| 1996 | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1998 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1999 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2000 | Jan | Feb | Mar |
04/26/00
Men's Basketball - The Bulldogs will be playing in next season's NIT preseason tournament. Click here for the entire story.....
04/25/00
Women's Sports - Mississippi State University's female athletes were honored at a Women's Athletic Awards banquet held in the Bryan Athletic Administration Building Monday night.
Dr. Walt Newsom presented the Newsom Award to the athlete in each sport who carried the highest grade point average. The following athletes received the Newsom Award this year: Ann Marie Anderson (track and field), Meadow Overstreet (women's basketball), Elizabeth Davis (cross country), Linda Mattsson (tennis), Pia Josefsson (golf), Jenny Hazelwood (volleyball), Anne Marie Pimentel (soccer) and Jenny Hehnke (softball).
The head coaches from each sport introduced their teams and presented a Coaches' Award to an athlete in their program.
Volleyball head coach Brenda Bowlin awarded Brianne Smedley the honor. The junior middle blocker from Arlington, Texas, earned her third letter in 1999. She played in all 17 matches (104 games) and led MSU in hitting percentage (.271) and in total blocks (93). Notching a career-high 22 kills against UNC Charlotte, she finished the season ranked second on the squad in kills (320) Smedley was named to the SEC Volleyball Academic Honor Roll in 1998 and 1999.
Neil McGuire, State's new head soccer coach, presented the Coaches' Award to Jessica Wells. McGuire described the freshman as a talented athlete who is motivated both on the field and in the classroom. The defender from Lakeland, Fla., was also said to work hard on all aspects of her game and disciplined in her studies.
Angela Harris, from Pine Bluff, Ark., received the Focus Award, as head coach Sharon Fanning called it, for the women's basketball team. Fanning talked about Harris' determination and commitment to the team's goal of a championship. The award was based, in part, on the 5-6 point guard's performance in the post season. Harris averaged 15 points, shooting 65 percent from the field and 67 percent from three-point range in the SEC Tournament, earning her a spot on the all-tournament team. In the NCAA Tournament, Harris averaged 17 points off 65-percent shooting from the floor and 67-percent shooting from long range. She had 18 assists with only two turnovers in the two games.
Karin Haber received the Coaches' Award for cross country as presented by coach Al Schmidt. The steady senior from Port Washington, Wisc., has provided solid team leadership and loyal sportsmanship during her four-year career at MSU. She consistently finished as the team's No. 3 runner last cross country season after ranking as the team's No. 2 runner the previous season. Haber, a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, has maintained a solid 3.66 cumulative grade-point average and will complete her degree in fitness management in December.
Schmidt, also the track and field coach, softball coach Kathy Arendsen, tennis coach Tracy Lane and Christi Sanders, the SEC Coach of the Year for women's golf, each spoke about their respective teams but Coaches' Awards were not given out as the teams are still competing this season.
The track and field teams have as many as four meets left for some individuals; however, the only team event left is the SEC Championship held May 11-14, in Baton Rouge, La.
Softball hosts Samford on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for one game and travels to Florida Friday for a doubleheader and then to Auburn for a four-game series to close out the regular season before heading to Columbus, Ga., for the SEC Tournament May 11-14.
The NCAA Tournament field for tennis will be announced May 4. MSU's women's tennis team are expected to make its second appearance in two years when the NCAA Regionals take place May 12-14.
The lady linksters' season is expected to continue in Columbus, Ohio, for the NCAA East Regionals May 11-13. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced on May 1.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department
04/21/00 - To read the promised interview with former MSU basketball player Al Perry, please CLICK HERE.
04/20/00 - Current MSU basketball assistant coach Bill Ball has been hired as the new Head Basketball Coach at Jackson Academy in Jackson, Mississippi. The word is JA made Coach Ball an offer that was impossible to turn down.
I believe that I speak for all Bulldog fans in saying we wish Coach Ball and his lovely family all the success and happiness in the world. Bill is a graduate of MSU and is one of the truly good guys in the basketball ranks.
On another note: For those of you who have asked, Derrick Zimmerman will, I repeat, will be playing basketball at MSU next season. According to quite a few of my most reliable sources, Derrick is very happy at State and is looking forward to next season.
