MS Sports Magazine 2013-14 Basketball Preview by Mississippi Sports Magazine

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2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 1

GAMEDAY...

UPSIDE DOWN >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SOUTHERN MISS vs. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL Photo by Bobby McDuffie, MS Sports Magazine 2 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

HEAD TO HEAD <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

OLE MISS vs. TEXAS Photo by Michael Thomas (AP)

GAMEDAY...

DAK ATTACK >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MISS. STATE vs. LSU Photo by Aaron Boersma, MS Sports Magazine

2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 3

www.mssportsmagazine.com Volume 6, Issue 3 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE November/December 2013

Published by Pevey Publishing, LLC

Publishers Greg & Mendy Pevey

Featured Columnists Jake Adams, Rick Cleveland, Derrick Guin, Jake Wimberly

Contributing Writers John Davis, Paul Jones

Mississippi Sports Magazine™ is published bimonthly by Pevey Publishing, LLC to promote Mississippi’s sportsmen and women, colleges, universities, high schools, communities and citizens in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited! Return envelopes and postage must accompany all labeled materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Mississippi Sports Magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Pevey Publishing, LLC is not affiliated with any institution, college, university, or other academic or athletic organization. Subscriptions are $24 (1 year, 6 issues) or $40 (2 years - 12 issues). Make checks payable to Pevey Publishing, LLC and mail to: P.O. Box 5842, Brandon, MS 39047 or subscribe online at www.mssportsmagazine.com.

Contributing Photographers Aaron Boersma, Bobby McDuffie, Greg Pevey

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Pevey Publishing, LLC Mississippi Sports Magazine P.O. Box 5842 • Brandon, MS 39047 Phone: 601-503-7205 • Fax: 601-992-2885 email: publisher@mssportsmagazine.com www.mssportsmagazine.com

First Home Games Utica Campus Nov. 11 6 p.m. Women’s game 8 p.m. Men’s game

HindsCCsports.Com 1.800.HindsCC JACKSON • RANKIN • RAYMOND • UTICA • VICKSBURG Hinds Community College offers equal education and employment opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or veteran status in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Dr. Debra Mays-Jackson, Vice President for the Utica and Vicksburg-Warren Campuses and Administrative Services, 34175 Hwy. 18, Utica, MS 39175; 601.885.7002. 4 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

2 0 1 3 - 1 4

bas k etball

P R E V I E W

PACKED HOUSE...

Reed-Green Coliseum was the place to be last season during USM’s run in the NIT. Photo by Bobby McDuffie, Ocean Springs

CONTENTS...

COMMENTARY

6 REBEL NATION: JAKE ADAMS

FEATURES

NO SLOWING DOWN For nearly three decades, MSU’s Richard Akins has been a staple of Bulldog athletics

BREWING IS IN HIS BLOOD Ole Miss’ Billy Busch, Jr. looks to use degree to help famous family take over new market

EGG BOWLS PAST Former coaches and players relive some of their favorite Egg Bowl memories

SPECIAL SECTION

26 KEEPIN’ THE FAITH 34 INTO THE FIRE

Thrown into the starting lineup as Freshmen, Carig Sword and Gavin Ware are ready to take leading roles for Bulldogs this season

To Contact MSM > LETTERS, STORY IDEAS AND PHOTO SUBMISSIONS • Email MSM at publisher@ mssportsmagazine.com or mail to Mississippi Sports Magazine, P.O. Box 5842, Brandon, Mississippi 39047. Letters should include writer’s full name, address and home phone number and may be edited for clarity and space.

Sweet November

7 THE DAWGHOUSE: JAKE WIMBERLY

MSU is “Linebacker U.”

8 TO THE TOP: DERRICK GUIN

2013-14 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Ole Miss’ Jarvis Summers and LaDarius “Snoop” White’s faith keeps them in sync on and off the court

So now what?

56 RICK CLEVELAND

The Egg Bowl: What a Rivalry...

WHAT’S NEXT... JANUARY/FEBRUARY College Baseball Preview With Miss. State coming off a monumental run in the College World Series the Bulldogs look to make another psuh at a National Title. Ole Miss is looking to reload and make a CWS run of its own. USM would love to make another CWS run. All this and more! 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 5

REBEL NATION

Follow Jake Adams on Twitter® @OMRebelNation

>>>>>

Sweet November

JAKE ADAMS

ovember in Mississippi - there’s nothing like it. Hunting season is in full tilt, the holidays are upon us and college football is Photo by Mississippi Sports Magazine at its peak. Weekends will be filled with family and friends and of course...football. Meanwhile, Hugh Freeze and Co. want to erase any doubt which Each weekend the games will take on more and more meaning as the team is the “it” team in the Magnolia State. With continued recruitoverall season records and conference races take shape. ing success, a second straight Egg Bowl win may accomplish exactly November is a special month and it’s what college football is all that. about. There may even be some bowl hopes riding on the game, but at In recent years, Ole Miss played Arkansas and LSU this month the time of this writing it’s too early to tell. But that’s the thing about and gave us some incredibly exciting games and wins that we’ll the Egg Bowl, winning records go out the window. This one is all treasure for the rest of our days. And rarely does an Egg Bowl go about that Golden Egg and bragging rights. If you aren’t in Starkville by where another memorable moment - be it good or bad - doesn’t you’ll be glued to your flatscreen watching every play and cheering happen. like you were. There’s nothing more treasured in a rivalry than bragMany of our best memories of Ole Miss football come from the ging rights and we’d like to hold onto those another year. Going to month of November. There’s no reason to think that will be any difschool or work is more fun if Ole Miss wins. It just is. ferent this year. Top all that off with some of grandma’s Pumpkin Pie a la mode For Ole Miss, this November means home games against Arkanand Thanksgiving is sure to please. sas, Troy and Missouri. Arkansas will be looking to redeem itself Football isn’t the only excitement in store for us this November. under new coach Brett Bielema after falling to the Rebels last year. Ole Miss tips off its 2013 basketball season November 1st against The Missouri Tigers enjoyed a hot start to the season and will be South Carolina-Aiken. Home games against Troy, Mississippi Valley in the running for a bowl game when they visit Oxford. That game State and North Carolina A&T follow. The defending SEC Tournacould easily have bowl implications for both teams. ment Champions return three starters including the exhilarating There’s sure to be a chill in the air on those autumn evenings Marshall Henderson. With his free-shooting style and giant oninside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Coffee and hot cocoa will be court personality, Henderson is sure to liven up those weeks bepopular drinks in the Grove. You may even need a blanket on occatween football games. sion, but that’s exactly the way football is supposed to be, isn’t it? I’d The weekend after the Egg Bowl, the Rebel basketball team partrade a sweaty shirt for the chills and a blanket any day. ticipates in the Barclays Classic in Brooklyn, New York, where they And then as the ultimate cap to the season there’s that Thankswill face Georgia Tech and either Penn State or St. John’s. Those juicy giving night showdown with Mississippi State on ESPN. No matter early-season match-ups could make worlds of difference to the RPI what record the Rebels and the Bulldogs take into that game you come March and you won’t want to miss a shot. can bet the Battle for the Golden Egg will mean everything to both November is a big month. That’s why we gave you this big magateams, both coaches and, of course, us. zine. It’s full of articles about men’s and women’s basketball, the Egg Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen will want revenge after sufBowl and stories about legends from the past, like basketball greats fering his first loss to Ole Miss last year, and he’ll be looking to take Sean Tuohy and Keith Carter and former All-SEC defensive tackle back some of that recruiting momentum Hugh Freeze built up over Jesse Mitchell. the last two seasons. Mullen knows continued success in college We hope you enjoy this exciting issue....and this exciting month. football is all about buzz, and he’ll be looking to make some of his Hopefully, it will be a November to remember. own this Thanksgiving. Hotty Toddy! - MSM

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THE DAWGHOUSE

Follow Jake Wimberly on Twitter® @jakewim

>>>>>

MSU is “Linebacker U.” Photo courtesy MSU Media Relations

JAKE WIMBERLY

very person, school, state or country prides itself on something. It’s what we do as people, as we want to be known for something good or perceived as great. The State of Arkansas has WalMart, Texas has the oil industry and Florida has the tourism attractions and beaches. Bill Gates had Microsoft, Donald Trump has hotels and I pride myself on the amount of ketchup I can consume at one setting. The same thing applies to universities and their football teams. Alabama has their running back history, USC is known for having quarterbacks drafted and the State of Pensylvania breeds quarterbacks. When thinking about Mississippi State’s football history, we all know there just isn’t a lot to hang your hat on. Yes, there have been some great years, fun years - but, those are normally few and far-between. But, if you look really hard and pay attention, you will see that Mississippi State is “Linebacker U.” and it all started with D.D. Lewis. Born in 1945 in Knoxville Tennessee, he was the youngest of 14 children. Lewis was named Dwight Douglas after two great World War II generals, Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. Keep in mind, most people born back then were born into bigger families, worked very hard and most had a true sense of humility. You had too, to survive. The way athletes paint a “look at me” picture today, that never would have gone over well in those days. Lewis, like a lot of former Bulldogs played on some bad teams. The Bulldogs went a very quiet 7-23 during his time in Starkville but, that didn’t stop the quiet, hardworking Lewis. He was an All-SEC performer as a

D.D. Lewis

sophomore and followed that up with an AllAmerican honor. Lewis was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1968 in the sixth round with the 159th pick and all he did was produce while in Dallas. Lewis to this day holds the Cowboys playoff record with 27 games played. He played in 12 NFC Divisional contests and nine NFC Championships. Lewis also started 135 consecutive games on his way to playing in five Super Bowls. Lewis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and is also in the Mississippi and Tennessee Sports Halls as well. To say that Lewis set the gold standard for Mississippi State football would be an understatement. What Lewis actually did was much more. Not only does Lewis embody the majority of the Mississippi State family with his businesslike approach, humility and hard work ethic he showed on the football field; he also set the stage for 13 other linebackers to follow

his footsteps into the NFL and professional ranks and potentially more players to come. Mississippi State football often gets overshadowed by Alabama, LSU and even by the likes of the Manning’s and others in this state when talking about history or benchmark achievements. Not to mention, over time, the Bulldogs success on the football field is sparse when compared to other schools within the conference. But – if you take a look through the record books, the Bulldogs have sent some pretty impressive players on to the professional ranks and many of them played linebacker. After D.D. Lewis, came well known Bulldog, Johnie Cooks. Cooks amassed 373 total tackles in college and of those tackles, 241 of those were unassisted. To say that Cooks was a tackling machine would be an understatement. Cooks highlights in college include a See LINEBACKER U. - Page 31 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 7

to the TOP

>>>>>

Follow Derrick Guin on Twitter® @DerrickGuin

So now what?

DERRICK GUIN

t was this day that was meant for something good to happen for Southern Miss football and its fans. A day to talk about winning again at “The Rock”. It was circled on the schedule by many from the Vegas lines, to the media, trickling down to the fans, but most of all, the players and coaches also had this date circled. A football team from Florida, not many had heard of except it was a new member of a weak conference, and had lost to Louisville and UCF a few weeks prior by a basketball score of 110-Zero. Florida International was making its C-USA debut in Hattiesburg, MS at “The Rock”. Vegas had USM picked to win by at least two touchdowns, the media had USM to win easily, and most fans were already talking about playing at East Carolina the following week. But this day was not meant to be, as USM lost its 17th consecutive football game. If this date was not the day, then there may not be a day this year. FIU won not only its debut game in C-USA, but they won in one of the hardest places to play in college football. Hats off to FIU for doing something that not many teams have done and that is winning in Hattiesburg. So what now? Where does USM go? What happens the rest of the year? This game along with the first four games have really taken a toll on the football team. The Texas State game set the stage for the rest of the year, not Boise, not Nebraska, and not a very average SEC team in Arkansas. The loses to Texas State and now a team named FIU, is just mind boggling. Following players and fans on Twitter, this was the hardest game to swallow and lose. It all came down to a tipped Corey Acosta field goal attempt with three seconds to go that allowed FIU to win 24-23.

8 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Also note, Boise State blocked two field goals the week prior. Questions asked are all about the recruiting of former head coaches Larry Fedora and Ellis Johnson. How bad or how good of recruiting did Coach Fedora do on his last year at USM? Sure, Monken has inherited a basket case at USM. But just how long will it take Monken to get USM back to the winning days of just two seasons ago? My prediction is at least three, some say five seasons. Monken and his staff along with players and fans are tired of losing and the hugs and tears that go along with losing. There have been some bright spots with some of the young players and there are others trying to step up and win. Believe me, USM will get better, its just very obvious it’s not going to happen this year. Is there a possibility of getting the so called “monkey” off the Eagles backs and get that “W” somewhere in the schedule? Lets take a look at the rest of the 2013 games. Southern Miss will travel to East Carolina on October 13th, and the Eagles will have already played this game by the time this article will appear. USM fans really wanted to send a farewell to ECU before the Pirates join that American Conference. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be ECU that will send USM a farewell of its own. On October 26th, another newbie in CUSA but one that USM has played before in the 2004 GMAC New Orleans Bowl and won (31-10) is North Texas. UNT has at least won two games this season and lost to Tulane ( I know—Tulane) 24-21. The Mean Green is definitely a game USM can get that first win of the year. Next on the schedule is Marshall on November 2, its like this, The Eagles couldn’t beat Marshall in 2011 on the 12-2 C-USA championship team so the the Thundering Herd will more than likely win again on their home turf. After traveling to Marshall, it just doesn’t get any better. To Ruston, LA and Louisiana Tech. La.Tech was probably the best team at the time of the newbie’s coming into C-USA but new head coach Skip Holtz is not the same offensive mind of former head coach Sonny Dykes who left to take a similar job at California. The Bulldogs are off to a slow 2-4 start but did manage to beat a bad UTEP team in Dallas. Holtz (former ECU Head Coach) is

very familiar with Southern Miss but again, USM will have to play “lights out” to beat a stubborn Bulldog team at home. It is a game that the “Nasty Bunch” can win because of the style of smash mouth football of Holtz. Moving on—Southern Miss will play back to back home games for the first time of the 2013 schedule. Explosive Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State will make visits to Hattiesburg. FAU can put up some points but also are off to a slow start. Actually, the only positive starts so far is East Carolina (4-1, 2-0) and Tulane (4-2, 2-0). And again – Tulane. So respectively, no one left on USM’s schedule to date has more than three wins outside ECU. UAB has only won one game – but HEY the Blazers have won a game. And if the season comes down to beating UAB for the first win – you can probably say “Wrap it up in Gold and Green”. UAB has some kind of Voo-Doo jinx in all sports over USM. If you believe in USM, believe in the program and you are buying in to what Monken is selling – then it’s going to happen. Southern Miss will win and win a lot. It was just not the day circled or maybe even the year 2013. Quickly, basketball head coach Donnie Tyndall is excited about the upcoming season with the return of senior Guard Neil Watson and Jerrold Brooks. The squad won all its games in the Bahamas in a pre-season play earlier in August. Season ticket sales are at an all-time high after USM’s success from last years team that went to the semi-finals in the NIT. The Eagles will play DePaul in NABC Hall of Fame Game November 13 and also play Louisville November 29. If you want to go to the Virgin Islands for an early Christmas, then book your trip. USM will play in the BVI Tropical Shootout December 20 and 21 versus Coppin State and Jacksonville State/Arkansas State. In C-USA, Sothern Miss will play Tulane for the last time as a member of the conference along with Tulsa. Charlotte returns to C-USA from a former 2005 foe and UTSA will make its first appearance as well. Good Luck to Coach Tyndall and the men’s basketball team. Also don’t wanna leave out the Lady Eagles and head hoach Joye Lee-McNelis who looks to take the team to the post season for the first time since 2008. The Lady Eagles record in 2012 finished at 15-16 overall and 6-10 in CUSA. - MSM

Nov. 2 Nov. 4 Nov. 9 Nov. 11 Nov. 14 Nov. 16 Nov. 18 Nov. 21 Dec. 5 Dec. 9 Jan. 7 Jan. 13 Jan. 16 Jan. 21 Jan. 23 Jan. 27 Jan. 30 Feb. 3 Feb. 6 Feb. 10 Feb. 13 Feb. 17 Feb. 20

2013-14 Schedule

Holmes Coahoma MS Delta Holmes East MS AL Southern Coahoma MS Delta Meridian Pearl River East MS Hinds MS Gulf Coast Co-Lin Southwest Jones Meridian Pearl River Hinds MS Gulf Coast Co-Lin Southwest Jones

Home Home Home Away Away Away Away Away Away Away Home Home Away Home Home Away Home Home Away Home Away Away Home

1:00/3:00 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 1:00/3:00 p.m. 6:00/8:00 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 2:00/4:00 p.m. 6:00/8:00 p.m. 6:00/8:00 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:00/7:00 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 6:00/8:00 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 6:00/8:00 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 6:00/8:00 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m.

