managers or the Fighting Les Miles'.
As most people know, MSU has an excellent agriculture school and they pride themselves on that green glory they call grass. It's a perfect fit.
Hey guys, this has just been a little taste of what's in store for ya. Check back later this weekend for the unveiling of the new mascots for the East!
Josh Gray is a MSU signee, who is asking for a release of his letter of intent. Josh attends school at Phillis Wheatly High School in Houston, Texas.
Good-Win! Sports Blog-
First off Josh, thank you for taking some time to be interviewed. My first question: What makes your game so much different and sets you apart from competition?
Josh Gray-
Because I'm dangerous!! I'm kinda hard to guard because if you guard me up close, I'm to fast, quick, & explosive I'll blow right past you and if you step back I can knock down the jumper from anywhere on the court...So how can you guard that?
G-W!SB-
I'll be straight up with you, I couldn't. Great answer. I can't help but notice that great confidence in you. Who instilled that in you?
JG-
My work ethics but I'd be wrong if I took ALL the credit for it. I can honestly say my personal trainer Marcus King & my mentor John Lucas helped me out a lot. They have put & are still putting lots of time in with me to get my game right.
G-W!SB-
John Lucas is one smart man. Can you tell me some about you're relationship with the other signees?
JG-
Don't really know any(one) but big Gavin (Ware) & P.J. (Hardwick).
G-W!SB-
PJ is a great guy from what I can tell. Man, I gotta know. During this entire process at MSU (from being recruited up until this point), can you take me through the highs and lows of being recruited/signing with MSU?
JG-
It's been a rough, long, stressing, fun experience and process!
G-W!SB-
I heard that you talked to Coach Ray. Can I get your honest first impression of him?
JG-
Yes I did ...He's a great guy who has a lot of good things to bring to the table. He loves the game. Give him a year or 2, he'll turn the program around, at least that's what I think.
G-W!SB-
I read the other day, that you were disappointed in the way some Mississippi State fans were acting. If you could tell them anything, what would you say?
JG-
Dear Mississippi state fans,
I hope all of y'all enjoyed the game tonight (national championship game). I just want to take this time out to thank y'all for all the support. Y'all are the best fans ever, and I couldn't ask for any other fans. Throughout my recruiting process with state, it's been kinda rough with me decommiting & recommitting, but y'all still stuck with me & that what makes y'all great. I talked with coach ray last night and from my first impression, he's a great man with alot to bring to the table. Y'all are going to love him. So if I do decide to stay with state, get ready to hop on the unstoppable train. But if I don't, remember coach ray is a great man. He'll take care of MSU with me or without me. Y'all have to understand it was hard for me to take the retirement of coach Rick because I committed myself to him, his staff, & his program and he just up and left. (wow). From a point guard's standpoint, its very important to have a great relationship with a head coach and that's what me & Rick had. It's hard for me to still come to state with a whole new coaching staff that I don't know at all or know anything about. I'm still trying to get to know them, but it seems like I'm running out of time for what I'm trying to do and that's to go to school in July for summer school. Well goodnight everyone, I'm praying & asking god to guide me through this and y'all do the same thing. Follow me on twitter for updates (@ThatsJoshGray), thanks and #hailstate
G-W!SB-
Good stuff man I appreciate you talking to me.
JG-
My pleasure.
__________________________________
Thanks again to Josh for taking some time to let me interview him. I wish him the best wherever he plays ball (you should too)
P.J. Hardwick is a Mississippi State signee attending school at the Christian Life Center Academy (Miami, FL). Below, he talks with me about his recruiting process, Mississippi State, the former MSU coaching staff and more.
Good-Win! Sports Blog- P.J., first let me thank you for taking some time to talk to me. You just recently signed with MSU, can you tell me about you're experience being recruited? P.J. Hardwick- It was a great experience and it was actually a long process. It has its ups and downs, but I'm glad to be a Bulldawg.
G-W!SB- So were you always a Bulldog? Or were there any other schools in the mix? PJH- Plenty of schools were in the mix, but I narrowed it down to my main three and made a decision. MSU, South Florida, and Texas A&M.
