| 1996 | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1998 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug |
09/29/98 - Correction: Midnight Madness is October 16th, not October 17th as I earlier stated. The 16th is Friday night. This is the Friday night prior to our homecoming game. It would be a great way to start off a great weekend.
Wouldn't it be nice if we have a full house at Midnight Madness and all of our basketball recruits are there? Sure hope the Final Four banner is hanging from the rafters. Also, wouldn't it be nice to show the Final Four highlight film prior to the Midnight Madness practice? We need to show those guys what they can look forward to if they choose State.
09/27/98 - 6-9 Jason Johnson has verbally committed to MSU. He did not play last year due to having to sit out a year after transferring from Warren Central High School to Saint Al. According to his coach, Noah Hamilton, Johnson is expected to be listed as the top 'Sleeper' in the state by the Mississippi based Gerald Snider's Recruiting Service.
Johnson impressed MSU head coach Rick Stansbury so much in an individual workout held on Monday, that he sent assistant Robert Kirby back to Vicksburg on Wednesday to meet with Johnson and his family again. Kirby popped in a highlight film of the 1996 Bulldogs, who made it to the Final Four. That was all Johnson needed to see. "That tape will bring tears to your eyes", Johnson said. "You could see the determination in their eyes. Even after they lost, they still had love for each other. I decided I wanted to be a part of something like that." Johnson will attend prep school before joining the Bulldogs in the 1999-2000 season.
09/27/98 - As I stated earlier, there will be a MSU basketball Midnight Madness this year. It was confirmed on the football telecast Saturday. It will be at one minute after midnight on October 17th, which is on a Sunday. Go to the East Tennessee State / Miss State game. Then go out and eat supper with some friends, go to the MSU volleyball game then hang around for a few hours tailgating with your MSU friends, then go to the Midnight Madness. What a great sports day for Bulldog fans.
09/24/98 - I have received no word on how Jonathan Bender's visit with Tubby Smith went. I did receive info that Kentucky has received commitments from two other highly sought after big men: PF/C Marvin Stone (a huge loss for the University of Alabama basketball program) from Grissom High in Huntsville, AL. and C John Stewart from Lawrence North in Indianapolis, IN. Kentucky is also looking good with Richmond, KY's 6-9 C/F Marquis Estill is the word I am receiving and is also recruiting 6-8 PF Donnell Harvey from Shellman, GA. As of now, Kentucky has three commitments which leaves them with one available scholarship if all three players honor their commitments.
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09/23/98 - Good ole Kentucky head basketball coach Tubby Smith and two, yes two, of his assistants were in Picayune, Mississippi last night trying everything possible (legally, of course) to convince Picayune's outstanding big man Jonathan Bender to commit to them. Hopefully, Jonathan didn't. The rumor, before this development, was UK had backed off of Jonathan. Looks like that rumor was not correct.
09/21/98 - Miss State and Coosa Central (AL) HS's outstanding basketball player Jamario Moon are both very interested in each other. However, Jamario will have to really work on his grades or there is a strong possibility he will have to attend either prep school or junior college before he can play D-I basketball.
09/21/98 - The word is Miss State's ladies basketball is recruiting Kateshia Riley, a 5-7, guard from Kosciusko. I was told she averaged about 18 pts. per game last year.
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09/19/98 - Here are several evaluations by Recruiter's Handbook's Brick Oettinger of basketball players Miss State is considering Be prepared, Brick can be a little critical at times so please remember these are only one man's opinion. You can go to their webpage by going to http://online.prepstars.com/prepstars/. This is an excellent publication for identifying players and only costs $25 a year or you can subscribe online for the internet edition which costs only $39.95. The evaluations below comes from the print edition. I do not post anything I read on the internet edition. I highly recommend both of them.
