May 2005 MSU Basketball Skuttle-Butt

This page consists of facts and some rumors. Do you have info you want to share? Email me at swindoll@genespage.com

5/12/05
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University head basketball coach Rick Stansbury announced Wednesday that prep all-American Jamont Gordon of powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, all-state guard Jeremy Wise of Jackson's Murrah High School, and former Grenada High School standout Bernard Rimmer by way of Maine's Bridgton Academy have signed national letters-of-intent with the Bulldogs.

Named second-team all-American by PARADE magazine and selected to the 2004-05 EA SPORTS All-American Team, Gordon averaged a team-leading 18.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, five assists and four steals per game this past season at Oak Hill Academy in helping lead coach Steve Smith's 34-2 Warriors to a No. 1 season-ending national ranking in USA Today's Super 25 high school boys basketball rankings. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound backcourt performer is ranked 32nd nationally among ScoutHoops.com's Top 100 senior player rankings.

Most recently, Gordon was named team MVP after scoring 17 points and handing out a game-high six assists in helping pace the United States All-Stars to a 123-97 victory over the Capital All-Stars during last month's 32nd Annual Capital Classic played on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Gordon was previously tabbed Tennessee's Class 3A Mr. Basketball for 2003-04 after averaging 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three steals per contest as a junior for coach Steven Wright at Nashville's Glencliff High School. As a first-team all-state selection two years ago, Gordon helped lead the 26-7 Colts to a berth in the state tournament.

A first-team all-state selection by The Clarion-Ledger newspaper, Wise averaged 26.2 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals this past season as a senior in helping lead the Mustangs to a 31-7 record and the Class 5A state tournament title. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound playmaker also shot 93 percent from the free throw line on the year, while recording a career-high, 51-point performance against South Pike.

As a prep junior, Wise averaged 22.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals per outing to earn honorable mention all-state honors after leading Murrah to a 26-8 record and a semifinal-round appearance in the state tournament.

A native of Grenada, Rimmer averaged around 12 points, eight rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals per game this past season at Bridgton Academy in Maine as a fifth-year player. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward helped lead coach Whit Lesure's BA Wolverines to a 30-6 overall record and a school-first New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) Class A crown this past year. Bridgton Academy completed the 2004-05 campaign ranked fourth nationally in the season-ending Top 10 prep school poll.

Prior to attending prep school in Maine, Rimmer earned second-team all-state honors from The Clarion-Ledger as a senior at Grenada High School after averaging 17.9 points, nine rebounds and five blocks per contest for coach Charlie Howard's 22-9 Chargers in 2003-04. As a junior, Rimmer averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks an outing in helping lead the 2002-03 GHS ballclub to a 21-9 overall record.

Gordon, Wise and Rimmer join previously announced Mississippi State men's basketball signees Monta Elllis of Jackson's Lanier High School (Monta will not be attending MSU due to signing with an agent), Brooklyn native Vernon Goodridge of Philadelphia's Lutheran Christian Academy, and twins Reginald and Richard Delk of North Side High School in Jackson, Tenn. Goodridge is rated the 21st best player overall by ScoutHoops.com, while Reginald Delk is ranked the 59th best player.

Source: MSU Media Relations and Dawgs' Bite, Powered by GenesPage.com

5/4/05
Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State head women's basketball coach Sharon Fanning announced Tuesday that Angelina Browne and Christina "CJ" Pace have signed national letters-of-intent to play with the Lady Bulldogs.

Both Browne and Pace are Oak Hill Academy standouts that led the Lady Warriors to a third-place finish at the 25 team invite-only 2005 National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) Tournament. Oak Hill finished this past season with a 20-6 record under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Rodgers.

"I am impressed with the work ethic of their high school team," said head coach Sharon Fanning. "The adjustment to college is tough. I really feel these young ladies are ahead from a discipline standpoint, both academically and athletically."

Browne, a native of Northampton, England, spent two years at the Mouth of Wilson, Va., school tallying 17.0 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game and 4.0 steals per game in her senior season. The 6-2 forward was named to the 2005 NACA Division I All-Tournament Team. In addition to her basketball skills, Browne was a stellar track athlete as well, leading the Warriors to success as a high jumper and sprinter. She also made the A-Honor Roll in her final year.

