Basketball hopes

[Dawg73]

Yesterday's scrimmage got me thinking about hoops. For those of us that still clearly remember the days where we were a top 3 or 4 team in the SEC most years, it's been especially difficult to watch what has happened to our program. The last two seasons looked slightly promising on paper with high profile recruits getting to campus, but the big question marks for those squads were too much to overcome. There are certainly big questions this year too. Can Ado be an impact player in the post, especially on defense? Can our young players take that big step forward after their first year? What will Nick contribute as a true freshman?

If 2 of those 3 questions go our way, I really believe the pieces are there to improve to around 10-8, 11-7 in the league and be a bubble team heading into the SEC tourney. Is this wishful thinking? Is that too big a step in one year? If we can pull it off, maybe it could be the foundation for our return to basketball relevance. Here's hoping.

 

[Seinfeld]

It would be a big step, no doubt, but when you have a roster full of young talent like we did last year, there’s no better time for a big step than now.

Like you, I’m really interested in seeing weather N Weatherspoon is just a talented guard or if he can truly be the floor general we so desperately need. If we can get that and some post players to step up, basketball might finally be fun again. Going from 6 conference wins to 10-11 won’t be easy, but I had honestly forgotten how many close losses we had last year. I think I counted at least 6 that were 7 pts or less

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

At the risk of being a Debbie downer, I hope we play like a team. There’s only one ball on the court, and a lot of talented guards on the team.

If we play together, I think it’s a tournament team without a doubt.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

If nothing else, we should compete much better this season because we will have improved play underneath the goal and more bodies to put there.

Still young and still have lack of experience in the new guys, but those who were here last season went through a pretty tough schooling last season. I expect less deer in the headlights look in our player's faces, I just hope I am right.

The ladies team should be something special. Love this new video showing how they are working on their toughness.

 

[KurtRambis4]

The biggest concern, to me,

is the front court (sTILL).

Hopefully Ado lives up to be 1/2 of what he's been hyped as.

If he does, I think Herard, Holman, Datcher, & Feazell can add enough to get it done.

Our backcourt is as talented as anybody's in the SEC.

Eli, Nick, Q, Xavian, Lamar, & Tyson on one team is ridiculous.

This is without a doubt the most talented team we've had in a long time.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

is the front court (sTILL).

Hopefully Ado lives up to be 1/2 of what he's been hyped as.

If he does, I think Herard, Holman, Datcher, & Feazell can add enough to get it done.

Our backcourt is as talented as anybody's in the SEC.

Eli, Nick, Q, Xavian, Lamar, & Tyson on one team is ridiculous.

This is without a doubt the most talented team we've had in a long time.

Definitely the most talented in a long time.

My concern is not scoring but defense. Will we play defense this year.?

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

Definitely the most talented in a long time.

My concern is not scoring but defense. Will we play defense this year.?

Won’t have IJ so it’s an improvement via subtraction there.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

You often have to wonder about the level of competition some of these young guys played against in high school. Is the basketball in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama really very good that these kids went up against or were they soooo much better that their competition and just haven't been challenged. Will Ado be a man among boys after being off a year? Can we shoot the deep ball and then recover on defense or will we just trade baskets?

As was mentioned, can these guys meld as a team, or will it be every man for himself?

This is the year for Howland to prove he still has it as a coach.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Not sure the level of competition at all levels but the bad news is most of these kids play 10 times the number of AAU games that they do in high school and no D is played there and a lot of bad habits created. This team really needs a Russell Walters.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

We are msu. Happy to get 10 wins on a year.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

I will not be happy with less than 20 wins and an NIT 1 seed.***

 

[MSUDC11]

I think we are somewhere around an 18-20 win team, but I don’t see us being an NCAA team at all. We have a C-USA level frontcourt, and heck there are several C-USA teams with better.

 

[tatedog]

Too big a step or not, it's year three for Howland. If we aren't at least in the NCAA discussion, this hire will officially start to become disappointing. I'm preparing myself for disappointment. Cohen started to turn around our joke of a baseball program in year three, and Mullen was good in year two revamping a dumpster fire. With Howland's pedigree, there is no reason it should take him more than three years to field a good team.