P.O. Box 129 • Decatur, MS 39327 • 1-877-462-3222 • www.eccc.edu East Central Community College is an equal educational and employment opportunity provider.

2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 9

ONCAMPUS

>>>>>

No Slowing Down

For nearly three decades, MSU’s Richard Akins has been a staple of Bulldog athletics BY PAUL JONES Contributing Writer

oaches come and go regardless of the level of sport and regardless of the sport. But for nearly three decades, Mississippi State strength coach Richard Akins has been a staple of Bulldog athletics and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. However, there was a time in Akins’ life where he thought his future in athletics would always be in the coaching ranks. Serving as the strength coach for numerous MSU sports, including his current stint with the MSU basketball programs, Akins graduated from Mississippi State in 1977 and would later coach at Grenada High School and then at Horn Lake High School. But in January of 1982 he arrived back at MSU to began his career in strength coaching. Outside of a two-year coaching stint at Heritage Academy, Akins has been involved with Bulldog athletics ever since. Yet it was a career Akins never envisioned when he graduated from MSU. “Not for one second,” said Akins. “To be honest, I thought I would be coaching in Grenada until I died. I started out coaching junior high football and I thought that is where I would remain. It was just the luck of the draw and my background was in powerlifting. I was a powerlifter for years and years and that part of my background game me the chance to be a graduate assistant at Mississippi State. “Back then, I was under Mississippi State’s first-ever full-time strength coach J.E. Loicano. He was at one time the head coach at Gulfport High School and was really the first coach who put an emphasis on weight lifting in high school football.” During his tenure at MSU, it’s obvious the individual sports have evolved whether it’s the athlete or the coaching schemes. But in weight training, Akins said the basics do not change or go in cycles. “There’s always new ideas out there,” Akins noted. “But what I’ve always strived to do is when you have something that works and works well, that’s what I have stuck with. My 10 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Photo by Greg Pevey, MS Sports Magazine

philosophy hasn’t changed much over the years. You have to have discipline and be fair with all the kids and be consistent in everything you do. Once kids figure out you treat them all the same, whether it’s an All-American or a walk-on, then the kids will respond with how you coach them. “The whole deal is if the kids know you care about them, then you will be able to work with them. Now we have changed a few things with what we do in the weight room but not a whole lot. It is basically the same type of program we had 20 years ago.” And that goes for different sports, too. Naturally, head coaches desire different areas of training depending on the sport. But the

basics all remain the same. “There is not a whole lot of difference when you are talking basketball, football, baseball or other sports,” said Akins. “My philosophy is to give the coaches the most flexible, most explosive and well-conditioned athlete I can give them. Then it’s up to the coaches to get them to play the sport well. “We hear about the rotator cuff in baseball and all those things. Any kid that plays with their hand above their head - baseball, softball, tennis or volleyball - then you do need to do more shoulder exercises. But building the best athlete I can is basically it and then I send them to the coaches. My deal is to build the most-rounded athlete I can.”

Photo by Greg Pevey, MS Sports Magazine

But it is not all work and no fun for Akins. There are enjoyable parts of his job and most of that centers around watching young kids become men and women. “Seeing the kids being successful and seeing them grow into young adults is very rewarding,” said Akins. “And I don’t talk to them much about their sport during workouts, we talk about other things. I mean, everyone else is talking to them about their sport so we talk about other things they have going on. I couldn’t tell you who averaged the most points or who led us in rebounds last year. But the big thing to me is to see them grow up and be good people and be successful 5-10 years after they leave. Those things are important to me. “Of course I want to win and I want us to win the SEC as bad as anybody does. Don’t get me wrong there. But these kids have enough people talking to them about their sport already. So a lot of times these kids need to talk about other things going on in their lives.” And Akins sees that respect returned in person once the athletes move on from college. “Probably once or twice a week I will hear from some of them,” said Akins. “And it’s not just with men’s basketball. (Former Lady Bulldog) LaToya Thomas was in here recently and when Erick Dampier, Daryl Wilson

or Russell Walters are on campus, they come by and see me. That means a lot to me that they would take time to come by and visit. I’ve had volleyball players, softball players and track kids and baseball players all stop by when they are on campus. If only for five minutes, it means a lot to me they would take time to see an old guy like me (laughing).” Along with tutoring numerous athletes in Starkville, Akins has also worked under several head coaches. Those changes, added Akins, go hand-in-hand with his job. “I will say this, a strength coach is only as good as the coach you work for,” said Akins. “If a coach lets you turn loose on them, then you can be really good. The thing people have to remember is we are doing something in the weight room and in conditioning that nobody wants to do on a daily basis. So you’ve got to have total control with what you are doing in both areas. When a coach supports you 100 percent you can do a good job. If not then you can struggle.” And that includes talking weekly to make sure everyone is on the same page. “I talk to the coaches at least three or four times a week, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on their schedule,” said Akins. “Rick (Ray) may be on the road recruiting but will still send me text messages and we interact a lot. You have to sit and listen to what they want and then apply it to

what you do. If you have a great situation, then you are both talking philosophy and you mesh them together and go from there.” Of course, athletes train in the offseason and during the season as well. And that schedule can vary depending on which season it is. “It doesn’t change a whole lot when we are in the season,” Akins noted. “We train two days a week but that can depend on what part of the season it is and depends on the travel schedule. If we are going to South Carolina and Florida one week and then coming back and heading out to Arkansas, we will adjust the schedule because we want them fresh on the court. If we have three straight home games we may go harder. But you never want them to run out of gas on the court because of something stupid we did in the weight room.” Speaking of the court, it is also common for Akins to be observing other things than just the scoreboard. “When I watch the game I want to see what our guys look like performing on the court,” said Akins. “At what point did Gavin Ware get tired and is he good for 5-6 minutes straight going up and down the floor? Are we as quick in the last 6-7 minutes of the game as we were in the first 6-7 minutes of the game? “I am watching the game but not really watching the game, if that makes sense. I am seeing how we are performing from a physical standpoint and I do the same thing when watching practice. I have developed 8-10 conditioning drills based on what they do on the floor. Most of the time I am watching to see how they play when they get fatigued so I can bring that back to what we do in the weight room.” Looking towards the 2013-14 MSU basketball campaigns, Akins said he holds great excitement for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs. Last year was the debut season for both men’s coach Rick Ray and women’s coach Vic Shaefer at MSU. “We talked about maturity a lot this summer with our kids,” Akins said. “We had a great summer with both the men and women and their work ethic was tremendous. I am ready for the season to start, to be honest. When you have kids that are performing well at something they were brought here to do, you have a good chance to be successful.” And for Akins, building up MSU athletes is something he was brought to Starkville to do and no doubt, he has been successful in his career. As long as he enjoys coming to work every day, which he does, he plans to hang around just a bit longer. “As long as I still enjoy doing what I do, I will be here as long as they let me,” said Akins. “In this business you never know but I still enjoy what I do.” - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 11

SPORTSBIZ

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Brewing is in his Blood Billy Busch, Jr. looks to use his marketing degree from Ole Miss to help his family build popular new brand of beer and bring it to Mississippi BY JOHNDAVIS Contributing Writer

Photos Courtesy Anheuser-Busch

ootball is keeping Ole Miss junior linebacker Billy Busch busy right now. In the future, he is hoping his degree in marketing and his family business of brewing quality beer will be the things that keep him

busy. The 5-foot-11, 230-pound Busch is the son of William K. Busch, who is the great grandson to Adolphus Busch, the co-founder of the brewing magnate Anheuser-Busch. The goal of developing and ultimately brewing a pure, American beer was established exactly two years through the creation of Kräftig brands. The premium beer is made with four ingredients, pure water, barley malt, hops and yeast. The light lager that is available to the public recently won two gold medals, one at the United States Open Beer Championship and the at the North American Beer Awards. Kräftig is a simple recipe, yet one that has been defined for hundreds of years from brew masters in Germany, through the Reinheitsgebot method that dates back to 1516. Kräftig is not a craft beer, it’s a premium beer in a similar vein to other large beers that are made and distributed in America, but with the difference being developed and tasting much like a craft beer. “We want to compete with the biggest distributors out there such as Anheuser-Busch’s,

12 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Billy with family members during the 2013 Grove Bowl.

Miller, Coors. Our ultimate goal is to become nationwide and distribute even globally in the far future, Billy Busch said about his father’s business. “Dad is temporarily brewing in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He has plans to build in St. Louis in the future. Football and getting my degree is keeping me busy but my goal is to help out in the future.” William Busch said Kräftig is brewed currently out of City Brewery in Wisconsin and the goal in the future is to be in St. Louis and then distribute from there to many, many other parts of the country, he said. The marketing degree that Billy Busch is close to achieving is going to be used to spread his father’s new beer to more places,

including Oxford. “I want to get the word out there and from that standpoint, help as best I can. No matter what, I was going to go the business route when I got here. I haven’t really thought through the degree, like the field, but that will come,” Billy Busch said. “I think my dad has brought a great product back because his point of difference is this German-style brewing where it’s just extremely pure beer. There are just four natural ingredients when we brew this beer and what sets us apart from all those other big names out there and we hope to utilize that. This is also a very affordable beer, similar to the Budweiser’s the Bud Light’s price wise.”

William Busch added that he is hoping that his son becomes a part of the family business. “He is the great, great grandfather of a beer brewing dynasty that brewed beer in this country until 2008 when the company was sold. I would love to see Billy use his marketing degree and be another part of the brewing dynasty if he so chooses,” William Busch said. “Our goal is to expand, to bring this beer to Mississippi and Oxford. We love Oxford, we love the people, the Southern atmosphere and we’re proud of Billy and him playing football and just how hard he’s worked.” Until Billy Busch can graduate, he’s content on helping the Rebels on special teams and as a linebacker. “I want to do everything I can to contribute to this program, whether it’s on special teams or backing up at linebacker. I willing to be versatile and play any position they put me at,” said Billy Busch, who had no real ties to Ole Miss prior to his arrival from St. Louis. “Surprisingly there are a lot of people that come down here from St. Louis. It’s an easy drive. I just wanted to leave the state of Missouri and try something new and I figured the South was the way to go and driving as easy as it is, it was a good location for me,” Billy Busch said. “I really love the atmo-

sphere here and the fan base. They seem to stick with the team through thick and thin. The fans are perfect.” Family is obviously very important to Billy

Busch is the oldest of seven children. He said his parents come quite often down to Oxford, a place his family has grown to love. “My parents bought a condo here and I have a lot siblings so in the future, if they want to come here, they can hang out. They have their own room there and if a sibling ends up coming to school here, it can stay in the family,” Billy Busch said. “I have a sister who is 20, another sister who is 19 and then a 17-year-old brother. I have another 15-yearold sister, an 11-year-old sister and a 7-yearold brother. They all love this atmosphere, this town, everything that’s going on here. They love the school spirit. That’s a big thing with our family, school spirit.” Billy’s father played linebacker at Missouri and he said his dad was excited when the Tigers were asked to join the Southeastern Conference more than two years ago. “I have a lot of family, not just my father, who also attended there so it’s going to be a huge game when we play later this year,” Billy Busch said. “We are looking forward to that game and to watch the game down here, with Billy playing, with all the family,” William Busch said. “My son August, we call him Gussie, is a senior football player and he is very interested in Ole Miss right now as well.” - MSM

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2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 13

FLASHBACK EGG BOWL

>>>>>

MEMORIES OF

EGG BOWLS PAST We look back with past Ole Miss and Miss. State players and coaches as they reflect on their fondest memories in the Battle for the Golden Egg

INTERVIEWS BY JOHN DAVIS (Ole Miss) and PAUL JONES (Miss. State) Contributing Writers

egarded as one of the longest-standing rivalries in the country, the Mississippi State-Ole Miss annual battle may be under-appreciated for the intensity of that rivalry. However, with each passing season, the Egg Bowl contest appears to becoming more intense regardless of the situation or the records on both sides. More times than not, that is proven moreso with the fans. Whether it be due to social media or the ‘what have you done for me lately’ mindset, the Egg Bowl deter-

14 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

mines the mood of both programs for at least one year, if not longer in some cases. Rarely do both teams enter the Egg Bowl with winning records and ruining the other team’s season has been a rallying cry more times than not. Which makes the intensity of the rivalry even more amazing to Bulldog fans and Rebels fans throughout the Magnolia State. From the inside looking out, former Bulldog and Rebel players and coaches believe the intensity of the rivalry is higher among the fans. But that doesn’t mean that annual meeting in November has no bearing on the players.

OL - Warner Alford Warner Alford, Ole Miss’ long-time athletics director, remembers a number of big games between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Alford, a native of McComb, first came in contact with the rivalry as a high school player. He remembers driving up to Oxford with a bunch of his friends on the Friday after Thanksgiving to watch the annual game. Alford’s appreciation for the matchup with the Bulldogs increased when he came to Ole Miss and played under the legendary Johnny Vaught. Alford said it was made clear when he first got to Ole Miss that the Egg Bowl was important. “When we were players, you played one platoon. You played a freshman schedule. We played LSU, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State at the end. It was a big deal because a lot of the assistant coaches had Ole Miss backgrounds. They played here so it wasn’t just another game, it was the game,” Alford says. “When we play LSU, it’s a rival game but when you’re playing Mississippi State, it’s different. Most of the time we played against these guys in high school and we knew who they were. It was also at the end of the year and there always seemed to be a bowl Warner Alford - Photo Ole Miss Athletics on the line when we played.” Alford was a freshman at Ole Miss in 1956. He redshirted in 1957 and then played 1958-1960. The Rebels won all three matchups with the Bulldogs and 29 overall games. Alford said a big reason why the Rebels had the Bulldogs’ number back then was because of former Ole Miss basketball coach, Bonnie Lee “Country” Graham. “We had one coach who only scouted Mississippi State back then. Coach Graham was not only the basketball coach but he also played at Ole Miss as an end. He and Wobble Davidson coached the freshman team. He saw Mississippi State play every Saturday, wherever they went, in Starkville or on the road,” Alford said. “Now you can figure out if it was important or not. When we got ready for the scouting report, he had everything. He didn’t have to look at a note, he had everybody’s position everybody’s name, how much they weighed. I don’t know how long he did that, but he did as long as I was there.” After graduating from Ole Miss, Alford went in to coaching for a time period before returning as AD. Another game in the rivalry that stands out to him was the 1973 contest, Johnny Vaught’s last as head coach. “I was coaching and we played in Jackson and Bob Tyler was the head coach at Mississippi State. That year Billy Kinard was fired after the third game and Coach Vaught came back as AD and head coach. If we beat Mississippi State, it meant we would have a winning season,” Alford said. “The big thing was Coach Vaught had come back in the middle of the year and we were able to beat our rival in Jackson. That was a big deal because of what it meant to have him back.”

