January 1999 MSU Basketball Skuttle-Butt

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01/31/99 - MSU, now 14-8 overall and 4-5 in the SEC, defeated the 25th ranked Gators (15-4, 6-3) 66-63 in an outstanding ballgame.

Highlights of the ballgame:
Junior Todd Myles - Against relentless pressure during his 22 minutes of play, Todd led the Bulldogs at his point guard position while commiting zero turnovers. He also scored a 3-point shot near the end of the game that put the Bulldogs in front of the Gators to stay. Great to have you back, Todd.
Freshman Robert Jackson - Although he only had 4 points ( and 6 rebounds) in his 10 minutes of play, this kid played with unrelenting hustle near the basket. The Gators had to put 2 and 3 guys on him to stop him from scoring. This youngster is going to be a star in the SEC. There is no doubt about it.
Sophomore Tang Hamilton - Tang scored 16 points (4 of 7 at 3-pt range). On his post-game show Coach Stansbury mentioned he was proud of Tang's defensive effort.
Senior Tyrone Washington - Pulled down 10 rebounds and showed great effort.
Freshman Marckell Patterson - In his best effort to date, Marckell scored 11 points (5 of 7 from the field), while playing with great effort on both ends of the court.
Senior Detrick White - Great second half effort in shutting down Florida's outstanding guard Teddy Dupay. Detrick also scored 14 points and dished out 10 assists.
Freshman Michael Gholar - Coach Stansbury mentioned he thought Michael played with great defensive effort.

BTW, did you know Florida's prior three losses were on the road against Duke, Kentucky and Auburn. Now they can add MSU to that list.

P.S. With both MSU and Ole Miss playing home games, it sure was nice to see most of the Provine HS basketball players and head coach Ernie Watson at our game. Yes, National Top 25 junior Justin Reed was one of the players.

01/31/99 - Don't forget our Lady Bulldogs play Georgia today at 2 p.m.

01/30/99 - MSU hosts the 25 ranked Flordia Gators at 2 p.m. today. Did you know that Florida is the 3rd top 25 ranked team the Bulldogs have faced in their last four games? Be at the Hump to support our Bulldogs.

01/29/99 - The MSU Lady Bulldogs (11-7, 3-5) defeated Arkansas (12-9, 2-5) 81 to 60. Our Bulldogs were led in scoring by Jennifer Fambrough (16 pts, 6 for 6 FG, 4 of 4 FT), Angela Harris (15 pts, 4 of 5 FG, 7 of 7 FT), Nitra Perry (13 pts. and 5 steals), Meadow Overstreet (12 pts. and 5 assists) and Cynthia Hall (10 pts.) LaToya Graham led the team in rebounds with 7. Barbara Thomas led the team with 2 blocks.

Our Lady Bulldogs play again this Sunday at 2 p.m. against the Georgia Bulldogs. Show your support by attending the game. They deserve your support.

01/29/99 - Look for MSU point guard Todd Myles to be back playing in a game or two. Todd is truly a good guy and a good player who deserves a solid Bulldog welcome back.

01/29/99 - Advertisement: Check out Optical 2000's webpage if you are interested in glasses or contacts and you live in the Clinton, Ridgeland or Canton areas.

01/28/99 - MSU lost to #7 Auburn at Auburn 64 to 54. Nice to have the toughest 3-game SEC road trip you could possibly have over. Oral Roberts led the Bulldogs with 11 points, followed by Tang Hamilton and Tyrone Washington with 10 points each.

BTW, the MSU Lady Bulldogs play at home tonight. Game time is 7 p.m. Come on out and check them out. Who knows, there may be a top football recruit at the game. Sure would be nice to let him see first-hand that MSU hospitality.

01/28/99 - Advertisement: Fellow Bulldog Jack d'Arcy has a air purifier for those of you who suffer from allergies or just want a clean smelling house or office. Visit his website by clicking here.

01/25/99 - In a couple of games last week, MSU signee Jason Johnson scored 66 points, pulled down 33 rebounds and blocked 7 shots.