G-W!SB- What was the biggest factor in your decision to pick MSU? PJH- I picked MSU because it was a family atmosphere, coaches were loyal and honest and I would have a opportunity to start as a freshman. The SEC is also a great conference for exposure.
G-W!SB- I'll get back to the exposure thing, but I have a question a lot of people would like to hear you answer. How did you feel when you heard that Coach Stansbury had resigned? And did it make you rethink your signing with MSU? PJH- I was shocked! Coach Stansbury and Coach Grant recruited me. And yes, it did make me rethink some more, but I'm a pretty loyal guy. I haven't heard from Coach Ray, but I plan to ASAP. Then I will make my final decision. (Note: PJ told me later that night that he spoke with Coach Ray.)
G-W!SB- Hmmm... That's interesting. You would think that Coach Ray would have contacted his possible starting point guard for next year. Especially if Josh Gray doesn't go to state next year. Speaking of Josh Gray, how close are you to the other signees? PJH- I don't know (the other signees) personally, I just know them. But I am close with Josh (Gray).
G-W!SB- Did you watch or hear Coach Ray in his press conference? PJH- I was working out, but my dad told me about it. I heard he said some positive things.
G-W!SB- He said he didn't know how to lose. You don't know how to lose either, right? PJH- I'm a winner and a natural born leader. Even now I'm about to go workout.
(At this point in the interview Hardwick stopped to go workout. Everything prior to this was around 5 pm on 4/2/12. We resumed later at around 7 pm later that day.)
G-W!SB- You're close to Josh Gray, can you tell me what's probably going through his mind right now? PJH- I'm not sure.
G-W!SB- That's okay. Earlier in this conversation, you said that the SEC was a great conference for exposure. With that kind of exposure, what does the world learn about P.J. Hardwick as a player next year? PJH- The world will know the name P.J. Hardwick this time next year. Mark my words. Not only one of the best point guards in the conference, but in the country!
G-W!SB- Let's say with that excellent exposure you get drafted into the NBA. If you could pick a team to play for, who would it be and why? PJH- Miami Heat because thats where I'm from.
G-W!SB- Yeah, I should have seen that one coming. Okay, two more quick questions.
1) You think we can do this again about this time next year? I want to hold you to your prediction. PJH- Sure we can. I like to help others.
G-W!SB- Okay one more.
2) You gonna follow your boy here on twitter? PJH- Haha I'll see what I can do.
G-W!SB- Okay P.J., I look forward to talking to you next year. Thanks for all your time! PJH- No problem, my man! God bless.
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On a personal note, I would like to once again thank P.J. for his time. P.J. was truly a nice guy and made me feel like he sincerely appreciated my questions. I wish him the best wherever he ends up playing basketball.
Forward: I promise you that I was so close to naming this piece: "Old Dogs Learn New Rick". So close.
Mississippi State Athletic Director Scott Stricklin was expected to name a new head coach for the men's basketball team sometime this week, but it wasn't expected to be another guy named Rick. Former Clemson assistant coach Rick Ray was announced as the next head coach of Mississippi State's men's basketball team via Twitter by Scott Stricklin. To say the least, Rick Ray's name was not discussed by the media or fans as an expected candidate for the job. But here's the question most people are asking: What did Scott Stricklin see in Rick Ray to name him the next men's head coach at Mississippi State? Here's what I think Stricklin saw.
Note: Everything anyone says at this point, except for facts (i.e. Rick Ray is the next men's basketball coach at MSU) is speculation. And don't let anyone else make you believe any differently.
1. A Fresh Face- Personally, I don't think you can underestimate this factor. Most of the MSU fan base felt like it was time for a change, and the best way to do that was to hire someone "unexpected". I'm not sure I disagree with Stricklin. It has been 30 years since Mississippi State has had a coach from outside of the program (Bob Boyd from the University of Southern California).