QB/Coach - Rocky Felker Former MSU quarterback and head coach Rockey Felker has had

the unique experience of playing and coaching in the Egg Bowl. And those Egg Bowl memories and rivalry games continue on for Felker, who has served as the Bulldogs’ Director of Player Personnel since Dan Mullen arrived in Starkville nearly five years ago. And to Felker, he is also a firm believer the in-state rivalry has grown stronger of late. “I think it has gotten more intense with the fans,” said Felker. “When I think about playing in it back in the 70s, it was still the biggest game of the year and the most important one and kind of a season within itself. But I think fans have gotten more into it now and are a lot more vocal and into the game.” “And I don’t ever remember fans rushing the field after the Egg Bowl when I played. But now we’ve had our fans rush the field after the Egg Bowl and Ole Miss has, too. Plus, it is such an even rivalry. You go back to the 70s and look at the win-loss record and it’s pretty even. When the Egg Bowl moved back to the respective campuses in 1991, that added more pride and pressure, as well, to end the regular season with that victory. “I think it intensified it more,” said Felker. “Just the fact of when you play it on your campus, that is your home so it is more intense. When you played in Jackson it Rocky Felker - Photo Miss. State Media was a neutral field, fans Relations take to it more now that it is back on campus and fans take a lot of pride in that.” Whether it was as a coach or as a player, Felker said keeping your emotions in check during Egg Bowl week, and then in the game, can be quite the challenge. “I think it is hard as a player and as a coach,” said Felker. “The players get so emotionally into it that sometimes you lose sight of what your job is. You get so wrapped up and there is so much trashtalking going on and jumping up and down. You see that more now than you did 30 years ago.” During his five-year coaching tenure, Felker only captured one Egg Bowl as the Bulldogs’ head coach. But he encountered more success in his previous Egg Bowls as a player. “I was 2-2 as a player in the Egg Bowl and I was hurt one year, my junior year with a broken leg, and didn’t get to play,” said Felker. “But my senior year was probably my biggest memory. We had a really good year up until then and won seven games and were 7-3 and then finished up with a convincing win in the Egg Bowl to cap off the season.” And in his final Egg Bowl as a player, Felker still carries with him a lasting memory. It was one that he paid a price for but was a fond memory today. “Probably the one where I got the heck knocked out of me,” said Felker with a laugh. “We ran the option then and on one play, I didn’t score but I pitched it to Walter Packer and he scored on that play and he had a great game that day. “But I was running the option and trying to make the defender decide to take me or not. Well, he took me and knocked the crap out of me. But I pitched the ball and Walter walked into the end zone.” 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 15

DB/Coach Billy Brewer Billy Brewer used to sell Coca-Colas at the annual Egg Bowl. As a boy growing up in Columbus, Brewer made money off the game working up a sweat at Davis Wade Stadium. “One of the first football games that I saw Ole Miss and Mississippi State play was in Starkville with Ole Miss winning something like 49-7 with Showboat Boykin scoring seven touchdowns,” said the former Ole Miss head coach. “Looking back at it in my later years after being a coach, they never changed the defense, they never changed the blocking scheme. That was just it. They outpersonneled them.” What Brewer gained from the experience lead him to use down the road when he became an Ole Miss player under coach Johnny Vaught and the head coach of Ole Miss from 1983-1993. “I think Coach (Hugh) Freeze and his staff are getting back to this, but it means more to the in-state kids to where when you’re playing this football game ... it used to be in my era predominately that they knew each player in the state of Mississippi,” Brewer said. “The coffee shop talk will get a coach fired quicker than anything if you don’t win this ballgame. This is the primary game whether you think it is or not because of that.” The game that Brewer recalled as fondly as any was his first as head coach, in 1983, in a game that was dominated by the Bulldogs early and won late by the Rebels. Ole Miss entered the game on a roll, having won four straight. One more win and the Rebels were headed to the Independence Bowl. “We had developed into a good football team that played hard. We weren’t great, but we played hard, but they were night and day better than we were,” Brewer said. “We did things on offense and defense that structurally fitted our personality. Chemistry wise, we became a good football team. Me being a player and now being a coach could sell and promote what Billy Brewer - Photo Ole Miss Athletics the Mississippi State game meant to me as a player and a coach and the aliments of Ole Miss. I don’t know if it made a lot of difference that first half because they had us down 21-0 and the last play of the half they had to punt the ball.” Ole Miss was able to return the punt for a touchdown, giving the Rebels some life. After that, they controlled the second half until MSU got into field goal position very late in the game. “They had an outstanding kicker, one of the best I’ve been around in Artie Crosby. We called timeout and they called timeout. We’re the visiting team. We’re opposite the press box in Jackson. Why (MSU coach Emory Bellard) didn’t move the ball to the right hash mark I do not know. You kick the ball at the post, the wind will blow it across. I’ve coached kickers and I knew that in all my years of the coaching business. I said this kid can kick it from anywhere he is. It didn’t make any difference,” Brewer recalled. “My son Brett is on the sideline and he said they were going to move on the right hashmark. I said I understand that. He killed the ball twice where it was. I haven’t since that before and I haven’t seen it since, how the ball, what happened to the ball. “We didn’t have the video replay then but I’m not so sure it didn’t 16 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

cross the cross bar. Anyway they kick the ball for the winning field goal. The Mississippi State stands got up and roared. Some guys can’t look, I’m looking and I thought it was good. Then the Ole Miss fans got up. The whole (stadium) was full. The kick is on its way and the rotation on the ball, it’s like a little single engine plane. You cut the motor off and it kicks back the opposite direction. That’s exactly what this ball did. The wind caught it, stopped it, reversed it and blew it back and it fell down right in front of the crossbar. We win.” The victory is now known as the Emaculate Deflection. Brewer still remembers what he told Bellard as the two were about to shake hands. “As Emory came across the field, he said ‘Billy, I’ve never seen anything like this in all my days of coaching.’ I gave him kind of a smart alec deal,” Brewer said. “I said ‘Emory, God’s a Rebel. He’s not a Bulldog, he’s an Ole Miss Rebel.’ He said get out here boy in that old Texs drawl.”

QB - Sleepy Robinson Considered one of the all-time favorites among Bulldog fans, former MSU quarterback Sleepy Robinson actually experienced just one win in the Egg Bowl. He was part of back-to-back losses in 1989-90, one of which included a huge fight on the field inside Jackson’s Memorial Stadium. Then Robinson, a Jackson native, was injured early in the 1992 season and didn’t experience the Egg Bowl that year. But his lone victory was a memorable one and for more reasons than just beating Ole Miss. In that season, MSU claimed a 24-9 victory in 1991 and it was the first season that the Egg Bowl made a return to MSU’s campus. Ever since, MSU and Ole Miss have hosted the Egg Bowl on each campus and that naturally brought a lot of increased intensity. “It was very electrifying and I remember that week,” Sleepy Robinson - Photo Miss. State Media said Robinson. “When Relations it returned to campus, everyone had parties all week long and everybody was pretty excited. We had high expectations going into that game, too, and knew if we won we were going to a bowl game. We stretched their defense out and I won MVP in that game and that was a great memory. “I also remember a play on the goal line in that game. I am not sure of the score at the time but Ole Miss had a little cornerback that came up and tried to stop me from scoring. I met him head-on and bowled him over and it actually knocked my helmet off.” After spending the previous decade or so coaching in the high school ranks, Robinson returned to MSU this summer and is serving as the staff ’s assistant recruiting director. And yes, that Egg Bowl date is still circled on his calender. “It was a dream of mine to come back where I shed blood, sweat and tears,” said Robinson. “The Egg Bowl is the main game of the year and it doesn’t matter what happened in the past because it’s the Egg Bowl. I want to get that win just like I wanted it when I was a player. “We keep a countdown clock to that game in our locker room and

there is always an emphasis on that game and that is how it should be.” Since his playing days at MSU, Robinson said due to twitter and Facebook and the normal recruiting battles, there does seem to be more of an emphasis these days on the Egg Bowl. And that doesn’t pertain to Egg Bowl week. “Most definitely,” said Robinson. “A lot of kids are on social media and tweeting all the time. So this competition and rivalry goes all year long. When I was younger we didn’t have as much attention on the game but now with the non-stop media, you always hear people talking about the rivalry. People enjoy their football in this state and their is a lot of focus on the two in-state SEC programs. “People want those bragging rights and you want the upper hand in the Egg Bowl so you carry that momentum to the next season. The Egg Bowl is a bowl game within itself and a game to see who runs this state.”

QB - John Fourcade

John Fourcade had no trouble isolating his most memorable matchup with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Of the three wins he had as a starter at quarterback, it was his senior year, in 1981, that the Rebels ended up winning 21-17 that was Fourcade’s most cherished one simply because he was the player that scored the gamewinning touchdown. “My last game, my last play was against Mississippi State. They were winning the game, they came back. They kicked a field goal with 34 seconds left. On third down, instead of running the clock out, they kicked and went up by three with about 34 seconds left. They kicked it back to us, we drove down the field with a couple of passes and then their was a pass interference call against them that put it on the 1-yardline,” Fourcade recalls. “With three seconds left, we ended up calling my play that I John Fourcade - Photo Ole Miss Athletics ran all year long and scored the winning touchdown on my last play ever, beating Mississippi State with two seconds left. To this day, I don’t know why they kicked on third down. It was great for me because it was my last play in a college football uniform.” Fourcade drew his first start at Ole Miss in 1978 against the Bulldogs, a game the Rebels won 27-7. “It’s a game that no matter what happens throughout the year, no matter what the record, you throw it all out the window. It’s such a hated battle amongst the two teams at the end of the season,” Fourcade said. “You like each other when it’s all said an done but for three, three and a half hours it’s a war. Trust me, when you score the last play of your college career against your nemesis, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, on the other side, picking up the Egg Bowl trophy was easy. Knowing what it mean to us, we started the season off badly, but to end it on a good note with a win over Mississippi State, the joy and the accolades that came with that game were unbelievable.”

PK - Scott Westerfield

Former MSU kicker Scott Westerfield experienced the winning

side and losing side of the Egg Bowl during his All-SEC career for the Bulldogs. Concerning that winning side, Westerfield had a lot to do with the Bulldogs’ victory in the 1999 Egg Bowl. It was Westerfield’s last-second field goal that lifted MSU to a remarkable comeback in a season where last-minute rallies were a common theme. MSU rallied with 10 points in the final two minutes that night as Davis Wade Stadium erupted moments later. “To be honest, even though we’d come back in so many games that year, I didn’t think we would win it,” said Westerfield. “Ole Miss did an excellent job of shutting us down for most of that game. But like other games that year, things just started to click. It wasn’t play-calling or anything like that because we were running the same plays. “It didn’t dawn on me until C.J. Sirmones caught that touchdown pass, the one where nobody was within 20 yards of him. That is when I thought we could win this thing. Then I was shocked to see Ole Miss throwing the ball on their next possession. I thought they would send it into overtime and rely on their defense. Then Robert Bean and Eugene Clinton did their soccer impression on that interception.” And then it was Westerfield’s turn to play hero and he did just that in the 23-20 victory. “Being one of the shortest guys on the field, I was just trying to see where Eugene went out-of-bounds on his return,” said Westerfield. “I didn’t see it at first and then I saw we were going to line up and kick a field goal. Ole Miss called a timeout right when I got set up. So I trotted over to the sideline and did my own thing, focused on the uprights and it went through. Thank goodness it went through.” During his playing days, Westerfield Scott Westerfield - Photo Miss. State Media noted it may have been Relations more personal between the players due to the fact both rosters had more players from the Magnolia State. “I am not sure of the breakdown today but back then, most of the rosters for both teams were Mississippi kids,” said Westerfield. “So you literally knew at least half of their roster or played against them in high school. Or if they were a couple of years older than you, then you went and saw them play.” Which obviously added to the intensity of the rivalry, said Westerfield. But he also thinks in today’s Egg Bowl, that higher intensity may belong to the fans. “It is a different feel all week of the Egg Bowl with the players,” said Westerfield. “Coach (Jackie) Sherrill made it feel different and Coach (Dan) Mullen emphasizes it today, too. You always felt the intensity of practice that week and it all leads up to the game. “But I think the fans have really turned up the rivalry and then you have the pressure the coaches are under. Fans want instant results with today’s coaching salaries and they want the result in the Egg Bowl. It has always been a big deal with the players but has really intensified with the fans of late.” - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 17

Photo by Bobby McDuffie Ocean Springs, MS

2013-2014

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 18 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 19

Ole Miss REBELS QUICK FACTS >

Coach: Andy Kennedy Arena: C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum Capacity: 9,061 2012 Record: 27-9 Overall, 12-6 SEC, 16-1 Home, 6-6 Away, 5-2 Neutral Tournament: NCAA, 3rd Rd.

By JOHN DAVIS

Contributing Writer Photos by Bobby McDuffie

ndy Kennedy’s goal of getting the Ole Miss Rebels back in the NCAA Tournament finally came last season. After seven seasons in Oxford, and being oh so close several times, Kennedy was able

20 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

to break the drought by guiding the Rebels through and up and down regular and into a championship at the annual Southeastern Conference Tournament. Now, after accomplishing his main goal since his arrival, Kennedy and the Rebels are looking to make a return appearance in the Big Dance. “It’s hard for me to even believe that I’m entering my eighth season. Time flies. I don’t approach the preseason any differently than if we had won 27 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament than I did in the prior years when we were trying to cross threshold. For me, the approach is the same,” Kennedy said. “The one thing that I have seen, and it’s a good thing, is I can talk about it. I played in the

Marshall

HENDERSON >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Derrick

MILLINGHAUS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NCAA Tournament, I’ve coached in the NCAA Tournament as an assistant. I had experienced that before and I had talked about it and I always tried to tell our guys that this was necessary in order to achieve that goal. Now that they’ve achieved it, I think they have a better understanding of what we’re talking about. I can just sense it, it has become an expectation. They got a taste and they want more. They’ve been very diligent in their work throughout this offseason preparing themselves what was accomplished a mainstay.” KEY LOSSES

Ole Miss lost three important members to a team that finished 27-9 overall. Gone are forwards Murphy Holloway and Reginald Buckner and swingman Nick Williams. Each were critical to the Rebels’ success in 2012-13 and Kennedy said all three were hard to replace. “We’re losing three valuable pieces to our team, one being the all-time leading rebounder (Holloway) and the other being the all-time leading shot blocker (Buckner) in the history of our program. Then the third piece of the puzzle, Nick Williams, was a glue guy and really an emotional leader for that group. Those guys

helped Ole Miss basketball take that next step by claiming an SEC Championship and advancing in the NCAA Tournament,” Kennedy said. “For that, they will not be easily replaced. We do return five of our top eight players. There are a number of question marks moving forward with the Marshall (Henderson) situation and then injuries to (Aaron Jones) and (Demarco Cox) and how they’ve recovered from those.” Jones tore his ACL last January when the Rebels hosted Kentucky. Cox was injured prior to the start of last season and played sparingly. Henderson, meanwhile, led the team and SEC in scoring (20.1 points per game) and was the main cog in the championship run. Henderson, one of only two seniors on the team, is currently suspended heading into the season. His status is still an unknown, according to Kennedy, but Henderson is working on being reinstated after failing a drug test during the summer. “There is a program set up in place. When I suspended him early July, we meaning me and the administration sat down and put a plan in place for Marshall. This is what you need to do if you’re going to earn the right, and that’s how we termed it, earn the right to put a uniform back on and represent the university. He’s been 100 percent compliant from that point forward,” Kennedy said. “He had no access to the facility, no interaction with the team. He had to do a number of things from then until school started in late August, a six, seven-week period. He was compliant with the program up that point. Then when we started weights, conditioning, individual development, he had earned the right to be back and involved in that and now he’s been doing what is demanded of him to put the uniform back on once these games start rolling around.” Kennedy felt like Henderson would be ready for the season opener on Nov. 8 against Troy, but there was an honest hope on his part that Henderson would take steps as a person as well during that time period. “We’ve got a structure set in 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 21

place and there are a number of people that are trying to help him on a number of fronts. College is a time for learning lessons, it’s a time for you to set your life in motion and my goal for Marshall, and I think it’s his goal, to reach that goal,” Kennedy said. “Ultimately I’ve always said this: Learning is a shared responsibility. I can only do so much and then it becomes his choice as to what he chooses to do. My goal for him, he’s only 22, 24 hours away from graduating, would to leave here with a college degree and having experienced two great years both on and off the floor. He still has the opportunity to do that but obviously his options are becoming limited.” Ole Miss has already started practice — the men were able to start practice 40 days ahead of the season opener for the first time — and so far Kennedy liked what he saw. “I could not be more pleased with how the guys have approached the offseason. We’ve got a new rule this year in college basketball where we have 30 practices in 40 days. We used to start practice in mid October but now the whole thing has been accelerated for us which is good. We’re working on a lot of things and trying to get a lot of new guys involved into what we do,” Kennedy said. “It’s good for us and it allows to go at a pace with A.J. coming off an ACL and Cox coming off a double surgery. Jenari (Joessar) is still nursing a surgically repaired foot from this summer. The new schedule allows us not to have to go five, six days in a row for those injured guys.” Newcomers With the injuries to Jones and Cox, Kennedy will have to rely on two freshmen — Dwight Coleby and Sebastian Saiz — to make up for the loss of Holloway and Buckner right away in the frontcourt. Both are 6-foot-9 and both have more than enough talent to be forces inside for Kennedy, who was very excited about their overall length. “I’m excited about all four of our incoming freshmen but the opportunities present itself in different ways. We lost Murph and 22 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Jarvis

SUMMERS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reg and having A.J. coming back from the ACL. There is a huge opportunity for them as it relates to minutes that are there to be had on our front line,” Kennedy said. “Sebastian pursues the ball. That’s what he does. He’s 6-foot9 about 235. He’s extremely long, the longest player in the history of our program. He’s got a 7-5 wingspan, freakishly long. To put that in perspective, Nerlens Noel was 7-3 5/8 and (Kevin) Durant is 7-6. This kid is exceptionally long, has a nose for the ball and plays with a motor. The one pleasant surprise since he’s been on campus is his ability to face up

LaDarius “Snoop”

and shoot the ball out to about 17, 18 feet. He’s a guy that, no question, is going to play major minutes for us moving forward. “His cohort, Dwight Coleby, is also around 6-9, 235 on his way to 240. He’s at 7-1 with his length. He’s strong and he’s physical, he’s athletic at the basket. He also has a nice touch. So both of the guys, coupled with A.J. and Bear (Cox), we feel good about those four guys moving forward.” Kennedy did have another returner in the frontcourt — Terry Brutus — but he was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL in practice.