04/16/00 - Monday, look for excerpts of an interview that I did with former MSU basketball player Al Perry (1974-78) Saturday. Al is currently coaching the Pearl (MS) High School basketball team.
04/14/00 - What Darius would mean to Mississippi State University and what Mississippi State University would mean to Darius.
1) Special Honor: Darius would have the honor that no one else has ever had and would never have again: He would be the first Mississippi McDonald's All-American to play for Mississippi State University. While records are made to be broken, being the first Mississippi McDonald's All-American to play for MSU would be Darius' and Darius' only. Part of his legacy would forever be the first Mississippian who was selected McDonald's All-American and played for Mississippi State.
2) National Exposure: During Mississippi State's Final Four year (1995-1996), Mississippi State was on television 21 times. Included in those 21 televised games was a victory over Kentucky in the SEC Championship Game.
3) Family Exposure: Mississippi State is a little over a two hour drive for Darius' mother and father and just minutes away from his grandmothers home. National exposure and family exposure all at the same school. No other school in the country can offer that.
4) Education: Mississippi State offers the top Computer Engineering program in the south. (See story below about the importance of Mississippi State's computer engineering department.) No other school can offer that.
5) NBA: Mississippi State has had 1st round NBA players including Erick Dampier, Dontae Jones, Jeff Malone, Rickey Brown, Wiley Peck and Bailey Howell. Like any other school in the country, if you perform on the court the NBA takes notice.
6) Friends: Mississippi State is just a two-hour drive for Darius' current and former teammates and school mates. Included in those former teammates is current Mississippi State Bulldog player Tang Hamilton. No other school can offer this advantage.
Darius Rice and Mississippi State University: The perfect combination.
04/14/00
Prior to the ceremonial doings, we received a tour of the campus, in particular the journalism department and The Reflector offices, the school's newspaper. I've attended numerous football games at Mississippi State, three last season, but I have never spent a lot of time walking around the campus and actually witnessing the academia side of the university. At first, I felt more out of place than a hog in a cocktail dress. My black and gold blood was curdling from the overbearing maroon decor that covered the campus, but after a few hours, the hives disappeared and I began to take note that the campus was quite lovely. Lisa also managed to survive unscathed and Buddy, well Buddy loves to go anywhere that he can to socialize. He's sure to run into someone he knows who is dying to hear one of his stories that he is eager to tell.
THE most memorable part of the day was the brief luncheon, prior to the ceremony. The luncheon was memorable not for the food, but the speakers. We heard from two men: Vice president for Research Robert A. Altenkirch and Aerospace Engineering Professor Joe Thompson.
It was Thompson that captivated the crowd with a list of statistics that most Mississippians are probably unaware of. Here are just a few:
Without question, Mississippi is a leader in today's communications and technological world. (i.e. MCIWORLDCOM) The role our state and Mississippi State is playing is something all of us, from every school, can take great pride in.
04/12/00 (3:30 p.m.) - Timmy Bowers of Class 5A state champion Harrison Central High School has signed a national letter of intent to attend Mississippi State University, as announced Wednesday by MSU head men's basketball coach Rick Stansbury.
A 6-3, 175-pound guard, Bowers averaged 22.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.6 steals per game as a senior in collecting USA Today Player of the Year honors for the state of Mississippi. In shooting 54 percent overall from the field, 41 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 77 percent from the free throw line this past season, Bowers helped lead coach Ricky Stone's HCHS Red Rebels to a 32-3 record, No. 1 state ranking and Class 5A state title. In this year's championship game, Bowers scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Harrison Central's 63-60 victory over Jackson Murrah.
"We're very excited to have Timmy joining our basketball program," MSU's Stansbury noted. "He'll bring to our team an excellent skill level as well as a tremendous work ethic. Timmy is also a dedicated student athlete who comes from coach Ricky Stone's outstanding high school program at Harrison Central."
Chosen to this year's Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Basketball Game, to be held June 10 at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Bowers paced the Red Rebels in scoring each of the past three seasons. As a junior, he averaged 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest in helping lead Harrison Central to a 24-11 record and Division 8 runner-up finish. In addition to earning honorable mention all-state honors from The Clarion-Ledger a year ago, Bowers was also chosen to The Sun Herald All-Coast boys basketball team in 1998-99.