01/24/99 - Ouch! Kentucky 76, MSU (13-7, 3-4 SEC) 49. Kentucky played great and deserved the one-sided victory. However, most of you should be happy to see our talented freshmen playing more minutes each game. If you haven't noticed, MSU's freshmen (Jackson, Boswell, Patterson, Gholar) have played a combined 28, 35, 46 and 51 minutes the past four games. Part of this can be attributed to Todd Myles not playing, although senior Detrick White is really the one playing the vast majority of minutes Todd would have played. I really feel the main reasons for the increase in playing time is because the freshmen have a better understanding of Coach Stansbury's system and are becoming more confident. They are our future and, in my opinion, it is a bright future even with such a lop-sided victory as occurred yesterday.

01/23/99 - I thought you guys would enjoy this preview of today's MSU-UK game which I was emailed from one of you.

Well, it is about that time to assess another UK-MSU matchup.

I believe that UK is every bit as talented - if not more - than they were last year. And that spells trouble for MSU. In 95 & 96, MSU had 3 or 4 guys that could either start or play significant minutes for those UK teams. Not this year. I don't believe any of the Bulldogs would log significant minutes on this UK team. I know some will argue that Tyrone would, but I have my doubts.

At times this year, UK has looked like a national champion (Maryland, Georgia Tech, Kansas,etc.). But at times they have not even looked like SEC champs (Louisville, Pitt, Tennessee). Believe it or not, they have played their worst basketball the last couple of years at home - which may work to MSU's advantage.

The thing about this UK team is that they are so versatile. Their size makes them tough in the half-court. Although Magliore has been suspended indefinitely for taunting a Rebel, he really isn't missed that much with Bradley and Camara playing pretty well.

They can run the floor with their quickness. Some preseason magazine didn't have Turner listed among the top twenty point guards in the country - which is a joke. He has improved every year he has been a Cat. He can run the break. And guys like Evans (a real warrior), Allison, Camara, et al, are great finishers. They can press you, but they don't do as much of that as they did under Coach P. I think MSU can expect some full court pressure because of their suspect guard play. They can play a monster zone, which could spell trouble for MSU's inside game.

The one thing they don't do well is shoot. No one has stepped up yet, but that was the case this time last year, until Sheppard got hot and led them to the promised land. I look for Padgett, Evans (who is slowly but surely regaining his early season touch) and maybe even Prince or Saul Smith to fill this role.

One guy they have that you probably haven't heard much about - but is terrific - is Desmond Allison. Outside of Heshimu, I think he is the best athlete on the team.

They are deep (Bench outscored Auburn 23-14, outrebounded them 11-5), they have great senior leadership (7 NC games between Padgett, Turner, & Evans), and the best coach in the SEC. Throw in the toughest schedule in the country and you have the formula for a repeat in St. Pete.

All of which spells trouble for the Dawgs. Although this is the kind of game that the Cats don't get up for - just like Florida and Ole Miss last year. In the SEC, if you get a team that goes through the motions, anything can happen. And up here the Dawgs have the reputation as being undermanned but hard nosed. So let's hope the Dawg's can hang with 'em.

01/23/98 - Here is another article I believe you guys will enjoy.

THOMAS WARNER
Delta Democrat Times

HOLLANDALE -- Simmons High basketball coach George Willis looks up at the banners hanging in his gymnasium proclaiming a 72-0 winning streak two decades ago and multiple state championships. This is his way of spotting something good these days regarding girls' basketball at the school.

"Those were the days," Willis said wryly prior to the start of another girls' practice on Tuesday.

Going into Friday's game with Amanda Elzy High, the Simmons girls (14-9, 5-4 District 3-3A) have still not developed any consistent team leadership.

"Every game we've won its been someone new who stepped up," Willis said. "And everyone is making too many mistakes for us to be a threat in the district. You can't do much without a leader."

Such is not the case for Willis' other team -- the Hollandale boys. The Blue Devils (16-7, 6-3 District 3-3A) haven't recognized the importance of going ahead and putting opponents away once they've gotten a lead. Willis has watched as inconsistent guard play has caused his squad problems but he says no team in the district is any better than Hollandale.

Jeffery Pam, Hernandez Moore, Freddie Winners, Martinez Williams have rotated around the backcourt while Reginald Causey, Lincoln Smith, Jasper Johnson, Rafiel Johnson, and Travis Barney are working at the forward and center spots.

"Rosedale, Amanda Elzy and South Delta are all a threat to win the district tournament, what we need to do is position ourselves for a good seeding when it comes time," Willis said.

