Bulldogs Return From Break To Face Bucs

Wednesday, December 14

Starkville

7:00 PM

Mississippi State

East Tennessee State

Buy tickets

Mississippi State faces East Tennessee State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Humphrey Coliseum.

Bulldogs Return From Break To Face Bucs

December 13, 2016 | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes ETSU Game Notes SEC Notes Video Press Conference

STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a 10-day break from play, Mississippi State returns to the court on Wednesday to face East Tennessee State at Humphrey Coliseum.

Tip is set for 7 p.m., with Mike Morgan and Antoine Walker handling the SEC Network broadcast. The game can also be heard on the MSU radio network with veterans Jim Ellis and Richard Williams on the call.

MSU stands at 6-2 on the year after winning its third-straight game on Dec. 4 against Georgia State, 82-60. Freshman Lamar Peters lifted the Bulldogs with his career-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while Mario Kegler poured in a career-high 16 points.

The Bulldogs also won the battle of the boards, 38-37.

THE SERIES
MSU is 1-2 against the Buccaneers, with ETSU claiming a 63-62 win when the two last met on Dec. 11, 2010. The Bulldogs won the initial meeting, 86-59, in 1988 before losing the following year, 91-82.

COACHES
Ben Howland is in his second year at MSU and 21^st overall. As a head coach in four different stops, he is 421-225 with a 20-19 mark with the Bulldogs

Steve Forbes is in his second year with the Bucs and owns a 31-14 ledger. In 10 years as a head coach, he is 197-74.

QUOTABLE
"He was sore. He banged his knee in practice on Thursday or Friday. Yesterday, he told one our assistants that he was just sore all over. Yesterday we shot in the morning for about 45 minutes and came back and lifted and practiced. Today will be an easier day." — Ben Howland on Quinndary Weatherspoon.

NEXT 2
Dec. 19 in Jackson against Southern Miss and back in Starkville on Dec. 22 against Morehead State.

BULLDOG BITES

Quinndary Weatherspoon is now 19 points shy of 500 for his career.
After shooting just 16.7 percent from the foul line last season as a freshman, sophomore forward Aric Holman has improved dramatically early on, draining 18 of his 24 attempts (.750).
In its last outing against Georgia State, MSU made a season-high 13 3-pointers, its most since draining 15 against North Carolina A&T on 12-12-10.
The 22-point margin of defeat was also the largest this year.
In addition, the game produced career high in points for Lamar Peters (24), Mario Kegler (16) and Schnider Herard (8).
MSU is 42-13 against the 10 teams that currently comprise the Southern Conference. Samford (25-6) is the team the Bulldogs have played the most, while Western Carolina is last foe MSU played (a 66-56 win on Nov. 17, 2015).
Mississippi State is looking for its first 7-2 start since opening the 2013-14 campaign 9-2.
I.J. Ready is now 234 points shy of becoming the 37th player in MSU history to score 1,000 for a career. He also needs just 11 assists to move into the MSU all-time Top 10. In addition, he is 14 steals shy of moving in the MSU Top 10 record book.
In his last four games, I.J. Ready has dished out 21 assists and collected 12 steals while turning the ball over just 10 times. He's fourth in the SEC with a 2.7 turnover/assist ratio, 62nd nationally.
According to KenPom.com, Mississippi State is the least experienced team (.71) out of all 351Division I programs.
The Bulldogs are looking for their first four-game winning streak under Ben Howland.
When is Mississippi State successful? When shooting 45 percent of better (5-0), outrebounding foes (5-0), dishing out more assists (6-0) and winning or being tied at the half (6-0).
MSU is second in the SEC and 19th nationally with its .772 free throw percentage.
Of current SEC players, I.J. Ready is 10th with 766 points, third with 125 steals and tied for third with 315 assists. He reached the 300 mark with assists against Northwestern State.