WHITE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Without him, we wouldn’t be wearing a ring, we wouldn’t have been in the position we were because when AJ went down, he went from a situation where he was a possible redshirt candidate to playing eight to 12 minutes a game and he had moments where he was big for us,” Kennedy said. MOST IMPROVED The individual Kennedy felt like could take up Williams role saw some time last year. Anthony Perez, a sophomore from Venezuela, showed promise as the year went on and now, Kennedy expects him to be at a different level because he is playing the position — small forward — he is more suited for. “Anthony Perez is probably as talented as a player as anybody on our team. He probably had the least amount of opportunity based on the fact that he was playing behind a fifth-year senior in Nick Williams. I had a great deal of comfort in Nick because I always knew where he was going to be on the floor and be where he was supposed to be. He was playing behind that guy,” Kennedy said. “Anthony’s minutes were squeezed and then we tried to push him to the four, which is really not his natural position based on lack of strength, at one time last year. He was in a mix where it was hard for him to get solid footing. This year, I see a stronger Anthony and a player who has a better understanding of what we’re doing and what his role is on the team. I expect him to really be able to help us out with his length and the other things he can do for us in our offense.” Two other reliable faces are juniors Jarvis Summers, the Rebels’ main point guard, and LaDarius “Snoop” White. Kennedy called Summers “steady” and White “versatile.” Summers averaged 9.1 points and 3.8 assists per game last year, while White averaged 6.4 points per game in 20 minutes of action. Both figure into the starting role in some capacity, although White may end up being the top reserve off the bench because he can play so many different positions. Another returner is sophomore

Derrick Millinghaus, who played a key role with Summers out of the lineup in the SEC Tournament. Millinghaus’ speed was used when Kennedy wanted to increase the tempo during games last year. SCHEDULE Ole Miss opens with Troy and then faces Coastal Carolina on the road. The Rebels take on Kansas State in early December and then host Oregon, a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 last year, three days later. Overall, the Rebels’ non-conference slate is a tough one based on how teams fared last year. It should be helpful from an RPI standpoint and if the Rebels can hold their own in the SEC, should be a benefit when it comes time to select at-large teams for the NCAA Tournament. “We felt like when we put the schedule together that we wanted to create opportunities. That’s what it’s about, we wanted to create quality opportunities for wins in the non-league because once you get into league play, it’s going to be a blood bath regardless of who you play or what league you’re in. When you have 18 league games, it’s a long season,” Kennedy said. “There are going to be a number of quality opportunities throughout the SEC season but of course we have no control of who we play, when we play or when they come. In the non-league, we challenge ourselves early. We’ve got an early tournament just after Thanksgiving in New York against a quality Georgia Tech team out of the ACC and then we play either Penn State out of the Big Ten or a Big East opponent in St. John’s. “We’ve got an early road test at Kansas State as part of the SEC-Big 12 challenge. We then come home and host a team that’s coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in Pac-12 member Oregon,” Kennedy added. “We play Middle Tennessee State who won their league and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. We play Dayton, we got to Western Kentucky, so we have a number of challenges in our non-league and hopefully they will be opportunities that we can take advantage of.” - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 23

Ole Miss BY THE NUMBERS 2013-14 SCHEDULE

Nov. 1....... South Carolina-Aiken Nov. 8....... Troy Nov. 16..... @Coastal Carolina Nov. 22..... MS Valley State* Nov. 26..... North Carolina A&T* Nov. 29..... Georgia Tech* Nov. 30..... Penn State/St. John’s* Dec. 5....... @Kansas State Dec. 8....... Oregon Dec. 14..... Middle Tennessee State Dec. 18..... Louisiana-Monroe Dec. 22..... Mercer Dec. 30..... @Western Kentucky Jan. 4........ Dayton Jan. 9........ Auburn Jan. 11....... @Miss. State Jan. 15...... LSU Jan. 18...... @South Carolina Jan. 22...... @Vanderbilt Jan. 25...... Miss. State Jan. 29...... @Tennessee Feb. 1........ South Carolina Feb. 4....... @Kentucky Feb. 8....... Missouri Feb. 11...... @Alabama Feb. 15...... @Georgia Feb. 18...... Kentucky Feb. 22..... Florida Feb. 26..... Alabama Mar. 1....... @Texas A&M Mar. 5....... @Arkansas Mar. 8....... Vanderbilt Mar. 12-16 SEC Tournament (Atlanta) * - Barclays Center Classic - Bronx, New York 24 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

2012-13 STATS

TEAM STATISTICS SCORING Points per game Scoring margin FIELD GOALS-ATT Field goal pct. 3 point FG-ATT 3-point FG PCT. 3-pt FG made per game FREE THROWS-ATT Free throw pct. Free throws made per game REBOUNDS Rebounds per game Rebounding margin ASSISTS Assists per game TURNOVERS Turnovers per game Turnover margin Assist/Turnover ratio STEALS Steals per game BLOCKS Bloacks per game ATTENDANCE Home games-Avg/Game Neutral site-Avg/Game

UM 2779 77.2 +10.3 977-2230 .438 238-735 .324 6.6 587-866 .678 16.3 1400 38.9 +1.4 450 12.5 409 11.4 +4.0 1.1 297 8.3 185 5.1 103,142 17-6067 -

OPP 2409 66.9 865-2122 .408 241-771 .313 6.7 438-660 .664 12.2 1351 37.5 472 13.1 552 15.3 0.9 208 5.8 117 3.3 120,236 12-8478 7-2643

Roster 0 Jerron Martin - G 6’1”/165 (Fr.) Prince George’s County, GA

1 Martavious Newby - G 6’3”/210 (So.) Memphis, TN

3 Derrick Millinghaus - G 5’10”/172 (So.) Schenectady, NY

4 Demarco Cox - C 6’8”/276 (Sr.) Yazoo City, MS

5 Cade Peeper - G 6’2’/185 (So.) Collierville, TN

10 LaDarius White - G 6’6”/211 (Jr.) McComb, MS

11 Sebastian Saiz - F 6’9”/233 (Fr.) Madrid, Spain

13 Anthony Perez - F 6’9”/213 (So.) Cumana, Venezuela

21 Will Norman - G 6’5’/213 (Jr.) Lafayette, LA

22 Marshall Henderson - G 6’2”/177 (Sr.) Hurst, TX

23 Dwight Coleby - C 6’9”/236 (Fr.) New Providence, Bahamas

24 Janari Joesaar - F 6’6”/208 (Fr.) Tartu, Estonia

25 Terry Brutus - F 6’6”/237 (So.) Spring Valley, NY

SCORE BY PERIODS Ole Miss Opponents

1st 2nd 1254 1490 1160 1232

OT Totals 35 2779 17 2409

32 Jarvis Summers - G 6’3”/186 (Jr.) Jackson, MS

34 Aaron Jones - F 6’9”/220 (Jr.) Gautier, MS

2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 25

PROFILE

LaDarius “Snoop” White

>>>>>

Jarvis Summers

Keepin’ the Faith Ole Miss’ Jarvis Summers and LaDarius “Snoop” White’s faith keeps them in sync on and off the court By JOHN DAVIS Contributing Writer Photos by Greg Pevey

arvis Summers and LaDarius White aren’t just teammates at Ole Miss. Their relationship extends way beyond that. Even though Summers grew up in Jackson and White, better known to Ole Miss fans as “Snoop” grew up in McComb, the two have been very close for several years. The relationship started back when the duo played AAU hoops for the Jackson Tigers. Summers, the Rebels’ 6-foot-3 point guard, and the 6-6 White, a small forward, hit it off traveling to those various summer tournaments together. “We’ve been tight since day one. We’ve known each other since middle school,” Summers said, who played with White for three summers before hooking back up in Oxford. “We’ve been like brothers ever since.” “We have a great bond,” White added. “He’s like my blood brother. We connect like blood brothers, for real.” 26 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

The close bond is evident on the court when the Rebels play each game. Even though Summers hasn’t been able to lob a pass to White for an alley-oop dunk, he knows what to expect when he passes White the ball. “Every time I pass it to him, he shoots it. We just give each other that look like we know what it is, what’s about to happen,” Summers said. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy is glad the two have such a great bond. This year, he’s expecting even bigger things from them as juniors. “They are promiment figures moving forward for the program and being from Mississippi and being so close to each other in Jackson and McComb. There is a lot of connection between those two,” Kennedy said. “I think typically, you know what you’re dealing with when a kid becomes a junior. He’s been through the struggles. He has a better understanding of the demands at this level and both of those guys have been tremendous, intregal parts of us winning 47 games over the last two years. “From Jarvis who has always been steady,

steady, steady to Snoop who had his ups and downs as a freshman and who emerged into a consistent performer last year, especially down the stretch when Jarvis when down with a concussion,” Kennedy added. “We asked Snoop to run the point in the (SEC) championship game and he came through for us time and time again. Those guys, their roles have changed. Those guys understand it, they’ve been through this before and it’s time for them to take some ownership and that’s what Snoop and Jarvis have attempted to do.” Last season, Summers averaged 9.1 points and 3.4 assists per game for the Rebels. He started 31 of the 36 games the Rebels played last year and was one of the team leaders, even if he wasn’t as vocal as a player like Murphy Holloway. Most of his confidence, and leadership traits, stem from his relationship with God and his weekly devotion as a Christian. “I’m a real church person. I really believe in God and what he has for me is going to be good in the future. That’s why I just pray every day and take it day by day,” said Sum-

mers, who came to Ole Miss with a strong bond with the Lord that has only been enhanced since his arrival. “Me, growing up, that’s all my parents did was keep me in church. Well my mom and grand momma but I went to church every Sunday. “Having a relationship with God gives me extra strength and an extra boost and motivation because there are times that you go through things and the only thing you can do is just pray to God, that he can take all the stress away,” Summers continued. “I feel like we’re real spiritual about the Lord with this team. I feel like when we go through things we can talk to each other and just try to lift each other up. “By me being a leader on the team, I can go to anybody on the team and be like the big brother for the team. Whenever they’re going through things, I can be the one they talk to when they feel like not talking to anybody else.” White agrees that he and his teammates have grown spiritually together. “I don’t go to church a lot here but when I go home I go to church a lot. I try to get in the church house,” White said. “Being close with God, it just gives me confidence and just lets me know that God is real and if you talk to him and pray to him that he will come to through for you.” Confidence is something the Rebels had last season, especially late in the year when

they won the SEC Tournament title and advanced to their first NCAA Tournament under coach Andy Kennedy. The goal is to make a return trip to the Big Dance this year, but Summers said he didn’t feel any stress for that to happen either. “We’re just going to take it day by day. We’ve got to put that work in and have that chemistry. It’s going to start from me, Snoop and AJ, just the people that were there last year,” Summers said. “I think this team, it’s going to be better than last year because we have a different approach. Everybody just works hard. That’s where I feel the team is different.” White, who started 15 games last year and averaged 6.4 points during his sophomore campaign, talked about all the hard work he and his teammates have been putting in to make sure they have a chance at a return. “I feel like we have a target on our back and that everybody and anybody is out to beat us because we’re SEC Champions. Like everybody says, we didn’t deserve to be the SEC Champs. It’s a known fact that we are and there are a lot of teams that are willing to beat Ole Miss,” White said. “I’ve been doing everything I can do to be the best that I can be. Running, putting shots up, trying to build a team chemistry with the players. Just have fun together, that’s what we’re trying to do.” In order for the Rebels to have a legitimate shot to finish high in the SEC during the upcoming season, freshmen forwards

Dwight Coleby, a native of the Bahamas, and Sebastian Saiz, a product of Spain, are going to have to be active and as good as advertised from a recruiting standpoint. “They are definitely different. This is actually my first time playing with international players, but they listen, they listen to what you have to say,” White said. “There is not one of those guys that think they have the big head and that an upperclassman can’t tell them what to do. They work hard and I believe in them. I think both of them are really going to make an impression this season.” Summers seems to feel like Coleby, a 6-9 forward who played his senior season at Piney Woods in Rankin County, is going to really hold the middle down. “He’s just real explosive. I feel like I can throw it to all of them (down low) once AJ (Aaron Jones) gets back from his knee surgery, he’ll be good to go,” Summers said. “He just needs to get stronger.” Another key to how good the Rebels can be this upcoming season revolves around the return of Marshall Henderson, the team’s leading scorer last season and one of only two seniors on the roster. Henderson is suspended entering the 2013-14 season after failing a drug test this past summer, but White and Summers were both positive that Henderson would play this See FAITH - Page 55

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2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 27

Miss. State BULLDOGS QUICK FACTS >

Coach: Rick Ray Arena: Humphrey Coliseum Capacity: 10,575 2012-13 Record: 10-22 Overall, 7-7 Home, 1-11 Away, 2-4 Neutral Post Season: None

By Paul Jones

Contributing Writer Photos by Bobby McDuffie

uring the offseason, Mississippi State head coach Rick Ray joked that his assistants would have to find something else to do in order to stay in shape. But that joke actually tells a lot on how different things are for Ray entering his second

28 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

season at the Bulldogsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; helm. Last year Ray and company experienced an abnormal string of bad luck with injuries. A pair of Bulldogs - point guard Jacoby Davis and wing Andre Applewhite - were loss for the season before it ever got underway via knee injuries. Then early in the season center Wendell Lewis also suffered a knee injury and was medically redshirted last season. Then midway through the SEC slate, veteran guard Jalen Steele tore his ACL (second in three years) and was out of the lineup. But these days, the Bulldogs do have enough bodies to get through practice and are able to actually run 5-on-5 drills. And yes, that includes without