Smith, a Mississippi State signee, is back in good stead after twisting his ankle at the start of the season and sitting out several early games. The 6-foot-10 center admits he thought too much about the injury when he first got back onto the floor, causing a mental block.

"I'm not thinking about it at all now," Smith said. "It's coming together now for this team. We have a goal among ourselves to make it to the State Tournament (in Jackson) and we believe we are going to make it. We have potential."

Just as Smith did this past fall, Hollandale's 6-foot-6 Jasper Johnson seems destined to someday ink a pact with the college of his choice. It was Johnson's scoring (24 points per game) which sustained the Devils during Smith's absence and his production has not diminished as the season has passed its midpoint.

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01/18/99 - MSU's Lady Bulldogs were defeated by Alabama 75 to 59 Sunday. MSU was led in scoring by freshman sensation Jennifer Fambrough with 21 points. Othe Bulldogs in double figures were Nitra Perry with 13 points and Litisha Benson with 10 points.

01/18/99 - Advertisement: Looking for a great deal on an vehicle, than check out Colbert Auto World's webpage on the internet by clicking here. Bulldog fan Mike Colbert is waiting to hear from you.

01/17/99 - Saturday, MSU defeated a very good LSU (9-5) team 55 to 53. MSU, now 13-5 overall, 3-2 in the SEC, was led in scoring by sophomore Tang Hamilton with 14 points (5 of 8 from the field, 3 of 4 free throws). Freshman Tyrus Boswell, in his longest playing stint as a Bulldog, played 10 minutes scoring 5 points (2 of 4 from the field, 1 of 3 free throws). Freshmen Marckell Patterson scored 6 points (3 of 4 FG in 12 minutes) and Robert Jackson 4 points (1 of 3 FG, 2 of 3 FT in 13 minutes).

P.S. MSU basketball signees Jonathan Bender (6-11), Lincoln Smith (6-10) and Jason Johnson (6-7.5) were at the game. See my MSU Football Skuttle-Butt for an uncomplete list of football recruits at the game yesterday.

01/17/99 - The Lady Bulldogs (10-5, 2-3 in the SEC) play Alabama at the Hump at 2 p.m. this afternoon. Come on out and support them.

01/14/99 - MSU lost a close one 61 to 59 to Arkansas last night. Miss State was led by senior Tyrone Washington with 14 points. No other Bulldog was in double figures. I know I'm not the coach but I would really like to see freshman Robert Jackson play more, at least on the offensive end. He has great offensive potential. Nice to see freshman Tyrus Boswell play in the first half. He will be a force when he gets in shape. Sophomore Joe Marshall can shoot the ball. Looking forward to seeing him play more as the season progresses. Freshman Marckell Patterson shows very good leadership ability.

01/13/99 - Be there: Miss State versus Arkansas at the Hump, 7 p.m. tonight. Big-time game needs a big-time crowd. Let's practice that famous MSU enthusiasm tonight for Saturday's game. Everybody up!!!!!

01/13/99 - Thought you guys would enjoy reading this great article by The Clarion-Ledger's Sekou Smith. It was in yesterday's C-L.

Making Mississippi State's downtrodden women's basketball program into a winner --- the Lady Bulldogs had won just 2 of 22 Southeastern Conference games the two seasons prior to her arrival --- was something that could never happen.

But sure enough, three seasons after the words were spoken, the Lady Bulldogs are showing signs they can compete in the nation's best women's basketball conference.

"We know we're headed in the right direction," said Fanning, who has won 48 games in 31/2 seasons in Starkville and guided State to a Women's NIT berth last year.

Fanning notched the program's first road win over a ranked opponent last season at No. 17 Georgia. She beat rival Ole Miss for only the second time in school history.

Fanning also guided the Lady Bulldogs to their first SEC Tournament win in 10 years last season, when they ousted Kentucky, the team she coached from 1987-95.

And the Lady Bulldogs knocked off perennial SEC contender Vanderbilt earlier this season.

More importantly, though, Fanning has given players and fans proof that she indeed was serious about making the program a competitor.

After three consecutive losses, the Lady Bulldogs bounced back for a crucial win at South Carolina Sunday, improving to 10-4 overall, 2-1 in the SEC.