2. Someone Respected in the College Basketball Community- I will admit that I had never heard the name Rick Ray until today at about 5:15 pm. But after reading some of the comments that were made tonight by fellow coaches, I will admit that I am impressed. Tennessee head coach believed that "MSU did its homework and reached out to a qualified coach". Purdue head coach Matt Painter, under whom Ray coached for 4 years at Purdue, said of Ray, "Rick Ray is a tireless worker and a fierce competitor." It goes further than that. All-American Robbie Hummel said that coach Ray will "do a great job at Mississippi State". These people are just a few examples of the people that regard Ray highly.
3. A Good Recruiter- Not to be confused with "The Recruiter (AKA Rick Stansbury)". At Purdue, Ray brought in the best recruiting class in school history. Ray helped bring one of the top recruiting classes in 2007, boasting none other than Robbie Hummel.
4. A X's and O's Coach- Personally, I don't believe that Rick Stansbury wasn't a good X's and O's coach. However, it was a common complaint. Here's what current Clemson coach had to say about Ray, "He's an extremely talented guy, a very hard worker, and a really good basketball coach. X's and O's are at a very high level. He knows how to coach the game."
But perhaps the most important thing that Stricklin saw in Ray was something was something that, oddly enough, was something that was not present.
5. "Rick fits the model of head coach we have sought to bring into our program over the last several years"- After reading all of the press release that Mississippi State released this afternoon, the statement above, written by Scott Stricklin, caught my attention. In my interpretation, Stricklin is saying that Ray fits the model for the type of coach he wants at Mississippi State, which apparently Stansbury didn't fit. It's possible that Ray did not have some of the characteristics that other candidates had. (Not really sure what that is at this point though.)
But, like I said, all of this is speculation. But this is not speculation in my mind: Scott Stricklin got his man. Let's see if Ray can get his first win today at the press conference. That would be a start.
In the wake of a 3 game losing streak, MSU fans are screaming like an angry mob for Scott Stricklin to fire Rick Stansbury. 3 losses to totally inferior teams can do that to a fan base. But I'm suggesting a radical idea: let's sit down and use our brains before we make a decision that affects someone's life. Let's decide using facts and statistics how Mississippi State's coach's success compares to "better coaches" as well as other schools in a similar situation.
1. Let's play a game. Let's compare the first 13 season's of 5 current coaches.
You will need: pen and paper.
John Calipari
John Calhoun
Kevin Stallings
Billy Donovan
Rick Stansbury
Here are the coaches to the resumes above.
Coach #1: John Calipari
Coach #2: Billy Donovan
Coach #3: Rick Stansbury
Coach #4: John Calhoun
Coach #5: Kevin Stallings.
Compare your two lists. Are they the same? Probably not.
You see, no matter how your list's compared, you will see that Rick Stansbury is in fine company in his first 13 seasons as a head coach.
2. Here are the top 6 basketball conferences in America (according to ESPN)
1.Big East
2. Big Ten
3. Big 12
4. SEC
5. ACC
6. Pac- 12
MSU has done better in the Stansbury era than most of the schools in these "power conferences". But here is what he's done it with. MSU has a $35.9 million athletic budget, the smallest in the SEC. However, Stansbury has consistently finished in the top 4 of the SEC standings.
Now let's compare the smallest athletic budgets of the other "power conferences" and their basketball success to that of MSU's. (Note: Not all schools, especially private schools, report their athletic budget)
Big East- South Florida (a all-sport member) has a $37.8 million athletic budget. They have had some success recently, but nothing comparable to what Stansbury has done. They have not finished in the top half of the Big East, much less the top 4 in the conference. They have only made 2 NCAA tournament appearances.
Big 10- Purdue has a $57.6 million athletic budget. Purdue has been an excellent team recently, consistently making the NCAA tournament, being ranked in the top 25, and winning games against good opponents.
Big 12- Iowa State (another team experiencing new found success) has an athletic budget of $42.3 million dollars. They haven't had a good team since the Larry Eustachy years (Elite Eight in '00)
ACC- NC State has an athletic budget of $49.5 million dollars. For the past 4-5 years, NC State has had similar success to MSU; however, they have not made an NCAA tournament since '06.