Before her stint in the United States, Browne attended Northampton School For Girls in England, where she led the Northants Lightning to a national title. At just 13 years old, she played for the Northants Junior (Under 18) team, winning the National Cup and two Southern Conference titles. She is a member of the England National Team and has an invitation to play with them this summer. She is the daughter of Mary Browne.

"Angelina is a mentally tough, mobile post player with great endurance," said Fanning. "She has a great attitude and plays like a winner. She loves to pressure on defense, run the floor and is very aggressive on the boards. She looks forward to playing on the England National Team this summer and we feel that experience will be an advantage here this fall."

Fellow Oak Hill all-star Pace recorded 18.0 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game and 6.0 assists per game in her first year with the academy. The 6-0 guard was also named to the 2005 NACA Division I All-Tournament Team, going on to earn MVP honors of the team her senior year. Pace also played volleyball and tennis for the Warriors.

Prior to her time at Oak Hill, the Atlanta, Ga., native spent her undergraduate time at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Ga. There she led Coach Dell Grant's squad to a 25-6 record her junior year and an eventual Sweet 16 showing at the state championships.

"CJ is a strong, physical player with a great jump shot," said Fanning. "Her size and strength at the perimeter will make her hard to guard. She is familiar with SEC basketball and realizes the challenge ahead of her. We like her focus, work ethic and skills. CJ communicates well on the floor and can make us better her freshman year."

She is the daughter of Norman and Joanne Pace.

2005-06 Recruiting Class
Angelina Browne, 6-2, Forward, Oak Hill Academy/Northampton, England
Heather Hollis, 5-11, Guard, Sulligent HS/Sulligent, AL
CJ Pace, 6-0, Guard, Oak Hill Academy/Atlanta, GA
Robin Porter, 5-11, Guard/Forward, Abbeville HS/Abbeville, AL
Marneshia Richard, 5-8, Guard, Ashland HS/Lamar, MS
Lauren Roberts, 6-0, Forward, Houston HS/Germantown, TN

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State head women's basketball coach Sharon Fanning will hold seven basketball camps and one coaches clinic this summer with assistance from her coaching staff as well as area high school coaches and current Lady Bulldog basketball players. Registration is available online at www.mstateathletics.com.

Camps will feature individual instruction, five-on-five games, three-on-three competition, a free-throw competition, a hot shot competition and a three-point shooting contest. The individual camps are open to youth ranging from grades 1-12, while the team camps are open to junior high and high school teams.

The first camp offered will be the Team Camp offered June 9-12 for coaches to teach their system. Teams will play at least nine games. Practice courts and videos will be available upon request. In addition, the Shootout Camp will be on June 10 and/or 11, which will give teams an opportunity to play a minimum of three games in one day. This camp is designed for coaches to teach their system during competitive games.

Next up is Shooting Camp, June 12-13, for grades 3-12. Camp instructors will evaluate the campers' fundamentals of shooting and will offer assistance in shooting lay ups, jump shots, pivots, three-point shots, hooks and free throws based on their age group division.

Position Camp, June 13-14, is available for those in grades 6-12. The campers are divided by age group and each group will receive instruction related to their position as well as an overview of each position. Some of the areas covered are posting up, perimeter shooting off the dribble and point guard responsibilities, to name a few.

The fifth camp offered is Individual Camp, June 15-18, for grades 6-12. Each participant in this camp will receive personalized instruction and coaching with head coach Sharon Fanning and assistant coaches Steve Curtis, Errol Rogers and Stacey Franklin. Individual stations will be set up for topics ranging from position work to the fast break. This camp is designed to help campers develop their "total" game.

There will be a Day Camp for grades 1-6 offered June 27-30. The Lady Bulldog camp will focus on fundamentals in individual stations, position development and offensive and defensive strategy from one-on-one to five-on-five games. Each day includes personalized instruction with the coaching staff and players.

The Elite Camp, June 28-30, will focus on the advanced, highly-skilled high school player and will help prepare top players for the college game. While prior experience as a varsity starter is strongly recommended, a coach's recommendation is required.

On August 20, a Coaches Clinic will be offered to assist coaches in developing a championship program. The clinic will include on-court and classroom activities and special topics such as diet and nutrition, weight training and NCAA rules.

Source: MSU Media Relations