Jonathan Bender - 6-11, BF, Picayune (MS) High School - This thin, 195-pound athlete is another who might possibly develop into the premier player in the Class of 1999; however, right now we view him as a national top-20 senior, because he has two primary deficiencies. (1) He lacks strength, and although physical maturity should help somewhat in the future, he doesn't have a strong frame; and (2) his high school and AAU coaches must emphasize to him the fact that there is no real market for 6-11 (or taller) wing forwards at either the collegiate level or even in the NBA. Our pre-summer assessment, that Bender combined NBA athleticism with junior high savvy, may have been harsh, but it's not far off the mark. As long as he spends half the time at the offensive end floating around the perimeter firing up long jumpshots (and hitting a few), he'll be an underachiever, and he won't threaten to crack our top 10. On the other hand, if he uses his agility and considerable abilities to get east turnaround jumpshots in the lane, to utilize quick post moves to the hoop, and to consistently attack the offensive glass, the sky is the limit. His shot within 17 feet is smooth, with arch and backspin, and he also possesses a nice jumpshot near the basket. Furthermore, he can dribble and pass reasonably well, and his hands, leap and quickness enable him to be an elite rebounder, despite the void in strength. Most impressively, Bender blocks shots as well as any senior except perhaps Samuel Dalembert. He's a high big-time prospect, if he'll let himself be that.
Ronald Dupree - 6-6, WF, Biloxi (MS) High School - Athletic, 190-pound swingman was coming off an injury when he played in July events, so perhaps he's better than he showed. Quick, athletic driver can get to the rack, but too often he's unable to finish the play. Good leap gets on the offensive board for stickbacks. His jumpshot, however, is not consistent, and it gets flatter and flatter the farther he is from the basket. In fact, we once saw him try a dozen jumpers from 15-20 feet, and he didn't come close to hitting any of them. He also has a propensity to commit uncerebral fouls out on the floor. Mid-major prospect.
Alonzo Lane - 6-7, C, Canton (MS) High School - Actually a "short" 6-7 but a burly 238 pounds, he's a strong, long-armed, physical insider. Low-post player has a good dropstep and power moves, uses either hand around the basket, is very active on the offensive board, and works hard on defense. A strong straight-up slammer, he misses more easy shots than he should, when he can't jam them. Has little effective range (12 feet?) on his jumpshot. High-major prospect.
Jamario Moon - 6-7 WF, Rockford (AL) Coosa Central - He proved this summer, especially at the Nike Super Showcase in Orlando, that he's a national top-50 caliber senior, at least at the offensive end. A sensational leaper who soars over opponents to score in transition, jam rebounds and reject shots, he also brandishes a fluid jumpshot wit NBA three-point range. If he'll exhibit more interest and consistent effort on defense while improving his academic credentials, he'll be in great demand by elite collegiate programs. Big-time prospect.
Charles Tatum - 5-11, PG, Midland (TX) High School - Short, stocky (175 pounds) quickster played a key role as his high school won the state large-school title, and we expected a bit more from him than we saw at the Nike Camp. He pushes the ball downcourt like a rocket and is capable of fine dishes, yet he's sometimes out of control (prone to leave his feet and commit an offensive foul), and he too often tries to shoot the ball among the trees rather than dish to an open man (he may not see due to his size). Drives much more often than he shoots outside jumpshots, yet he's an impressive marksman to 20 feet. You can't teach his quickness, which is an asset at each end, although less harnessed on offense. High mid-major to high major prospect.
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09/17/98 - According to the Wednesday edition of The Clarion-Ledger, Canton HS (Canton, MS) forward Alonzo Lane has changed his mind about his verbal commitment to MSU. Here is what he said in the CL: "I changed my mind. I want to take a couple of visits and find out where I fit in. I've got to look at who's going where and what are my chances of playing early." Schools he is looking at are Miss State, Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Jackson State, Murray State. (It will be tough to beat Rick Stansbury for Lane's signature - Gene.)