Pac-12- Utah is the only team from a power conference that has a smaller athletic budget than MSU ($29.7 million). Utah has had good success in basketball, but not near as much MSU in the Stansbury era.
Facts: In the past 13 years
MSU was better than South Florida
Purdue was better than Mississippi State. But they have a athletic budget nearly 1.5x MSU's.
MSU was better than Iowa State.
MSU was better than Utah.
Now MSU fans can you see how your coach compares to other schools in similar positions in other conferences. What Rick Stansbury has done at MSU is nothing short of amazing. Now we will finish our investigation of whether or not MSU should keep Rick Stansbury. This is the fun part for MSU fans. Let's see what the other aforementioned coach's did in the rest of their careers (so far).
John Calipari-
493 wins- 153 losses
.763 winning percentage
13 NCAA tournament appearances
2 NCAA Final 4 appearances
Billy Donovan-
416 wins –173 losses
.706 winning percentage
11 NCAA tournament appearances
2 NCAA tournament championships (coincidentally he won one in his 14th season)
You can clearly see what these other coaches have done AFTER their 13th year. And after all, very few coaches make it 13 years in coaching anyway. In my opinion, the question MSU fans SHOULD be asking is "Can we afford NOT to continue on this road with Stansbury?"
It's true that Mississippi State has lost to "bad" opponents recently. It's also true that Mississippi State seems to underachieve at times during the season. If these things are true, then you must also accept the fact that Stansbury has had an unpreciedented amount of success at Mississippi State. These are all facts and therefore true. And when you have the power to affect someone's future, you MUST make decisions based upon fact.
1. Basketball in Mississippi can just be abysmal sometimes. Now would be about that time.
MSU has dropped 2 straight to completely inferior teams. Why? Well in my opinion, they are simply tired. For a good stretch, they played a 7- man rotation.
I am writing this during the skull dragging that is the Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss game. Vandy is up 23, but that is close considering how bad it was earlier in the game.
Southern Miss is still having a very solid season, but just suffered a loss at the hands of a horrendous UAB team.
2. Baseball season starts tomorrow!!!!!!
Ole Miss opens up in Ft. Worth, TX against a consensus preseason top-15 team in TCU. Mississippi State opens up with a Washington State team trying to regain momentum. USM opens up against a paltry Nicholls State in Hattiesburg. All 3 teams have a great chance at making it to the postseason this year.
3. It's official. I'm Linsane. Jeremy Lin has emerged as the best story in the NBA since the 3- point line. He has brought the New York Knicks back to a .500 record but more importantly revamped a bored fan base. Here's the good part: Carmelo Anthony isn't even playing with the team yet (due to a injury). How Carmelo is going to fit Lin (See what I did there?)with this new dynamic surrounding the team is going to be very interesting to watch. Carmelo just doesn't seem like the type to give away the spotlight and be happy about it. Hopefully 'Melo realizes the ultimate truth: America is Linfected with Linsanity. (+10 points for me)
Any thoughts/ comments/ questions? Thanks for reading!
Is has been a great weekend in sports. And do you know what is the best part about it? IT'S NOT OVER YET!
1. Super Bowl. That's all I need to say. Here's what I think. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense might be too much for the Giants Secondary (there are no pro-browlers in it.) If there is any reason for the Giants to win, it's probably the best one: their super hot.
Patriots 38, Giants 35.
2. A great day of college basketball. State played a close one with Auburn and pulled it out. MSU was smoking from behind the three point line. In my opinion, the only reason that Auburn was in this game was simple. They shot 31 free throws.
I did not get to watch the entire Ole Miss game. The 2 overtime periods (which I watched) were interesting to say the least. As has become a pattern of late, Ole Miss found a way to lose. Ole Miss is so close to winning big, it's not funny. Andy Kennedy is a good coach and UM should keep him.
Southern Miss is better than I expected. With a big time win against Memphis, the golden eagles are demanding some national attention. In my opinion, this could be a top-25 team.