Fred

THOMAS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

coaches. “I think the biggest difference is I actually know what I am dealing with as far as my personnel,” said Ray. “Coming into the situation last time, I had no idea what my personnel was, more importantly how they would react to game situations. To me, the big difference is I have more of a read on my team and my personnel than last year.” One positive stemming from last year was the fact so many new faces got battle-tested within the SEC. Yes, the record was only 10-22 overall and 4-14 in the SEC. Craig Sword and Gavin Ware both finished the season on the All-SEC Freshman squad while fellow freshman Fred Thomas and juco transfer Colin Borchert also played significant roles a year ago. What stood out to Ray with last year’s young group is they were never intimidated nor did they shy away from the moment. “The No. 1 thing I came away with is that none of those guys were afraid of the moment,” said Ray. “That was the thing that I was most im-

backcourt for the Bulldogs but now most of those bodies are back to full strength. The preseason injury to Davis for sophomore Trivante Bloodman to handle most of those duties a year ago and also forced Sword to play some at the point despite being a natural two guard. But this season, MSU returns Bloodman and Davis, and true freshman I.J. Ready will also play a major role at the point. “I think first and foremost, you have bodies there and choices now,” said Ray. “I think last season we didn’t have any choices and to Trivante’s credit, he did a great job assimilating to that position and doing some things we wanted to do. “I think any time you have a junior college kid or a newcomer coming into a new situation where they have to be the point guard, it is a difficult transition for anybody. The fact he really had to do it by himself was even more difficult. The thing that stands out with Trivante is that he is a tough kid and he plays really hard. He’s got to get better with his decision-making once he gets into the paint

“The No. 1 thing I came away with is that none of those guys were afraid of the moment,” said Ray. “That was the thing that I was most impressed with. When we went to go play at Georgia, went to go play at Kentucky and went to go play at Florida, none of those guys ever flinched. They have confidence in their ability and in their game.” - Rick Ray pressed with. When we went to go play at Georgia, went to go play at Kentucky and went to go play at Florida, none of those guys ever flinched. They have confidence in their ability and in their game. Now maybe sometimes they have too much confidence but you would much rather deal with guys like that than those afraid of the moment. “To those guys’ credit, they were never afraid of the moment. And that is saying a lot.” Unlike freshmen at other SEC programs, added Ray, not only were his young kids asked to log increased minutes but were asked to instantly produce as well. “Our guys were asked to actually generate the offense. Most guys coming into a freshman situation, they are not asked to generate offense. All of our newcomers - Colin, Trivante and the three true freshmen and really Rocquez Johnson who didn’t play much the previous year - were in situations where they actually had to generate offense. For those guys to handle that, I really speaks well for where those guys are headed in the future. “On top of that, Fred Thomas was not here at all last summer. Then when he gets here he has (foot) surgery right away and gets put into a cast. The first time he ever did anything was the Thursday before we officially opened practice on Saturday. So he never had an offseason and this was his first offseason.” BACKCOURT Many of those injuries last year occurred in the

and he’s got to become a better shooter. But you can never fault his effort and his toughness.” While Davis has returned to practice, and did so late last season, Ray said he still has a mental hump to get over this season. “The key with Jacoby Davis now is, is his knee still bothering him sometimes or is it a mental aspect?,” said Ray. “He has to get over that hurdle and we have to figure out quickly which one is it for him. He has some skill levels as far as being able to shoot the basketball that can really help this team. I do think he has some toughness to him and some leadership qualities as well. “But he’s got to get to the point to where, is it a mental hurdle or is it something that is still bothering him. I think he is recovered okay but he still doesn’t have that burst that he had before. He was never a great get-by guy and was more of a setup guy that could shoot the basketball. But that situation where he has a quick turn of direction, that has not returned yet.” Ready was a two-time state champion at Parkview Magnet School in Little Rock, Ark., and defines the role of a true point guard. “Now we have a situation with I.J. Ready coming in and Jacoby Davis playing but you still don’t know about the experience part of it,” said Ray. “You are asking a guy to come in and do some things at a position that is probably the most difficult position that you can play in college basketball. But I feel very confident that I.J. is going to be a really good player for Mississippi State. 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 29

“How quickly he can make that assimilation into being a really good player, I really don’t know for sure. There will obviously be some situations there where he will struggle with his strength and sometimes size may be a factor. But as far as him being a point guard, I have the utmost confidence that he is a natural point guard. The thing I am pleased with so far (with Ready) is I’ve never had to say one thing to him about his effort.” In his first season with the Bulldogs, Sword led MSU with 10.5 points a game. He showed flashes at times and also showed the normal struggles of a true freshman a year ago. “I think at that position we are going to be really solid,” said Ray. “I think Chicken (Sword) is going to move over to that twoguard spot and he gives us that athlete and that guy that can just go and make a play, especially in transition. Every college basketball team needs that where when you get pressured, you have somebody to break down the defense and get in the paint. And Chicken has the ability to do that.” On the down side, Sword also led the team with 127 turnovers, noted Ray. “The big thing with Chicken now is he has to reduce his turnovers,” said Ray. “It can be an all-or-nothing thing for him. He makes a spectacular play that nobody else on our team can do and then go turn the ball over in the next possession. So we’ve got reduce his turnovers. I think he had a assist-to-turnover ration of 1:2 last year and everybody knows it should be at least 2:1. But he is a special talent because of his athleticism, his burst and ability to change direction and go make plays. “He’s got to get to the point where he’s a threat from 15-to-17 feet with his jump shot. If he is able to make threes that is a bonus,” said Ray. “But what he can do is really drive the ball to a particular point and at 15-17 feet, pop up and he’s got to be able to make that shot.” Also expected to figure in the guard depth is senior walkon Tyson Cunningham. With the low numbers last year, Cunningham 30 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

started four games and averaged 20.7 minutes a game. “I think the one guy we would be remiss to not talk about is Tyson,” said Ray. “I think Tyson is a kid that is always going to push for playing time. He always does what he is supposed to do off the court and he always does what he is supposed to do on the court. I can’t see Tyson Cunningham not setting foot on the court for us. He is not your typical walkon.” Moving to the wing position, MSU also relied heavily on a freshman in the 2012-13 campaign with Fred Thomas. He averaged 9.7 points a game in that rookie season but only shot 23 percent beyond the arc. But Ray has been encouraged by Thomas’ offseason focus. “If I had to give an award for who had the best offseason it would be Fred Thomas, hands down,” said Ray. “He weighed in the other day at 206 pounds, and that was a big goal for us for him. He had to get bigger and stronger. I told him he could lift all he wanted to with (MSU strength) Coach (Richard) Akins but unless he changed his eating habits, he was never going to gain weight. To his credit he’s done a good job of eating six times a day and putting on some weight.” And that added weight will aid Thomas’ game in a couple of areas, added Ray. “I really believe with the added strength, now it gives him a bonus of being a better defense, a better rebounder, which are things he struggled with at times last year,” said Ray of Thomas. “Then on the offensive end I think it will help him with guys riding him off his cuts and his ability to have some balance when he goes into his shot. He’s got to make shots for us and he was not an effective shooter last year. “If you look at his shot and the way it looks, it looks terrific. But at the end of the day and just look at the stats, he did not have a great shooting year. We want him to become a better shooter and I think one of the reasons he can do that is if he reduces his bad shots. I think that is something with all freshmen, especially with his situation where he had to be an effective scorer for

Craig

SWORD >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> us right away.” Behind Thomas will be Applewhite, who is now 100 percent recovered from his knee injury suffered last October. Applewhite is also expected to provide depth at the shooting guard position as well. “Andre Applewhite’s recovery is 100 percent,” said Ray. “He’s done a terrific job with his rehab. I don’t foresee any issues with

him as far as his knee. It is just the inexperience thing again. He will be coming in and obviously, he’s been in our program for a year but he’s never stepped foot on the court in competition. But I expect him to be that other three man.” FRONTCOURT Where numbers are not in MSU’s favor is in the post. After

not healing properly, Lewis had a second operation on his knee and is expected to miss the first 3-5 games of the season. Lewis saw action in just eight games last year. Then forward and 2013 signee Travis Daniels didn’t qualify academically and another 2013 signee - center Fallou Ndoye will redshirt this season due to not being cleared by the NCAA from an amateurism standpoint.

Colin

“Wendell had that second procedure with his knee,” said Ray. “You really felt bad for him because he had put in some work and done a good job. The good thing about it is the medical staff did a good job of ensuring he wouldn’t have any setbacks with this second surgery. He will probably miss 3-5 games at the beginning of the season but they expect him to be 100 percent and ready to go after that 3-5 games.”

BORCHERT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

But with Lewis out last year, Ware took advantage of the opportunity, averaging 8.4 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds. “With Gavin, he’s had a really good offseason,” said Ray. “He weighed in the other day at 263 pounds and he has really done a great job making sure he takes care of himself. I was concerned about him because he was in a cast/boot for about five weeks after the season. It used to be that if he had a bad weekend, he could come in with Coach Akins in the morning and run that off. With him being in that cast or boot, if he had a bad eating weekend he couldn’t run it off then. “But he went into that boot at 270 pounds and once he came out of the boot after five weeks he was 272 pounds. That showed me, first and foremost, that Gavin Ware cares. He wants to be a good player and that is always the first step to a guy becoming a better basketball player is him motivating himself.” MSU does have more depth at power forward and a good combo in Borchert and Johnson. Borchert was MSU’s most productive scorer down the stretch and averaged 9.0 points and 5 rebounds in 2012-13. “Colin started to figure it out down the stretch last year,” said Ray. “I really thought, probably the last ten games of the season that he was our best player. I think he averaged somewhere around 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds during that stretch. He had that adjustment to college basketball from the junior college ranks as well. I think he started to see where his opportunities to score the basketball came and I think he struggled with that at the beginning. “Colin Borchert is that skilled four that we are looking for. He can shoot the ball, can pass the ball and I think he is an effective driver, too. I expect him to have as good of a year as he had last year in those last 10 games of the season. We need him to carry that from the beginning to the end now.” Meanwhile, Johnson averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 boards a game last year and gives the Bulldogs a “change of pace” at that spot. “Rocquez is a change of pace

guy,” said Ray. “He is a guy that comes in that can really drive the basketball. He gives you energy out on the court and gives you the hustle plays on 50-50 balls. He is a really good driver going to his right and we got to get him more effective going to his left. “And he’s got to get to the point where he’s got confidence knocking down that 17-19 foot shot.” With Lewis out early on, Ray said the rotation will be manageable, and he will use a trio of guys at the center/power forward positions. “What we will do is have a three-man rotation for those two spots,” said Ray. “We will have Rocquez, Colin and Gavin rotating in those two spots. Then when Wendell comes back we will have Colin and Rocquez solely at the four and then Gavin and Wendell at the five spot, which we think is a pretty good rotation. “But at the beginning of the year, I don’t think size will be a huge concern in those first few games. Maybe Utah State has some big, physical guys that can wear you down. But in those first 3-5 games I think we should be alright with that three-man rotation in those two spots.” SUMMARY With more available bodies on the roster, the expectations are for the Bulldogs to improve on last year’s 10-win total and all signs points towards that playing out. But with a pair of 2013 signees (Fallou Ndoye and Travis Daniels) not eligible to play this season, depth issues in the post will still be a concern. However, having more bodies on the perimeter and then later on when Lewis returns in the post, this season should be the first time Bulldog fans actually see Ray’s original plans on both sides of the court. That means more in-your-face pressure defense and an offense that likes to push the basketball. All in all, the 2013-14 season should be another building stone for Ray and company and another move in a positive direction towards the ultimate goal - returning MSU hoops to the NCAA Tournament. - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 31

Miss. State BY THE NUMBERS 2013-14 SCHEDULE Nov. 8....... Prairie View Nov. 14..... Kennesaw State Nov. 19..... MS Valley State Nov. 23..... @Utah State Nov. 27..... Jackson State Dec. 1....... Loyola-Chicago Dec. 5....... TCU* Dec. 13..... SE Louisiana# Dec. 17..... Florida A&M Dec. 19..... Florida Gulf Coast Dec. 22..... South Florida% Dec. 23..... Santa Clara/UNLV% Jan. 2........ Maryland East Shore Jan. 8........ @Kentucky Jan. 11....... Ole Miss Jan. 15...... @Alabama Jan. 18...... Texas A&M Jan. 22...... Auburn Jan. 25...... @Ole Miss Jan. 30...... Florida Feb. 1........ @Vanderbilt Feb. 5....... @Texas A&M Feb. 8....... Kentucky Feb. 12...... Georgia Feb. 15...... @Auburn Feb. 19...... @LSU Feb. 22..... Arkansas Feb. 26..... Tennessee Mar. 1....... @Missouri Mar. 5....... @Georgia Mar. 8....... South Carolina Mar.12-16 SEC Tournament (Atlanta) * Big 12/SEC Challenge #Tupelo BancorpSouth Arena % Las Vegas Classic 32 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

2012-13 STATS TEAM STATISTICS SCORING Points per game Scoring margin FIELD GOALS-ATT Field goal pct. 3 point FG-ATT 3-point FG PCT. 3-pt FG made per game FREE THROWS-ATT Free throw pct. Free throws made per game REBOUNDS Rebounds per game Rebounding margin ASSISTS Assists per game TURNOVERS Turnovers per game Turnover margin Assist/Turnover ratio STEALS Steals per game BLOCKS Bloacks per game ATTENDANCE Home games-Avg/Game Neutral site-Avg/Game SCORE BY PERIODS Miss. State Opponents

MSU 1940 60.6 -8.9 670-1672 .401 151-531 .284 4.7 449-683 .657 14.0 1065 33.3 -3.9 321 10.0 545 17.0 -1.7 0.6 257 8.0 124 3.9 94,092 14-6,721 - 1st 2nd 858 1071 1037 1173

OPP 2224 69.5 829-1890 .439 229-689 .332 7.2 337-487 .692 10.5 1191 37.2 469 14.7 490 15.3 1.0 271 8.5 153 4.8 151,267 12-10,326 6-4560 OT Totals 11 1940 14 2224

Roster 1 Fred Thomas - G 6’5”/206 (So.) Jackson, MS

2 Andre Applewhite - G 6’5”/217 (So.) Memphis, TN

3 Colin Borchert - F 6’8”/231 (Sr.) Phoenix, AZ

4 Trivante Bloodman - G 6’0”/182 (Jr.) Bronx, NY

10 Dallas Prater - G 6’3’/170 (Fr.) Jackson, MS

11 Jacoby Davis - G 6’1”/191 (Fr.) Charlotte, NC

13 Tevin Moore - G 6’3”/185 (Jr.) Olive Branch, MS

15 I.J. Ready - G 5’11’/170 (Fr.) Little Rock, AR

20 Gavin Ware - F 6’9”/268 (So.) Starkville, MS

22 Fallou Ndoye - F 6’11”/215 (Fr.) Senegal

24 Tyson Cunningham - G 6’3”/197 (Sr.) Columbus, MS

25 Roquez Johnson - F 6’7”/210 (Jr.) Montgomery, AL

32 Craig Sword - G 6’3”/194 (So.) Montgomery, AL

33 Kyle Dobbs - G 6’6”/160 (Fr.) Grayson, GA

LINEBACKER U. - Cont. from page 5

24-tackle day against Auburn and he was chosen the MVP of the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1981. Cooks was the second overall choice in the 1982 Draft by the then, Baltimore Colts – the highest any Bulldog has gone in the NFL Draft. He spent time with the Colts, Giants and Cleveland Browns before retiring in 1992. His pro career, while successful, was not nearly as fruitful as D.D. Lewis’ but, not many players are. Paul Lacoste is another in the long line of

Mississippi State linebacker lore, as Lacoste was a star on some of Jackie Sherrill’s teams and ultimately ended up playing in the NFL, the Canadian Football League and the XFL. Lacoste was the CFL’s rookie of the year in 1999 and was always known for his intense approach to the game. A gentleman off the field but a monster on it, there may not be a more intense linebacker to ever come through Mississippi State. Lacoste took his playing experience and knowledge of preparation and training - and parlayed it into his now very successful Paul Lacoste Sports training where he now trains the general public and helps people meet