"I couldn't be happier for Timmy in his decision to stay in-state and play at MSU," HCHS's Stone said. "Timmy is the most skilled player I've ever coached, and he's the hardest worker we've got. What makes him so special is the fact that he is also a tremendous person as well as an outstanding student."
Bowers joins previously announced Mississippi State signee Mario Austin, a 6-9, 255-pound center who recently played in both the McDonald's All-American and Sonny Vaccaro Roundball Classic High School All-Star Games after a standout prep career at Sumter County High School in York, Ala.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department
04/12/00
Men's Basketball - It now appears, according to my sources, that Darius Rice will choose either Kentucky or Mississippi State. My sources have no idea when Darius will make his decision. The Rice family appears to be a very, very close family (that is special in today's world) so I expect it to be a family decision.
04/11/00
Men's Basketball - Members of Mississippi State's 1999-2000 men's basketball team were honored Monday night at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum, as the Bulldogs held their 22nd annual Babe McCarthy Tip-Off Club Awards Banquet.
Senior guard Todd Myles and sophomore center Robert Jackson shared team honors on the evening by taking home a pair of awards apiece. A team co-captain on this year's squad, Myles garnered the team's Most Assists Award after ranking third among the SEC's statistical leaders in assists (4.5 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2:1). The Brooklyn native also received this year's Senior Award as the team's lone senior, having earned his bachelor's degree in sports communication last August.
A second-year standout, Jackson was presented the club's Bailey Howell Rebounding Award in addition to being voted the Bulldogs' Most Improved Player for the 1999-2000 basketball campaign. Selected to the Coaches' All-SEC Third Team, the Milwaukee, Wis., native ranked among the league leaders in scoring (12.3 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and field-goal percentage (59.9%) in becoming the first MSU sophomore since current Golden State Warriors center Erick Dampier to collect all-league honors.
Junior Tang Hamilton and sophomore Michael Gholar took home Mississippi State's Best Offensive and Best Defensive Player Awards, respectively. Having started all 30 games this past season, Hamilton averaged a team-leading 14.4 points per game to rank ninth in the Southeastern Conference. The former Jackson Lanier product also ranked as the club's second-leading rebounder (6.2 rpg) and stood among the SEC leaders in field-goal percentage (47.1%). A starter for the final 16 games of the 1999-2000 season, Gholar finished the year as the Bulldogs' No. 3 rebounder (4.4 rpg) along with averaging 5.4 points per contest.
Rounding out MSU's statistical awards, junior guard Antonio Jackson, the team's third-leading scorer (12.0 ppg) and No. 2 playmaker (3.1 apg), was the recipient of the Best Free Throw Percentage Award (76.0%).
Off the court, junior center Quentin Smith earned the Bulldogs' Academic Award for owning the team's highest grade point average, while junior co-captain T.J. Billups was honored with Mississippi State's prestigious Babe McCarthy Memorial Award for best exemplifying the highest traits of character, leadership, desire and hustle.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department
04/09/00 - It appears that Darius Rice will choose between Kentucky and Mississippi State. I really don't know which school he will choose (only Darius and his family knows that) but I like MSU's chances.
I'm not sure what school he attends but a source of mine told me that former MSU basketball player Ricky Hood's son, Ricky Hood, Jr. (presently a 10th grader), is playing in this weekend's AAU Black History Basketball Classic, which is being held at the MSU Sanderson Rec. Center and Starkville HS. The word is he has inherited his dad's talent.
04/05/00 - Latest Darius Rice update: Here is what one of my most reliable sources told me yesterday about Darius Rice. Basically, it is now down to three schools; MSU, Kentucky and Memphis. My source said that he felt that MSU is still in very good shape with Darius but my source would no longer say that he felt MSU is definitely the leader.
04/03/00 - You've heard about them. Some of you have actually seen them in person. Coming to MSU April 7th, 8th and 9th is "The Century's First AAU Black History Basketball Classic". According to my source the players in the 17-year old bracket are like a who's who of the top players in the state of Mississippi. Three names that some of you are familiar with are Murrah HS's Maurice "Mo" Williams and Maurice Daniels and Lanier HS's Solomon Forbes. As I receive additional info, I will post on the MSU basketball skuttle-butt section.