This could be the first time in a long time (or ever) that all of Mississippi's big 3 schools make it too the big dance.
3. In a few weeks, baseball season starts. Man I'm super excited. All of the "big 3" in Mississippi brought in excellent recruiting classes. Southern Miss has a very good chance of wining the C-USA championship. MSU and Ole Miss's chances of winning a SEC championship? Eh... Not so much. The SEC is straight-up loaded.
4, Shout out to the Madison Central boys and girls soccer teams and the boys basketball team. Both soccer teams had great seasons, just coming up short in the playoffs. The boys basketball team has had more success than in recent memory. They won district for the first time since I can remember. But I haven't kept up with it either, so take that for what it's worth.
Any comments/ questions/ thoughts? Thanks for reading!
1. I know that polls mean nothing, but I personally don't think Mississippi State will fall in the polls this week. That Vanderbilt win was HUGE. Speaking of polls, we will have a new number 1. And in my opinion, that team should (and will) be Kentucky.
2. Ole Miss pulled out an awesome win at Georgia today. They played very well and continued to play solid basketball for the second straight game. It looks like to me that Andy Kennedy is doing his best coaching under pressure.
3. A crazy day for the top 10 in college basketball. #1 Syracuse fell to Notre Dame without major player Fab Melo (all-name team, right?) #3 Baylor lost at home to #5 Missouri in a close game #4 Duke broke a 45- game home winning streak on a last second shot to Florida State.
4. My picks for this weekend:
Baltimore (35%) @ New England (65%)- New England's offense will just be too much for Baltimore's Offense to keep up with.
New York Giants (55%) @ San Francisco 49's (45%)- This is the most intriguing match up of this weekend. My gut just tells me that Eli will be clutch this weekend.
Any thoughts/ comments/ questions? Thanks for reading!
It's been a rather exciting weekend in sports. Let's get to talking about it.
1. The Saints lost to the 49's this past Saturday. It was exciting game. Congrats to the Niners and their fans. It's been a while since they've won at all. The Saints had a record-breaking season and it was a success if you ask me.
2. Tebow-Mania is over (at least for this year). Does anyone else think that Tim has made this season very memorable? He is a great story and I can't wait to pull for him next year.
3. Eli and the Giants knocked off the top seeded Packers today. Does it seem like 2008 again? I personally like the Giants to win it all now.
4. College Basketball in the state of Mississippi. Ole Miss lost to Auburn(@ AU) in 2OT by 1 point. Yes, you heard that right. Ole Miss lost to Auburn. Mississippi State beat Alabama in a close one at the Hump. I think this win will help the bulldogs in the long run. With all of that said, boy am I looking forward to this Wednesday. Mississippi State @ Ole Miss. It ought to be a good game. Look for the Rebs to press the dogs in the backcourt. And look for MSU to get the ball inside to Moultrie for easy points ( UM can't hang with the MSU frontcourt).
Any thoughts/comments/questions? Thanks for reading!
The non-conference basketball season is over (for the SEC at least), with a few exceptions. And before I actually start the "real" preview, let's recap what has happened to this point for each team.
SEC STANDINGS (I've put them into categories)
TOP TIER
1. Kentucky (14-1, #2 AP)- Kentucky. That's about all you need to know about this team. They look like Kentucky. They play like Kentucky. They win like Kentucky. Their only loss came this buzzer beater to now #12 Indiana. Other than that, they have just taken care of business.
2. Mississippi State (13-2, #15 AP)- A surprise team to most, Mississippi State has had some quality wins (Texas A&M, Arizona, West Virginia) and a (semi?) disappointing loss to Akron.
3. Florida (12-3, #13 AP)- Florida has had a great non-conference season, adding some good resume-building wins(Arizona, Texas A&M). Their three loses were all (mostly) understandable (@ then #3 Syracuse, @ then #3 Ohio State, and 2OT to Rutgers).
4. Alabama (11-3, received 1 vote in AP poll)- If you want to see a team that was over-hyped in the preseason, take a good look at Alabama. They were ranked as high as 12th. They lost to now #9 Georgetown, and seemingly started an uncontrollable spiral downward (3 losses in 4 games). They now seem to have that under control.