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their fitness goals. Many forget about Barrin Simpson. Simpson, a Starkville native, played on the 1998 and 1999 Bulldog teams that won the SEC West and was a part of those vaunted Joe Lee Dunn defenses. Simpson was a first team All-American and Dick Butkus semi-finalist, which is given yearly to the nation’s top linebacker. Simpson never made it to the NFL but what he did was make a living becoming one of the top linebackers in the Canadian Football League. Simpson, who is also a minister in the offseason, was called the Minister of Defense in the CFL while playing for the BC Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Simpson made the All-Star game six times and garnered the 2001 most outstanding rookie of the year award. There have been so many more linebackers to come through Starkville and move on to the professional ranks. There is Dominic Douglas, Greg Favors, Mario Haggan, Aarron Pearson, James Williams and Marc Woodard to name a few. From Johnny Baker back in 1963 to now Chris White, KJ Wright, Cam Lawrence and Jamar Chaney – the Bulldogs have always had linebackers that went on to play at the next level. All the success the Bulldogs have had at the linebacker position though should not surprise anyone. When you talk about Mississippi State football, most coaches, former and present, say the first thing that comes to mind when you say, Mississippi State, is physical play. You have to be physical to play linebacker and the Bulldogs have had some good ones. The current Bulldog football roster is littered with guys who could continue to carry the torch into the professional ranks. From Benardrick McKinney who looks NFL ready, to Donte Skinner; to the younger guys like Richie and Benny Brown. The Bulldogs linebackers carry a sense of pride and they always have. D.D. Lewis set the stage back in the 1960’s while in Starkville and many more after him have followed in his footsteps, never disappointing and always providing solid linebacker play. Of course – I am almost sure, once on campus as a freshman, playing linebacker, you get caught up on Bulldog football history and just who D.D. Lewis is and what you have to live up to while in Starkville. Once you figure all that out – you realize you are playing at “Linebacker U” and who would want to disappoint D.D. Lewis? Lord knows I wouldn’t; Number 50 did it the right way and laid the ground work for those that followed. Number 50 built “Linebacker U.” - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 33

PROFILE

Craig Sword, Photo by Bobby McDuffie

>>>>>

Gavin Ware, Photo by Greg Pevey

Into the Fire

Thrown into the starting lineup as Freshmen, Carig Sword and Gavin Ware are ready to take leading roles for Bulldogs this season By Paul Jones

Contributing Writer Photos by Bobby McDuffie & Greg Pevey

or the most part, incoming freshmen are allowed time to get their feet wet and even the highly-touted rookies are accustomed to needing time before being those go-to players on the basketball floor. But that wasn’t the case for MSU’s freshman class a year ago. Not only were the likes of Craig Sword, Gavin Ware and even Fred Thomas thrown into the starting lineup, they were also counted on to produce and produce quickly on both ends of the floor. Due to injuries and suspensions, the Bulldogs struggled to a 10-22 record and a 4-14 mark inside the SEC. But the news was bright for the future concerning the play of the MSU rookies in the 2012-13 campaign and expectations are higher for this season

34 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

largely due to that. Sword was in the starting backcourt lineup for 30 games last season while Ware started 27 games in the post. “It was tough on us because we were learning the whole time and during the year,” said Sword, a Montgomery, Ala., native. “We were learning while on the court and we had to adjust on the fly. It was a new experience just playing college ball and we didn’t have any experience before last year.” When former Bulldog Jalen Steele went down with a season-ending injury, Sword alternated between point guard and shooting guard. And with Ware, he logged a good amount of minutes also due to an injury, which saw center Wendell Lewis only play in eight games last season. “Yeah, it was right off the bat, too,” said Ware, a Starkville native. “I thought I would be second string all year then Wendell got hurt. Coach (Rick) Ray sat down with me and Chicken (Sword) and Fred and told us he needed us to contribute a lot this year and

to give all we had. He said we couldn’t have any distractions off the court and we had to contribute, contribute, contribute to Mississippi State athletics. “But the good thing is now we have that experience and we can work towards a leadership role. The coaches have talked to us about that, too, and we will get that done, too.” Of course, midway through the SEC season, with the responsibilities on the court and playing a lot of minutes, Sword said they didn’t feel like freshmen at the end of last year. “When a lot of guys went down, we all just started practicing harder and Coach Ray told us we were not inexperienced anymore,” said Sword. “I mean, we played a lot of minutes so we had to play like it. It really started to click when we beat Ole Miss and we kept it up the rest of the season. There were not many of us on the roster last year but we always went hard.” Sword led MSU last season with 10.5

points a game while Ware averaged 8.4 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds. Their steady improvements down the stretch helped the Bulldogs win three of their last five games, which included an SEC Tournament win over South Carolina. “It kinda clicked with me, too, late in the year and then in the SEC Tournament,” said Ware. “I think that showed us we could compete and do big things this season coming up. For me, it was about keeping my weight down and being in better conditioned. Even though Wendell is back, my team still needs a lot from me and I have to be well-conditioned. I have to do those key things so I can play with the tough big men in the SEC and help our team. “But it all comes back to working hard. We don’t even need to think about last year because we have a whole new team now and we have experience now.” For Sword, he is expected to play at his natural position at two guard. Last year with freshman Jacoby Davis (knee) out for the year, Sword had to help starter Trivante Bloodman more at the point and more than was expected entering the year. Which has made Sword focus more on a couple of factors this offseason, mainly his shooting touch. Last year Sword shot 40 percent from the floor and just 19.4 percent beyond the arc. “I have worked on my shooting a lot and my defense and dribbling,” said Sword. “Af-

ter last year, I know I have to cut down my turnovers and be a better shooter. Playing at the point was something I had to adjust to quickly but it was not that bad. It happened fast and I had to deal with it. Plus, if I make it to the next level then point guard may be where I play.” For Ware, his role will remain unchanged, particularly early on in the non-conference slate. Due to a second knee surgery, Lewis is expected to miss MSU’s first four or five games this season. That means Ware will again carry most of the load down in the post and he maintained that mind-set all during the offseason. Last summer his weight was a concern for the Bulldog coaches but that is no longer the case. “That is a very big challenge with Wendell out early,” said Ware. “My team will be depending on me to be that low-post presence and they depend on me to be in great condition. I know I will be in there for at least 35 minutes and I have to help our team be successful. So I had to make my wind better this offseason so I am able to run hard for 35 minutes. “Coach Ray said we all better be ready to run this year since we have a bigger roster. And I am ready to play that way. And working on the simple stuff makes a big difference in conditioning and I am mentally tougher now, too. I take heed of the small things and focused on the things I need to improve on.”

And yes, having a bigger roster puts a smile on everyone’s face, particularly Ray and his staff and having the ability to actually run the way Ray prefers. Davis, Lewis and freshman Andre Applewhite missed most of or all of last season and Davis and Applewhite never played a minute. Along with incoming rookie point guard I.J. Ready, the numbers are more in the favor of the Bulldogs. “Obviously having more plays is the main thing,” said Sword. “Our mind-set is to take it as far as we can and win the SEC. We all know what to expect now and we just have to get the new guys up to speed and teach them to go hard every night.” Yet with that new mind-set, last year’s humble and workmanlike approach still remains, said Ware. “It is the same thing as last year,” said Ware. “I know I am grateful to be here and glad of the opportunity the coaches gave all of us last year. We know hard work is still the key and Coach Ray is going to get the most out of us again.” This time around, however, no longer will that ‘shock and awe’ factor be with the likes of Sword and Ware. “Last year we were not expected to do much,” said Ware. “Then you have that ‘wow’ factor when you go into big arenas like Kentucky and Florida. But now that shock has worn off and we have settled down and we have experience now.” - MSM

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Southern Miss GOLDEN EAGLES QUICK FACTS >

Coach: Donnie Tyndall Arena: Reed-Green Coliseum Capacity: 8,095 2012 Record: 27-10 Overall, 12-4 CUSA, 14-28 Home, 9-7 Away, 4-1 Neutral Tournament: Qtr. Finals NIT

By LANNY MIXON Contributing Writer Photos by Bobby McDuffie

outhern Miss head coach Donnie Tyndall is as determined as ever heading into his second season a the helm of the Golden Eagle program. This year the approach has been much different to the pre-season. Tyn36 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

dall has joked that after the first practice a year ago he and his staff talked about if they would even be able to win a game. Tyndall and the Golden Eagles managed to win a game, in fact they went on to win a school record 27 games. They also set 47 different school records along the way, they reached the quarter finals of the NIT and hosted three games at Reed Green. This year expectations are at an all time, and Donnie Tyndall is just fine with that. Things are different this time around. “Well I think the biggest thing is that the players trust me now, because they know me,” he said. “Last year we were both learning about each other.” A season ago Tyndall did a masterful job of blending the old

with the new and mixing new players with returning starters to get them to all buy into his system and begin building the program. “One thing I pride myself on is being direct with players and tell them the truth,” he said. “They may not always like what’s being said but with that honestly comes trust. Today we have real relationships with our players.” In many regards the 2012-13 Eagles over achieved and had a phenomenal run in the postseason. “Honestly I was hoping we could have a winning season a year ago,” he said. “Hoping that the newcomers that we brought in could contribute and we could somehow scrape and claw and have a winning season.” The Eagles have now strung together an NCAA Tournament

Jerrold

BROOKS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

appearance with the NIT quarterfinal appearance and expectations have never been higher for the program. “Today I am sitting here thinking that if we don’t go to the NCAA tournament it’s going to be terribly disappointing,” he said. “But, I say that knowing how tough its going to be to get there.” Southern Miss lost three seniors, all who graduated, from last year’s team and they’re not going to be easy to replace. Dwayne Davis, Jonathan Mills and Rashard McGill all played major roles in the Eagles surprise season a year ago. On paper it looks like Davis leaves the biggest shoes to fill, he lead the Eagles in scoring and was the go-to man when the Eagles needed a bucket last year. “I think the biggest thing is that you won’t replace a Dwayne Davis with just one person,” he said. “Davis has a special gift that he could go out and score the ball when you need it,” Tyndall has called Jonathan Mills the toughest player he’s ever coached, and for Eagle fans who watched the undersized power forward play over the past two years in Hattiesburg it’s easy to see why. “Mills will be the hardest guy to replace because he did so many things that didn’t show up in the boxscore.” he said. “He would take a charge or two every game, loose balls that you would consider 50/50 balls became 100% balls when Mills was in the game. He won those kind of basketball plays and his toughness rubbed off on the other guys.” The role McGill played last year is often over looked, but Tyndall considers him the most improved player on the squad. “As a junior McGill was scoring about a point a game,” Tyndall said. “This past year he was almost seven points a game, he created some mismatches at the four position and may have been our best perimeter defender.” Southern Miss in one respect will be in a similar situation this year as they were last where Tyndall and his staff will have to blend returning starters with first year players that are expected to contribute from day one.

BACKCOURT This season expect Southern Miss to be much deeper in the back court. The Eagles return starting point-guard Neil Watson as well as starting shooting guard Jerrold Brooks. A season ago Watson contributed 9.8 ppg and just under five assists per contest. Brooks was the second leading scorer on the squad a year ago 10.9 ppg. This year the Eagles expect Brooks to shoulder some of the load left by Davis. Davis listed on the roster as a Forward, played as much guard as he did forward for the Eagles last year at times running the point. “I think Jerrold Brooks is our best player right now,” Tyndall said. His average will go this year, he’ll be one of those guys that will help replace Dwayne’s points.” Redshirt junior Chip Armelin, who sat out last season after transferring from Minnesota, will play a major role for the Eagles, at 6-foot-4, 200 he brings size and length to the two guard position and has big game experience. Two new comers that have come on strong in the backcourt during pre-season practice and during the summer tour of The Bahamas are Matt Bingaya and Deonte Houston. Bingaya a highly regarded football recruit out of Deleware, OH, was the biggest surprise of The Bahamas tour. At 6-foot-5, 205-pounds Bingaya is tough and athletic. “Bingaya is a guy that can play multiple positions,” Tyndall said. “He can play the two through the four and he can be a good defender. He’s tough he has that football mentality.” Houston a tough JUCO point guard will bring experience to the point and will push Neil Watson this season if his performance during the preseason is any indication of the direction he’s headed. At Olney (IL) Central CC he averaged 15.0 ppg, 5 rpg and 5 apg as a sophomore leading his squad to the NJCAA regional semi-finals. The Eagles also added true freshman point guard Mike Reid from The Robinson School (Newark, NJ). Reid showed sol2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 37

id potential early in fall practice, but may be a year away from contributing A redshirt year could allow him to develop physically. The Eagles also return walkon combo guard Jamie Champman from Mobile. Chapman has continued his development from a year ago and in many ways is like having a coach on the floor with his high understanding of both the Eagle offense and defense. Southern Miss will be without two guards Cedric Jenkins who averaged 4.7 ppg and was a solid defender and Davon Hayes who sat out last year working on academics. Both will be sidelined this year with season ending injuries. Southern Miss also signed freshman guard Shandell Millinghaus. Millinghaus isn’t eligible to play this year because of academics, but he is on campus and paying his own way to be part of the Eagle program. Taking the same road that Matt Bingaya took a season ago. FRONTCOURT Southern Miss returns top post player Daveon Boardingham. His stats aren’t eye-popping at 8.6 ppg and 4.0 rpg, but his development over the second half of the season was impressive. Improvements have continued over the summer where he was dominate in The Bahamas playing against professional players during the tour. He’ll be joined in the post by another senior Mike Craig who suffered a season ending injury a few weeks before the Eagles’ NIT ran began and was unable to contribute late in the season. Craig is a wide-body 6-foot-5, 230-pound post player that will be counted upon to bring some added toughness to the post. When he went out he was averaging 9.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg. As a true freshman this past season Norville Carey showed glimpses of his potential, he averaged 4.2 ppg in just under 11 minutes per contest. Expect him to continue to develop and give Southern Miss quality depth in the post. The two newcomers that could have the biggest impact in the in the front court are Aaron Brown 38 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Daveon

BOARDINGHAM >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Donnie

TYNDALL >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

who sat out last year after transferring from Temple and JUCO transfer Jeremiah Eason. Brown will be charged with taking over Dwayne Davis’ lineup spot this year, but he’s a very different kind of player than Davis. “I think Aaron Brown does a few things that Dwayne didn’t do,” Tyndall said. “He’s a better rebounder and a better defender, but he’s not going to score like Dwayne.” Over the course of the season Brown may not average the points per game that Davis did, but he’s more that capable of leading the team. “He lead our team in scoring in The Bahamas,” Tyndall continued. “But, what was most impressive is that he averaged almost eight rebounds as a wing player. He can do a lot of different things, plus he’s a team guy.” Eason arrived late and didn’t take part in the Bahamas trip. Heading into the season he’s not in top condition and he’ll continue to work toward getting in shape as the season progresses. This isn’t the first time Tyndall has seen this. Mike Craig arrived on campus last year pushing 260-pounds before slimming down to his current 235 over the course of the first half of the year. Eason is listed on the roster at 230 and that’s likely an idea weight because he’s going to a biscuit or two over that when the season tips off. Tyndall and Crew also went out and got a true center for the program. Enter Ude Ifeanyichukwu a 6-foot-10 JUCO product that what highly sought after this past recruiting season. Early observations lead one to believe that Ude will be a work in progress this year. He could take the same path that Boardingham took last year, when he struggled for the first part of the season but then came on strong and became a major contributor down the stretch during C-USA play. It was worth signing him for no other reason than hearing the Voice of the Eagles John Cox pronounce his name 5-10 times a game. SCHEDULE Southern Miss broke a near 20 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 39

year old record for season ticket sales this year, although no exact numbers were available at the time of this writing. In non-conference action the Eagles host Jackson State, William Carey, Morehead State, Georgia State and Drexel at home this year while traveling to North Dakota State, Louisville and Rhode Island. They also take part in two tournaments the NABC Hall of Fame Classic where they will play DePaul, South Alabama and Houston Baptist and the BVI Tropical Shootout where they open tournament play against Coppin State. A revamped C-USA affords Southern Miss home games against Rice, La Tech, Tulane, Marshall, Charlotte, UTSA, FIU and UTEP. They will hit the road for games at UNT, Tulsa, East Carolina, UAB, MTSU, FAU and Tulane. “We feel like we have put together a schedule that is both challenging and allows us to reach our goals,” Tyndall said. OUTLOOK Depending on what publication you read Southern Miss is picked anywhere from No. 1 to No. 3 by Conference USA preseason prognosticators. Nobody will be over looking the Eagles this year. They’re not going to sneak up on anyone and especially in C-USA play they’ll get everyone’s best effort. The stars have to align for any program to make a post season run, but Southern Miss is in good shape to be an NCAA tournament team heading into this season. They’ll have to avoid injuries, they’ll have to have some balls bounce their way and they’ll certainly have to put in the work because in college basketball nothing is given. Tyndall has his staff have proven that they can blend the old with the new bring newcomers into the program and build depth when there seemingly wasn’t much to work with, and if they can continue down that road this year it should be another feather in the cap of Donnie Tyndall and another banner in the rafters of Reed Green Coliseum. - MSM 40 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Neal