"Winning at South Carolina was huge," Fanning said. "We're hoping we can become a more consistent team. Three of our four losses I felt we were immature in our focus. We allowed a run or a certain play to distract us.

"But we've been in all our games down the stretch, and that's important. It hasn't always been like that."

The Lady Bulldogs have three players averaging double figures in points, led by freshman Jennifer Fambrough (17.3) and junior Nitra Perry (14.5).

Forward LaToya Graham, the team's lone senior, is averaging 12.4 points and 6.6 rebounds.

"LaToya's had the toughest role of all," Fanning said. "She's adjusting and understanding that she doesn't have to take on all the pressure herself.

"This isn't a one-dimensional team. This is a team that finds a way to be successful by playing together."

Perry scored 18 points and snatched nine rebounds in the comeback win over South Carolina.

Three other State players scored in double figures in that game. Sophomore guard Meadow Overstreet added 17, Fambrough 16 and Graham 12.

Fambrough has been the biggest surprise to everyone except herself and Fanning. Fambrough scored 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 99-76 win over Northwestern (La.) State.

"I expected to come in here and compete and for this team to be competitive this year," said Fambrough, from Dickson, Tenn.

"I'm pleased with our progress but not satisfied," Fanning said. "We're working on the consistency, and our attitudes and expectations are moving in the right direction.

"I want us to be at the top of the SEC, and we won't stop working, even after we get there."

01/11/99 - The Lady Dawgs defeated South Carolina 69-65 on the road Sunday.

01/10/99 - Mary Ann and I went to Saturday's men's basketball game. We saw the coaches' wives at the game as well as Marckell Patterson's family and MSU President Dr. Portera and his family. There were about 50 MSU fans at the game. Now, back to the game. In a great defensive game, MSU (12-4, 2-1) defeated Alabama 55-50. Tyrone Washington continued to play like an All-SEC center with a great defensive effort and 15 points. Detrick White stepped up at the end of the game and hit a crucial 3-point (from NBA range) shot that iced the game. Sophomore Joe Marshall (good 3-pt shooter and outstanding defensive player) and freshman Marckell Patterson (showed he is a coach's son with his play) both played well on both ends of the court. Even though he only scored 2 points, freshman Robert Jackson continues to show glimpses of the great future he has at MSU. Just think, if we had pulled that one out at Georgia we would be 3-0 in the SEC. Oh well, 12 and 4 isn't too bad. BTW, did you guys see that GREAT jumbotron scoreboard Alabama has. We sure did. It keeps you informed as to how many points, fouls, etc. each player has. It also keeps up-to-date stats on both team. You can also watch the game on it's television screen. It's first class all the way. It would be great to have something like that at the Hump.

The Bulldogs are now 12-4, 2-1 in the SEC. Make sure you are at the Hump this Wednesday night to cheer them on to victory number 13 over Arkansas. The game will be broadcast on Jefferson-Pilot Television. Starting time is 7 p.m. This team has a chance to be very good but they need your sixth man support, so do your best to make the game. BTW, MSU has LSU up next (Saturday at 1 p.m. Also on J-P TV), then makes a road trip from heck when they travel to Ole Miss, Kentucky and Auburn.

01/09/99 - MSU plays Alabama at Tuscaloosa today. Game time is 11:00 a.m.

01/08/99 - The Lady Bulldogs, after leading 31-29 at halftime, were defeated 69 to 61 by the Lady Rebels.

01/08/99 - Check out the 1999 US Women's Open site by clicking here. It will be played at the Old Waverly Golf Club which is located in West Point, Mississippi.

01/07/99 - For the second straight SEC game, the Dawgs played very, very well against a good SEC team. However, this time the Bulldogs, now 11-4, came up on the short end with a 63-30 road loss to Georgia (11-3). Sophomore Tang Hamilton continued to exhibit the star qualities Coach Stansbury saw in him in high school with a 15-point effort (7 of 7 at the free throw line). Senior Tyrone Washington continued to play well with a 11-point effort. Junior point guard, Todd Myles, continuing to show improvement from last year, scored 8 points (two 3-pointers included) while playing a good point. Until he fouled out with 2:54 minutes to go, senior Oral Roberts played a very good defensive game against Georgia's outstanding player Jumaine Jones. Freshman Marckell Patterson hit a pressure packed 3-pointer near the end of the game that put the Dawgs ahead but Georgia came though at the end. With this very good road effort, this Bulldog team looks like it is going to be very competitive in the SEC where road victories will not be easy to come by for any team this year. Last night, in the SEC, our team was the only team that played well on the road.