MEDIOCRE AND/OR UNDERACHIEVING
4. Arkansas (11-3)- This team has played a rather soft- preseason schedule. They were not expected to win any of their 3 losses (Houston, then #10 UCONN, Oklahoma). They have lost team-leaders PF Marshawn Powell to injury and Rotnei Clarke to transferring to Butler.
5. Auburn (10-4)- Auburn is mediocre and overachieving. Losses include Seton Hall, (a good) Long Beach State University, UTEP (UGLY!!!), and a 29 point loss to Florida State. Notable Wins: South Florida, Hawaii (Do those even count?).
5. LSU (10-4)- An all-around inconsistent team. I can't decide if they're on the rise or if they just get lucky every now and then. Losses: Coastal Carolina, Northwestern, University of South Alabama in OT, then #23 Virginia. Good Wins: then #10 Marquette.
5. Ole Miss (10-4)- Just a plain, old mediocre team. With losses to then #19 Marquette, Southern Miss, Middle Tenn. State University, and Dayton, it is not going to get any easier to win for Ole Miss now. As of today, Ole Miss's leading scorer Dundrecous(sp?) Nelson was booted from the team for, as he stated under oath, "unlawfully and willfully used paraphernalia to ingest or inhale a controlled substance." Notable wins include: Miami, Penn State, TCU.
5. Vanderbilt (10-4)- If you want to see another over-hyped team, look no further than Vandy. A consensus top-10 basketball team in the preseason. Losses: Cleveland State, then #11 Xavier, then #6 Louisville, Indiana State Sycamores (yes, they are the sycamores). Wins: BLOWOUT @ then #13 Marquette.
THOSE EASTERN TEAMS THAT WILL BE LUCKY TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING
6. Georgia (9-5)- Inconsistent. Notable Wins: Notre Dame, USC. Losses: then #18 CAL, then #12 Xavier, Colorado, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech
7. South Carolina (8-6) Even more inconsistent than Georgia. Bad losses, but hung with then #2 Ohio State until after halftime. Notable Wins: Clemson. Losses: then #1 UNC, USC, Providence, then #2 Ohio State, Elon, Tennessee State(!!!!!!!!).
8. Tennessee (7-7)- Just bad. Dealing with the NCAA doesn't help either. Notable Wins: none. Losses: then #6 Duke, then #8 Memphis, Oakland, then #17 Pittsburgh, Austin Peay, College of Charleston. It may be a long year for the Vol faithful.
PREVIEW
Well now that our recap is complete, I'm gonna preview the SEC season. Complete with best and worst case scenarios, NCAA tournament and NIT chances, and my Pre-SEC season- ALL SEC- Team.
1. Kentucky. This is not a hard choice. Easily the most talent in the SEC.
Best Case Scenario: 16-0. Hey, it could happen.
Worst Case Scenario: 12-4. Are there even 4 teams in the SEC that could hang with Kentucky?
NCAA TOURNAMENT? Yes, 1 seed. 2 seed at worst.
2. Mississippi State. One reason I have MSU over Florida is the easier schedule. The second reason wears jersey #3.
Best Case Scenario: 13-3. MSU will drop some close ones and maybe one they aren't supposed to.
Worst Case Scenario: 9-7. Another late-season collapse leads to a disappointing season.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? Yes, anywhere from a 3 seed to a 7 seed.
3. Florida. Just continues to be a solid basketball team under Billy Donovan.
Best Case Scenario: 14-2. All wins except two close ones to either Kentucky, Mississippi State, Vandy, Alabama
Worst Case Scenario: 8-8. An injury to Kenny Boynton would kill UF.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? Yes, 3 seed to a 9 seed.
4. Alabama- Will hopefully improve since the non-conference schedule.
Best Case Scenario: 13-3. This Alabama team is known to play great defense. If they get hot... LOOK OUT!