WATSON >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Southern Miss BY THE NUMBERS

2013-14 SCHEDULE

2012-13 STATS

Nov. 8....... Jackson State

TEAM STATISTICS SCORING Points per game Scoring margin FIELD GOALS-ATT Field goal pct. 3 point FG-ATT 3-point FG PCT 3-pt FG made per game FREE THROWS-ATT Free throw pct. REBOUNDS Rebounds per game Rebounding margin ASSISTS Assists per game TURNOVERS Turnovers per game Turnover margin Assist/Turnover ratio STEALS Steals per game BLOCKS Bloacks per game ATTENDANCE Home games-Avg/Game Neutral site-Avg/Game

Nov. 13..... @DePaul# Nov. 18..... @North Dakota St. Nov. 22..... @South Alabama# Nov. 23..... Houston Baptist# Nov. 24..... William Carey# Nov. 29..... @Louisville Dec. 4....... Morehead State Dec. 7....... Georgia State Dec. 14..... St. Catherine College Dec. 18..... @Western Kentucky Dec. 20..... Coppin State% Dec. 21..... Jacksonville St./AR-LR% Dec. 28..... @Rhode Island Jan. 3........ Drexel Jan. 9........ @North Texas Jan. 12...... @Tulsa Jan. 16...... Rice Jan. 19...... Louisiana Tech Jan. 23...... @Old Dominion Jan. 25...... @East Carolina Feb. 1........ Tulane Feb. 7....... Marshall Feb. 9....... Charlotte Feb. 13...... @UAB Feb. 15...... @Middle Tennessee St. Feb. 20..... UT-San Antonio Feb. 22..... UTEP Feb. 27..... Florida International

USM 2733 73.9 +10.4 985-2058 .479 245-645 .380 6.6 518-746 .694 1322 35.7 +5.5 551 14.9 545 14.7 +2.5 1.0 356 9.6 101 2.7 76,824 16-4802 -

OPP 2348 63.59 775-1895 .409 288-873 .330 7.8 510-756 .675 1117 30.2 542 14.6 636 14.6 0.9 257 6.9 138 3.7 111,166 16-5590 5-4345

Mar. 2....... @Florida Atlantic Mar. 6....... @Tulane Mar.11-15 CUSA Tournament # - NABC Hall of Fame Classic, % - BVI Tropical Shootout

SCORE BY PERIODS Southern Miss Opponents

1st 2nd OT OT2 Totals 1289 1396 41 7 2733 1048 1249 32 19 2348

Roster 2 Matt Bingaya - G/F (So.) Deleware, OH

3 Davon Hayes - G/F 6’7”/190 (RS. Fr.) Portsmouth, Va.

5 Neal Watson - G 5’11”/170 (Sr.) Kansas City, KS

11 Daveon Boardingham - F 6’7”/225 (Sr.) Newark, NJ

13 Chip Armelin - G 6’3”/198 (RS. Jr.) Sulphur, LA

21 Norville Carey - F 6’7”/220 (So.) British Virgin Islands

22 Aaron Brown - F 6’5”/210 (RS. Jr.) Hackensack, NJ

23 Jerrold Brooks - G 6’0”/205 (Sr.) Rochester, NY

24 Michael Craig - G/F 6’5”/230 (Sr.) Phoenix, AZ

25 Jamie Chapman - G 6’3”/175 (So.) Mobile, AL

32 Ude Ifeanyichukwa - F 6’10”/235 (Jr.) Abuja, Nigeria 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 41

Jackson State TIGERS T

2012-13: Overall: 8-16 / SWAC: 7-8 / Home: 4-3 / Away: 4-13 / Neutral: 0-0 Head Coach Wayne Brent Photo by James Pugh

By WESLEY PETERSON JSU Sports Information

42 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

he Jackson State men’s basketball program will enter into a new phase during the 2013-14season, as the Tigers will be led by head coach Wayne Brent. Brent was named the head coach on of the Tigers on March 25, following one of the most successful basketball coaching careers in Jackson Public School system history. He brings over 15 years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels to JSU. Brent took over at Jackson State after leading Callaway High School to the 2013 state championship. He possesses the rare combination of integrity, dedication and ability. He has achieved success in every area of his professional and personal life, gaining and retaining the respect of his players, colleagues and family. Shortly following the announcement of Brent as JSU’s head coach, a renewed interest in Tigers hoops was expressed by fans – particularly by Jackson natives. “There are certain goals that I have set for this program,” said Brent. “I want to give guys a chance to dream. I would like the team to reach the NCAA Tournament in the next few years.” Over the previous two seasons, JSU home game attendance steadily decreased. The decrease was, in part, due to the underperformance of the teams despite having some of the better talent in the SWAC. Last season, the Tigers drew an

2013-14 SCHEDULE Nov. 8....... @ Southern Miss Nov. 11.......Arkansas State Nov. 14......@ Air Force Nov. 16......@ Colorado Nov. 18......@ Wyoming Nov. 22......@ UT-Martin Nov. 27......@ Miss. State Dec. 1........Louisiana Tech Dec. 14......@ Evansville

Dec. 19......Louisiana-Lafeyette Dec. 28......@ Memphis Jan. 4.........Alabama A&M Jan. 6.........Alabama State Jan. 11........@ Alcorn St. Jan. 13.......@ Southern Univ. Jan. 18.......Prairie View Jan. 20.......Texas Southern Jan. 25.......Grambling St. Feb. 1.........@ MS Valley St. Feb. 3........@ Arkansas-Pine Bluff Feb. 8........Alcorn St. Feb. 10.......Southern Univ. Feb. 15.......@ Prairie View Feb. 17.......@ Texas Southern Feb. 22......@ Grambling St. Mar. 1........Arkansas-Pine Bluff Mar. 3........MS Valley St. Mar. 6........@ Alabama A&M Mar. 8........@ Alabama State Mar.11-15 SWAC Tournament

Derrell Taylor

average of 1,360 fans to home games at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. The team finished with an 11-18 overall record. During the 2011-12 season the Tigers finished with a 7-24 record and drew an average of 1,165 fans to home games. Brent advised JSU fans that they will see a certain style of play and product on the court. JSU fans can expect to see a team that works hard, both on the court and in the class room. He expects his team to be competitive in both conference and non-conference games. Brent has a history of helping turn down programs (on the high school and collegiate levels) around. He will have a good core of players with collegiate experience. Returning to the team from last year’s team are standouts Jeff Stubbs (6-1, G) and Derrell Taylor (6-5, G). Julysses Nobles (6-1, G) and B.J. West (6-11, F/C) are two transfers who will also bring veteran leadership to the team. Last season Stubbs averaged 8.3 pts and had 30 assists as the back-up point guard. He was the fourth leading scorer on the team. Taylor averaged 5.0 pts and led the team in rebounding with 129 for the season (4.6 avg). Nobles, who transferred to JSU from Arkansas, sat out last year. During his three year career as a Razorback he averaged 7.1 pts, 2.6 rebs and 2.9 assists. West a transfer from New Mexico played in 12 games last season and averaged 1.3 pts and .4 rebs. JSU also add talented freshman to its lineup, including Marquis Todd (6-9, F, T.F. North HS), Javares Brent (6-5, G, Provine HS), Brendan Ortiz (6-2, G, Madison Memorial HS), Donta Robinson (6-4, G/F, Provine HS), Marcus Love (6-0, G, Murrah HS). Brent expects the 2013-14 season to be one of ups and downs. “We will start off slow, because of the new pieces we will have on the team. But we will be a better team later in the season and once we get into conference play.” The Tigers anticipate making their mark during the conference tournament. - MSM

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VISIT US AT MSSPORTSMAGAZINE.COM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 43

MS Valley St. DELTA DEVILS

2012-13: Overall: 5-23 / SWAC: 5-13 / Home: 4-5 / Away: 1-16 / Neutral: 0-2

2013-14 SCHEDULE Nov. 4....... @Delta State Nov. 8........@Oklahoma State Nov. 11.......@Texas A&M Nov. 19......@Miss. State

Nov. 22-30.Barclay Center Classic Nov. 22......@Ole Miss Nov. 26......@Georgia Tech Nov. 29......@Longwood Univ. Nov. 30......UNC A&T/Monmouth Dec. 16......@Northwestern Univ. Dec. 27......@Washington Nov. 28......@Washington St. Jan. 4.........AR-Pine Bluff Jan. 11........@Alabama St. Jan. 13.......@Alabama A&M Jan. 18.......Alcorn State Jan. 20.......Southern Jan. 25.......@Prairie View

Darryl Marshall

By KENNETH MISTER

MVSU Sports Information

ike nearly every college basketball team across the nation, there will be changes for the Mississippi Valley State basketball team. But unlike last season, the Delta Devils won’t have to replace nearly every player from the previous year. There will be eight Valley players with at least one year of Division-I basketball experience when the Delta Devils hit the court this season. “It’s a huge factor,” said sec-

44 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

ond-year MVSU head coach Chico Potts. “Last year, my guys didn’t know what to expect because they had never played a Division-I game, but now they know exactly what D-I college basketball is all about. I expect my older guys to lead by example and show the way to my newcomers.” BACKCOURT MVSU is coming off a 5-23 finish in 2012-13 but were unable to compete in the SWAC Tournament due to APR penalties. Now, Valley looks to improve with a loaded backcourt

led by point guard Darryl Marshall (5-11, 167, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.) and Mississippi Delta Community College transfer Anthony McDonald (6-1, 180, Jr. Aberdeen, Miss.). Marshall started 25 games last season and averaged 7.9 points and 2.8 assists per game. He eclipsed the 20-point mark twice, putting up 21 on Alcorn State before lighting up Prairie View A&M for 20. Marshall also had a season-high eight assists at Northwestern. McDonald, meanwhile, averaged 22.3 points, 4 rebounds and 3.7 assists as a sophomore

Jan. 27.......@Texas Southern Feb. 1.........Jackson State Feb. 3........Grambling Feb. 8........Alabama State Feb. 10.......Alabama A&M Feb. 15.......@Alcorn Feb. 17.......@Southern Feb. 22......Texas Southern Feb. 24......Prairie View Mar. 1........@Jackson State Mar. 3........@Grambling Mar. 8........AR-Pine Bluff Mar. 11-15 SWAC Tournament

season including a 14-point, 10-rebound performance against Alabama State. Francis’ best performance came in nonconference competition at Bradley when he put up 21 points. One player MVSU head coach Chico Potts is hoping can make an immediate impact is freshman Daniel Hurtt (6-6, 235, Fr., Kansas City, Mo. /Quakerdale Prep). Hurtt spent last year at Quakerdale Prep Academy in Iowa following a standout career at Archbishop O’Hara High School. “Daniel is a unique player,” Potts said. “His size and skill set sets him apart from a lot of freshmen in and out of our league. His role will be to defend, rebound and score.” Another newcomer expected to play a large role for the Delta Devils is James Currington III (6-6, 186, Fr., Tuscaloosa, Ala.), who had a successful career at Alabama’s Paul Bryant High School. He averaged 11.1 points and 8 rebounds as he led the Stampede to a 30-4 record, the best since the school opened in 2003. The First Team All-State selection was named the Tuscaloosa News’ West Alabama Player of the Year. Joining the others in the frontcourt will be Vacha Vaughn (6-4, 210, Fr., Memphis), who will be playing in his first year as a Delta Devil after prepping at Mitchell High School.

Julius Francis

at MDCC. He had a career-high 36 points at Northeast Community College on Feb. 21. The Aberdeen native, who averaged 16 points at Aberdeen High, spent his freshman year at Itawamba Community College. “If you had an opportunity to watch him play in junior college, then you know what he is capable of,” said Potts. “I expect Anthony to be a solid impact player for us this season.” Others predicted to make an impact in the backcourt include DeAngelo Priar (6-3, 182, Jr., Tchula/Holmes Community College), Cameron Dobbs (6 -0, 173, So., Albany, NY), Jordan Washington (5-10, 174, R-Fr., Memphis), Cortland Henry (6-2, 193, Sr., Montgomery, Ala.), Jeffrey Simmons (6-1, 178, Jr., Greenwood/Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College), Cordarius Samples (6-3, 206, So., Bessemer, Ala.) and Thaddeus Fauntleroy (5-10, 175, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa.). Dobbs and Samples both played reserved roles for the Delta Devils last season. Dobbs averaged 4 points and had a career-high 13 against Texas Southern. Samples’ role increased midway through the season and played an important role for the Delta Devils off the bench. Known for his defensive prowess, Samples also made an impact on the of-

fensive end, scoring 12 against Grambling State and 11 at Alcorn State and Southern University. Priar transferred to MVSU from Holmes Community College where he averaged 12.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the field. He also played in the MACJC All-Star Game. FRONTCOURT While the Valley frontcourt may not be as deep as the backcourt, it is just as talented. The most experienced of the bunch is Blake Ralling (6-6, 195, Jr., Atlanta), who is entering his third year in Itta Bena. Ralling’s workload has increased each year, including 18 starts last season. He averaged nearly 4 points and 3 boards per game. Ralling’s coming out moment came against SEC powerhouse LSU when he knocked down five 3’s and finished with a career-high 15 points. Julius Francis (6-11, 255, Sr., Gaithersburg, Md.) will bring length to the center position will his near 7-foot frame. After beginning last season as a starter, Francis moved into a reserve role to make way for Ervin Thomas (6-5, 197, Sr., Chicago) – a junior college transfer who had three double-doubles last

SCHEDULE Mississippi Valley State will tip of the 2013-14 season Oct. 30 when they host Victory University in an exhibition game in what will be the final contest played at Valley’s Harrison HPER Complex before renovations to the arena begin later this year. It has not been officially announced where the Delta Devils and Devilettes will play its home games, which begin in January. MVSU will travel to Delta State on Nov. 4 when they play their final exhibition game before opening up the regular season Nov. 8 at Oklahoma State. Afterwards, the Delta Devils will take trips to Texas A&M (Nov. 11) and Mississippi State (Nov. 19). Then, Valley will compete in the Barclay Center Classic, which is slated for Nov. 2230. The Delta Devils will play the first pair of games on the road in Oxford at Ole Miss (Nov. 22) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 26) before facing Longwood University (Nov. 29) and North Carolina A&T or Monmouth on Nov. 30 in West Long Branch, N.J. The Delta Devils will finish up its nonconference slate with three games in December: Northwestern (Dec. 16), Washington (Dec. 27) and Washington State (Dec. 28). MVSU will dive into SWAC action Jan. 4 when they host Arkansas-Pine Bluff. “Our schedule will prepare us for conference play and get our guys some national exposure,” said Potts. “I believe we have some challenging and winnable games that we are very excited about.” - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 45

Delta State STATEMEN

2012-13: Overall: 11-16 / Conference: 7-11 / Home: 9-6 / Away: 2-9 / Neutral: 0-1

2013-14 SCHEDULE Nov. 9....... Florida Southern Col. Nov. 10......Eckerd College Nov. 16......@ LeMoyne-Owen Col. Nov. 20......Selma Univ. Nov. 23......Champion Baptist Col. Nov. 26......@ Henderson State Dec. 7........Miles College Dec. 14......@ Christian Brothers U. Dec. 19......@ West Alabama Dec. 21......@ Alabama-Huntsville Jan. 4.........West Georgia Jan. 6.........Shorter Univ. (Ga.) Jan. 9.........@ Lee Univ. (Tenn.) Jan. 16.......North Alabama Jan. 18.......Union Univ. (Tenn.)