BTW, sorry about the 7:30 game time post from last night. I didn't realize it was eastern time that was shown on the schedule.

01/07/99 - Our Lady Bulldogs take on Ole Miss tonight at 7:00 at Ole Miss.

01/07/99 - I noticed in yesterday's edition, The Clarion-Ledger mentioned, as I also did, that 7-footer Raynell Brewer has committed to MSU. He also considered Alabama, Houston and TCU. He is averaging 11.5 points-per-game (ppg), 9 rebounds-per-game (rpg), and 4.5 blocks-per-game (bpg) for the 10-3 Gulf Coast CC Bulldogs. Gulf Coast CC assistant coach, Wendell Weathers, said, "for a 7-footer, Ray is a tremendous athlete. He can run with the guards, he has good hands and pretty good passing skills."

01/06/99 - MSU plays at Georgia tonight. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Georgia, which is 6 and 1 at home, is winning by a 19-point margin at home.

01/06/99 - According to one of my sources, WLOX-TV in Biloxi reported last night that Raynell Brewer, one of the top 2 or 3 juco centers in the nation, has made a verbal commitment to MSU.

01/05/99 - In the latest issue of the ESPN magazine, our very own Tyrone Washington was listed as the second intimidator behind Martin of Cincinnati.

01/04/99 - The Lady Bulldogs, now 9-3, were defeated by LSU 68-61 yesterday. They played with great effort but just could not pull it out. Sorry, I did not keep stats for the game.

01/04/99 - Some of you have asked what former MSU basketball coach Richard Williams is doing. I was told at the game yesterday he and his wife, Diane, are building a house in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

01/03/99 - Miss State (11-3), in possibly their best game of the season, defeated South Carolina 66-60. Leading the Bulldogs was sophomore Tang Hamilton with 25 pts. (five 3-pointers). Also in double figures were seniors Tyrone Washing (11 pts.) and Oral Roberts (10 pts.). Freshman sensation Robert Jackson came in in the first half and looked outstanding on the offensive side of the court while scoring 8 pts. (he played a total of 8 minutes in the game). Watch this guy, Bulldog fans, he has the chance to be an offensive force before his MSU career is over. Freshman Marckell Patterson (4 pts.) played extremely hard and also played very good defense as did sophomore Joe Marshall. Junior point guard Todd Myles, once again, showed good leadership coming off the bench.

A little over 3,000 MSU fans were in attendance. Normally I would be very disappointed in that size of a crowd, but considering MSU had about 20,000 fans at the New Year's Day Cotton Bowl and most were traveling back Saturday and the students are still out of school, it wasn't that bad of a crowd. At least it was a very vocal crowd, which our team deserves.

BTW, I talked to one of the Bulldog fans who was with the team in Hawaii and she said the team was very tired and played with little emotion their first two games while in Hawaii. We both felt part of that was due to back-to-back tournament trips in California and Hawaii. (Think about it, the 7th and 8th place teams both played in those same two tournaments.) She said the team finally came to life it's third game. She and her husband got to know many of the players and she came away very impressed. They are a bunch of great guys. She also mentioned that one of the players told her it was disappointing that the team had to come all the way to Hawaii to hear a vocal MSU crowd.

01/02/99 - Don't forget, MSU and South Carolina open SEC action today at 2 p.m. Please support your basketball Bulldogs by being at the Hump. Who knows, MSU might have a top recruit or two at the game.

01/01/99 - Source: Bob Gibbons' All-Star Sports Reports: Winchendon (MA.) School, the prep school where former MSU signee Ontario Harper now plays, recently played in the FUMA Invitational Tournament, along with three other top post-grad prep schools. This event was attended by an unusually large number of college coaches because of the high level of talent. Top recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons also attended the event. Here is what Bob had to say about Ontario:
"One of the top athletes in this event. Limitless potential. Has improved perimeter shooting accuracy. Very explosive. Likely will re-sign with MSU Bulldogs."
In case you are wondering: Ontario averaged 16 pts per game during this two-day event.

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