Worse Case Scenario: 8-8. A lack of effort can become contagious on a team.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? On the bubble, could be anywhere from a 8 seed to a 13 seed
NIT? If they don't get an NCAA berth, look for Alabama to host a NIT region.
5. Vandy- I think they will get better.
Best Case Scenario: 12-4. They basically return all the key clogs from an excellent team last year.
Worst Case Scenario: 8-8. Ezeli could get reinjured. That would be very bad.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? On the bubble, Vandy as a 9 seed is very possible. Heck, Vandy as a 7 seed is very possible.
NIT? Well if they don't make the NCAA, look for Vandy to host.
6. Arkansas. We're gettin' on down the list.
Best Case Scenario:11-5. They play a very potent full-court defense. They could get hot.
Worst Case Scenario: 7-9. Injuries could stack up on a team that already only plays 9 scholarship players.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? If they make a run in the SEC season and go fairly deep in the SEC tourney, they could be anywhere from a 10 seed to a 13 seed.
NIT? Very likely.
7. LSU. A team that has definitely improved from last season.
Best Case Scenario: 10-6. Trent Johnson could finally wake the sleeping Tigers.
Worst Case Scenario: 6-10. Another LSU basketball season.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? Probably not, but if they make a (unlikely) run in the SEC tourney, it IS possible.
NIT? Extremely likely.
8. Ole Miss. Andy Kennedy will probably be on the hot seat by the end of the season.
Best Case Scenario: 11-5. Jelan Kendrick could step and be the star he's capable of being.
Worst Case Scenario: 6-10. Lack of depth could hurt the Rebs.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? Probably not, they would probably have to win the SEC tourney to grasp a 12 seed.
NIT? Almost definitely.
9. Georgia. They have a tough schedule.
Best Case Scenario: 10-6. They could get lucky. That's all I've got.
Worst Case Scenario: 4-12. Like I said, they have a tough schedule. Kentucky X2, Florida X2, MSU, Vandy X2
NCAA TOURNAMENT? No.
NIT? Probably.
10. Auburn. Just a inconsistent team.
Best Case Scenario: 9-7. They could win most of their home games and maybe two or three more.
Worst Case Scenario: 4-12. It's Auburn basketball.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? No.
NIT? Maybe. I'm leaning towards no.
11. Tennessee. The only thing that separates UT from South Carolina is the talent level.
Best Case Scenario: 10-6. They DO have talent. Just some poor coaching.
Worst Case Scenario: 4-12. Bad coaching. It happens.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? No.
NIT? Maybe. They would have a better chance of making it than Auburn just for their namesake.
12.South Carolina. Just bad. Just really, really bad.
Best Case Scenario: 8-8. They could win the easy ones.
Worst Case Scenario: 2-14. Now THAT would be bad. Like fire your coach midseason bad.
NCAA TOURNAMENT? No.
NIT? Nothing is impossible.
Pre-SEC season-ALL SEC-Team
PG: Dee Bost, Mississippi State
SG: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
SF: Doron Lamb, Kentucky
PF: Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State
C: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Any comments/ thoughts/ questions? Thanks for reading!
This Friday, Mississippi State will play Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN. Many have marked Mississippi State's season a disappointment. Mississippi State started the year ranked top 20 in most polls. Injuries on the offensive line and close games have lead the Bulldogs to a 6-6 season. And while, yes, it was a disappointing season, most everyone will tell you that reaching this bowl game was a rather large step for MSU in the long run. This marks only the 4th time in school history that the Bulldogs have reached back-to-back bowl games and the first time since the 2000 season.
The Bulldog's opponent, Wake Forest (6-6), is in the process of getting back on top. The Demon Deacons received a BCS-bowl bid in 2006. They lost in the Orange Bowl to Louisville 26-14. This is the Demon Deacons first bowl bid since the 2008 season.
Mississippi State has been somewhat of a mystery this season with performances that range from a dominant victory against Ole Miss to a blowout loss to Arkansas.However, Wake Forest has played fairly consistent this season. With a win against ranked (at the time) Florida State and a near win against BCS-bound Clemson. Both of these teams will be looking to claim a winning season.