Picayune's Jonathan Bender was also mentioned in the same article. He is looking at Miss State, Southern Miss, Memphis, Tulane, Florida, Kentucky and Kansas. He will most likely not sign until the spring signing period. Jonathan's quote was as follows: "I want to get along with the teammates, go somewhere where there's a bunch of good guys. I like the uptempo game and a coach who I can be good friends with and understand." (Folks, he just describe Miss State - Gene.)
The other player in the article Miss State is showing interest in is Biloxi's Ronald Dupree. Ronald has as his top five schools, Michigan, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, LSU and Virginia. Dupree also said he is considering Miss State and Ole Miss. He is unsure about signing early. (Don't count Miss State out of the picture for this very talented young man. He, along with the two mentioned above, are, without a doubt, the three best high school players in Mississippi this year and Miss State is going to be tough to beat for all three.)
09/17/98 - Don't forget, if you are looking for a new or use car to go to the games in, look no farther than Colbert Auto World in Houston, Miss. Click here to go to their webpage. Mike Colbert is a great Bulldog fan who deserves your support.
09/13/98 - Catrina Frierson, the highly recruited basketball player from Vicksburg High School, has apparently narrowed her college choices down to three schools(LSU, Louisiana Tech, Miss State). Each school made a home visit this past week. An article in "Women's Basketball Journal" has Frierson rated as the 6th best player in the nation.
09/13/98 - Since I was in Picayune Friday night, I'm sure a lot of you want to know what I heard about MSU basketball recruit Jonathan Bender. Tulane was in for a home visit Friday night. I was also told that folks have heard the rumor that Kentucky's head coach Tubby Smith has scheduled a home visit with Jonathan. BTW, according to the Picayune folks I talked to, Jonathan is not telling what school he is leaning to. All I will say is, in my opinion, he sure looks good in maroon and white.
One thing I would like to bring up is the allegation that the recruitment of Jonathan Bender may not be completely above board. This allegation totally shocked folks in Picayune who know Jonathan, his family and Picayune head basketball coach Dean Shaw, very, very well. Bender, although as highly recruited as any player in the history of Mississippi, is still the same nice youngster he was before this recruiting process began. He still says yes sir and no sir to adults. What Jonathan is is a very nice youngster who has immense basketball offensive skills. I was also told his basketball coach, Dean Shaw has taken him under his wing and is making sure everything is done above board. My sources told me Coach Shaw is a very Christian and moral person who has a genuine interest in the well-being of his players. My Picayune sources, who consider Jonathan and Coach Shaw personal friends, know whomever is spreading these allegations, obviously, have no personal knowledge of the character of these two men.
P.S. - Just thought you guys would like to know, according to a Picayune source, Jonathan is a gym rat who, after practice, stays in the gym working on his game. He is a totally dedicated youngster who has worked extremely hard to develop his talent into what it is today.
09/13/98 - According to someone who talked to him recently, MSU basketball forward Quentin Smith will have surgery on his right ankle in the very near future. My source also said Quentin is very happy to be back at MSU and is really looking forward to once again play basketball for MSU next season.
09/11/98 - I was told Canton High School standout Alonzo Lane unofficially visited Miss State this past weekend.
09/09/98 - I received a confirmation from someone who saw Picayune's Jonathan Bender on Miss State's campus Saturday.
09/07/98 - Several basketball recruits were seen at the football game this past weekend. One of them was rumored to be Picayune's Jonathan Bender.
09/06/98 - Our basketball coaches can go back out on the road this coming Wednesday and contact players they are interested in. It wouldn't surprise me if MSU visited Miss Gulf Coast CC and checked out 6-11 center Raynell Brewer.
09/06/98 - MSU is indeed interested in Alabamian Jamario Moon.
09/03/98 - The word is there will be a Midnight Madness this fall. It is tentatively scheduled to be played at the Newell-Grissom Building.
09/03/98 - MSU signee Tyrus Boswell is continuing to take his ACT test. He is not attending class as a part-time student. However, his uniform has been ordered and the expectation is he will qualify and begin playing for the Bulldogs once he attends class as a full-time student in January.