Wake Forest plays a unique style of a 3-4 defense. This defense has many different schemes and blitzes. Look for Miss. State to take advantage of linebacker-wide receiver mismatches during this game. Screen passes and quick throws will neutralize this blitz-happy defense.
On offense,Wake Forest will use an air attack that the Bulldogs haven't seen since Arkansas (and that didn't turn out too well for MSU). Lead by Tanner Price ( 2803 yards, 20 TDs, 6 INTs), WF will test Mississippi State deep through the air early and often . And MSU better keep an eye on WR Chris Givens, a Mississippi native who is having a very special season ( 1276 yards, 74 receptions, 9 TDs).
With all of that said, let's look at my keys to this game.
Wake Forest's Keys to the Game
Test the MSU secondary DEEP early and often.
Get the passing game going early, and it will open up the ground game.
Blitz Bulldog quarterbacks Chris Relf and Tyler Russell and force them to make costly mistakes.
Mississippi State's Keys to the Game
Take advantage of any Linebacker-WR mismatches.
Use screen passes and quick throws to slow down WF's Defense
Play assignment football on defense. Lock down the passing game and WF won't be able to do much on offense.
Run the ball down hill at the defense. WF is a speedy team. Don't go around them, go through them.
Prediction: I just pointed out what each team will have to do to win this game. I think it will be easier for MSU to beat WF for one reason: They have a team that is battle-tested because they have already played the best teams in the nation. One of those top teams (Arkansas), thrashed the dogs. If WF can match Arkansas's offensive firepower, it could be a long day for MSU. Not Happening. MSU 41, WF 24.
This coming Saturday night, a championship game will be played in the state of Mississippi. And while this game won't decide national or even conference championships, it WILL decide who gets bragging rights for the next 366 days. The 107th meeting between Ole Miss and MSU will take place in Starkville . The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU at 6 p.m. The are several story lines going into Saturday night's game. For Ole Miss, Houston Nutt and his assistants will be coaching their last game as the Ole Miss coaching staff, capping off a more than disappointing season. But rest assured that his players will want to send him off a winner. For Mississippi State, there is a sense of confidence, maybe even arrogance surrounding this match up. And maybe rightfully so. State will enter Davis-Wade Stadium winners of the past two egg bowls. They will also enter as the largest favorite in egg bowl history. The spread on this game is 17.5(!!!) points. And check out this first in college football, hashtags in the endzone!!!
( I don't care who you pull for, this is AWESOME.)
Ole Miss enters this game with the 94th worst total defense in the division 1. Out of 120 teams.
And it could be worse. State has the 87th worst total offense in the nation averaging about 386 yards per game. However (Ole Miss fans) if you just laughed at that,save your breathe. Ole Miss is 114th in total offense. Yeah. And State has a pretty good defense. 32nd in the nation in scoring defense. Oh, and by the way. Numbers mean nothing in such a heated rivalry. So forget everything I just said.
You know? Honestly there's only one chance Ole Miss has in my mind. If Ole Miss's freshmen come out to play for coach Nutt, Mississippi State might just have a game on their hands.
The Stake's are high. Bragging rights. A bowl game for Mississippi State. And for Ole Miss, nothing could be sweeter than denying MSU a bowl game.
MSU's Right Tackle Addison Lawrence said it best. "I think they're going to come out fired up and hot, but if we jump on them, I think they'll kind of lay down. I feel like they're wanting to lay down in a way, because of the things that have been happening here recently."
Prediction: As a state fan I HAVE to pick State. However I will pick 2 outcomes so I don't seem TOO biased.
1. MSU- 38, Ole Miss- 10
2. MSU- 42, Ole Miss-35 2OT
2. Arkansas, formerly known as the Razorbacks.
3. Auburn. Formerly known as the Tigers. 
4. LSU, formerly know as the Tigers.
5. Ole Miss, formerly know as the Rebels.
6. Mississippi State, formerly know as the Bulldogs.
7. Texas A & M, formerly know as the Aggies.