Jack Madgen

By PHILIP TANG

DSU Sports Information

he 2013-2014 season for the Delta State basketball begins the second year for head Jim Boone. The Statesmen are returning three key starters from the 2012-13 campaign that surpassed the most optimistic expectation. Coupled with head coach Jim Boone’s second full recruiting class, the Statesmen are prepared once again to compete on a national level. Coach Boone has high expec46 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Jan. 23.......@ Valdosta State tations for senior, Cornel Knight. The 6’4 guard became a key contributor during the Statesmen late January and February run to the Gulf South Conference Tournament. Knight, led the Statesmen in total assist (101), along with a 13.8 point per game average over the last 9 games of the season. He is arguably the team’s best defensive player, in a program that demands defense. Next to Knight will be shooting guards, 6’5” sophomore Jack Madgen and 6’4” senior Mike Weems. Through the late season run, the two combined to average 22 points per game, while

shooting a torrid 43% from beyond the arc, and dishing out 6.3 assists per game. One key to this year’s success may lie in the players Boone decided to redshirt last season. This allowed invaluable playing time for last season’s freshmen class. This year’s recruits are led by Division I transfer center, Willie Readus. At 6’7 and 260 pounds, Readus supplies the muscle inside that the Statesmen need. While at Jackson State University, Readus quickly established himself as an outstanding rebounder on both ends of the

Jan. 25.......@ West Flroida Jan. 30.......West Alabama Feb. 1.........Alabama-Huntsville Feb. 6........@ West Georgia Feb. 8........@ Shorter Univ. (Ga.) Feb. 11.......Christian Brothers U. Feb. 13.......Lee Univ. (Tenn.) Feb. 20......@ North Alabama Feb. 22......@ Union Univ. (Tenn.) Feb. 27......Valdosta State Mar. 1........West Florida

Cornel Knight

floor and an inside scorer. Among his most notable performances as a junior at JSU, were an 11-point, six-rebound effort against NITchampion Baylor and eight points and 15 rebounds against Texas Tech. Complimenting Readus will be 6’9’’ Michael Washington, who transferred from West Virginia Wesleyan where he played for Boone. The redshirt senior helped lead Wesleyan to its best ever record at the NCAA Division II level and it’s first NCAA Division II Tournament victory. One of its most versatile defenders, Washington’s athleticism and 7’2” wingspan allow him to defend any position on the floor. Over his junior year at West Virginia Wesleyan, he knocked down 56% of his field goal attempts, grabbing almost 5 rebounds, while averaging 10.4 points per 40 minutes of action in WVIAC games. Joining Washington, as a red-shirt last season, is 6’5 shooting guard, Alister Chisholm from Hagerstown Community College. Chisholm led the Hawks to a national ranking with a 28-5 record in 2011-12, averaging 13.1 points per game and 5.7 rebounds. Chisholm

also led the Hawks with 98 free throws made (74 %) and in 3-point percentage (42.1) with 37 3-pointers in 29 games. Also a newcomer for this season is Joey Lillis, a 6’8” forward out of Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He capped off a magnificent high school career by leading his team to a state runner-up finish in 6A, the largest classification in Kansas. Lillis was named first team all-state by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association after averaging 14 points and nine rebounds per game. His best outings included a 23-point, 13-rebound effort against St. Thomas Aquinas and a 16-point, 19-rebound effort against Lawrence High School. Devin Schmidt, a 6’5” forward, signed with the Statesmen in November before leading Sevier County High School to the best season in school history. Schmidt was rated as the top high school prospect in East Tennessee, where he scored over 1,600 career points for the Smokey Bears, averaged nearly 29 points per game as a senior, winning a school-record 28 games this past season.

Jake Maestranzi, a 5’9” point guard, led Notre Dame (Ill.) College Prep to a 22-7 record this past season and a top four finish in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. The Bartlett, Ill. native averaged eight points and five assists per contest, with an assist-toturnover ratio of five to one. Prior to competing for Notre Dame, Maestranzi played at South Elgin High School, where he averaged 12 points and six assists per game as a junior while sinking 56 three-pointers. According to head coach Jim Boone, “The Gulf South is one of Division II’s premiere conferences and will be very talented and deep again this year. But, we are confident in both our returning group and our incoming players and their collective talents. We have had a year to teach and develop our system of play and I could not be more pleased with the tremendous progress we have made. We are very prepared and ready to compete at the top of our league and on a national level. This will be an exciting year for Statesmen Basketball, we are eager to begin.” - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 47

Miss. College CHOCTAWS

2012-13: Overall: 12-18 / Conference: 8-10 / Home: 8-7 / Away: 4-9 / Neutral: 0-2

2013-14 SCHEDULE

ference and Division III. Unfortunately, the move means that no MC team is eligible for Division III or ASC postseason play and brings the men’s basketball run of 15 straight tournaments to an end. However, the Choctaws are now part of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), which will allow MC teams to qualify for regional and national championships. As for the men’s basketball team, they will have to go through the 2013-14 season with just four returning players from last year’s squad, only one of which played in more than four games. While it is an entirely new set of faces, coach Lofton and his staff are confident they have brought in a talented recruiting class that can step in right away and compete in their final year of a Division III schedule.

Nov. 12..... @ Alcorn St. (Exh.)

Coach Don Lofton

By DAVID NICHOLS

MC Sports Information

he Mississippi College men’s basketball team got back to their winning ways in the 2012-13 season, posting a record above .500 for the 23rd time in the last 25 seasons, dating back to the 1988-89 campaign. MC had suffered through a losing season in 2011-12, but head coach Don Lofton led them back to the American Southwest Conference Tournament last year with a record of 15-10, making 48 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

them the only team in the league to qualify for all 15 postseason tournaments. The Choctaws lost to eventual tournament champion Concordia Texas by a score of 78-76, but MC had a shot at the buzzer to win. Coming into the 2013-14 season, the entire Mississippi College Athletics Department received word that it had been accepted into the First-Year Candidacy Period to return to Division II status and the Gulf South Conference. MC had been in Division II and the GSC from 1972-1996 before moving to the American Southwest Con-

FRONTCOURT The Choctaws lone returning contributor from the 2012-13 team is senior Lakin Ford (F, 6’5, 190). The East Mississippi Community College transfer played in 25 games, starting 21 for MC last season. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest, while shooting 45% from the floor and 32% from the three-point line. Ford scored a season-high 21 points in a 75-68 win over Texas Lutheran, going 8-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-7 from the three-point line. He had two double-doubles on the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Schreiner and 12 points and 11 boards

Nov. 16......Pensacola Christian Nov. 26......Rust Dec. 2........Concordia Texas Dec.5.........@ LeTourneau Dec. 7........@ East Texas Baptist Dec. 14......Rhodes Dec. 21......Mary Hardin-Baylor Jan. 2.........@ Hardin-Simmons Jan. 4.........@ Texas-Dallas Jan. 9.........Sul Ross State Jan. 11........Howard Payne Jan. 13.......@ Louisiana College Jan. 16.......@ Texas-Tyler Jan. 18.......@ Ozarks (Ar.) Jan. 23.......East Texas Baptist Jan. 25.......LeTourneau Jan. 27.......Louisiana College Jan. 30.......@ Concordia Texas Feb. 1.........@ Mary Hardin-Baylor Feb. 6........Texas-Dallas Feb. 8........Hardin-Simmons Feb. 13.......@ Howard Payne Feb. 15.......@ Sul Ross State Feb. 20......Ozarks (Ar.) Feb. 22......Texas-Tyler

Lakin Ford

against Texas-Tyler. Being the most experienced player on the team heading into 201314, Ford will be leaned on heavily to lead this team on and off the floor. The coaching staff is looking for Ford to have more of a post presence this season and open up shooters all over the floor. Also looking to make an impact on the block is Emmanuel Ezejiofo, a transfer from Hinds Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi, where he played football at both schools. He’s an incredible athlete that hits the boards hard. The former Hillcrest Christian standout also has the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. Also looking to make an impact in the post are Willie Williams and Kelvin Smith, both Mississippi junior college transfers. Williams was with the team last year, but missed the entire season due to injury. The Northwest CC transfer has nice touch around the basket and can hit the mid-range jumper. Smith comes from Holmes CC and is an excellent rebounder in the post. As a freshman, Lucas Burriss of West Lin-

coln High School will push for playing time. Burriss has the strength and ability to develop into a great low-post presence. He is a hard-worker that always seems to be in good position to make plays. Even as a rookie, Burris will see significant minutes and provide a strong rebounder. BACKCOURT The strength of the 2013-14 team looks to be on the perimeter with a talented group of shooters and ball-handlers joining the Choctaws. With all new faces on the outside, it may take some time to gel as a team, but once everyone grasps the system, MC should be able to put up some big numbers on the scoreboard. At the point guard position, a familiar name and face will step in and have a chance to play right away as Caleb Miskelly joins the Choctaw roster. Miskelly transferred from Delta State after an outstanding prep career at Madison-Ridgeland Academy. He is a great facilitator and leader on the floor and has much-needed experience at point guard. Joining Miskelly in running the offense

are transfer Christian Howard and freshman Jared Case. Howard comes in from Faulkner University and is a good shooter with explosive play-making abilities. Case has the ability to play a lot minutes as a rookie. His ability to create plays and shoot the basketball makes him a dual threat that is a tough guard for opponents. On the outside, the Choctaws will have multiple options with players that can play both positions and even slide over to point guard and run the offense. Jay Case, older brother of Jared, is a transfer from CopiahLincoln Community College, and Jaron Edwards comes from William Carey. Case has “in-the-gym” range and will be one of the leaders on this inexperienced team. He also has the ability to create his own shot. Edwards played his prep ball at Bowling Green Academy and is one of the better play-makers on this year’s roster. He joins Case with the ability to create off the dribble and shoot from outside. Also looking to see some time at the two-guard is Simpson Anderson from Central Private School. Anderson and Central Private defeated Jackson Prep in the MAIS Overall Championship in the “Golden Dome” last season. Anderson’s shooting ability was on display in that game, and he will look to do the same in the blue and gold. On the other wing, the Choctaws have multiple options, as well, led by Rayner Fredrick, a transfer from Division I Grand Canyon University. He will be a physical presence that has the ability to step out and hit a long range jumper, as well as going down to the block and taking pressure off the talented Choctaw shooters. He is a hard-worker that has a knack for being in the good rebounding position, and he has the ability to push the ball in transition. Also on the wing will be Devin Flowers, a transfer from Southwest Mississippi Community College and freshman Jesse Pearce from First Assembly Christian in Memphis. Flowers is very athletic and can get to the rim to finish or rebound offensively. Pearce has the best leaping ability on the team and is a raw talent that will see more playing time as his career progresses. SCHEDULE The Choctaws are in the last season playing an American Southwest Conference schedule, and due to other teams leaving the league, they will play a home-and-home with all 11 teams. That accounts for 22 of the 25 allotted games, so MC’s non-conference schedule will include Pensacola Christian, Rust and Rhodes. They will open the season with an exhibition against Alcorn State in Lorman. The last time the Choctaws went to Lorman, MC came away with an 85-81 win over the Division I program. - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 49

Belhaven BLAZERS

2012-13: Overall: 12-18 / Conference: 8-10 / Home: 8-7 / Away: 4-9 / Neutral: 0-2

Chris Cofield

By KIRK Mcdonnell

Belhaven Sports Information

he 2012-13 season was the beginning of a new era for the Belhaven men’s basketball program. John Aiken, who had served as the assistant coach for four seasons, took the reins of the team and guided them to a 12-18 record. The Blazers were 8-10 in the Southern States Athletic Conference, just missing the postseason tournament. Coach Aiken and the Blazers are excited about taking the program to the next level and what the 2013-14 has in store. “Overall I was pleased with the effort of our team last season,” 50 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Aiken said. “We had to battle through some injuries to some key players mid way through the season and I was proud of the efforts the guys gave in the face of adversity. Even though things didn’t line up wins and loss wise like we had hoped, I’m really excited about where we are now and looking forward to getting things rolling again this season.” FRONTCOURT The Belhaven front court will have a new look this year with an influx of new recruits and a couple impact players returning to the team this year. The Blazers were thin up front at the end of the season due to injury, creating some matchup problems with opponents down the stretch.

Coach Aiken doesn’t anticipate that being an issue this year. Curt Hall is one of Belhaven’s top returners in the front court this season after appearing in 25 games a year ago. Hall, a senior forward from West Point, Miss., was third on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game, connected on 64.9% of his field goals, while grabbing 6.4 rebounds per night. Hall made 18 starts in 2012-13 and is expected to be a starter and leader on the floor this year. Other key returners include senior forwards Jonathan Ratliff and Deon Bedford. Ratliff, a native of Benton, Miss, played in 15 games last year where he averaged 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per night. Bedford, who hails from Maben, Miss, saw action in 14 contests and averaged 11.6 points per contest. The Blazers brought in a deep and talented recruiting class this season, especially in the front court. Headlining the list of newcomers is forward Brandon Greene. Greene, who hails from Baltimore, Md and is a transfer from the University of Pikeville, is a welcomed addition to the club. “Brandon is a bruising power forward that will play some center for us as well,” Aiken said. “He was a key contributor for a Pikeville team that started 14-1 last year. We expect him to come in and lead our front court immediately. He is a very skilled post player with a great knack for blocking shots and passing the ball.” Josh Gaskin and D’ariel Franklin should also provide

2013-14 SCHEDULE Nov. 1....... Dalton State College Nov. 4....... Dillard Univ. (La.) Nov. 12..... Tougaloo College Nov. 15..... @ Brewton-Parker Col. Nov. 16...... @ Col. of Coastal Georgia Nov. 22...... Auburn-Montgomery Nov. 23...... Emmanuel College (Ga.) Dec. 3........ @ Tougaloo College Dec. 20...... @ Cumberland Univ. (Tn.) Dec. 21...... @Dalton State College

Dec. 28...... @ Troy University Dec. 30...... Xavier-Louisiana Jan. 10....... @ Southern Wesleyan Jan. 11........ @Southern Polytechnic Jan. 14....... @ Dillard University Jan. 16....... Martin Methodist Col. Jan. 18....... @ Spring Hill Col. Jan. 23....... Bethel Univ. Jan. 25....... Blue Mountain Col. Jan. 28....... @ Xavier Louisiana Jan. 30....... @ Univ. of Mobile Feb. 1......... William Carey Univ. Feb. 6........ @ Loyola Univ. (La.) Feb. 8........ Bethel Univ. Feb. 13....... Spring Hill Col. Feb. 15....... @ Blue Mountain Col. Feb. 20...... Univ. of Mobile. Feb. 22...... @ William Carey Univ. Feb. 27...... Loyola Univ. (La.) Mar. 1........ Martin Methodist Col. Mar. 5-8.....SSAC Tournament

Alex Thompson is a local player from Jackson, Miss who will join the Blazers for the 2013-14 season. Thompson transfers in from Coahoma Community College. “Alex is a perfect fit point guard for our program,” Aiken said. “He played at Lanier High School and really understands our ball screen system. I am excited to see his growth defensively as I think he has the tools to be one of our best defenders.” Rounding out the recruiting class is Dycus Juste from Orlando, FL by way of Ave Marie University. “Dycus came to us in January and has been working out with our team for a semester,” said Aiken. “He has a tremendous work ethic and is working hard to pick up our system. He has a very good mid-range game and will provide depth to our perimeter.”

Curt Hall

solid play and depth in the front court this season. Gaskin, a native of Vicksburg, Miss, transfers to Belhaven after spending last season at Hinds Community College. “Josh reminds me a lot of returning senior Deon Bedford,” said Aiken. “He is a great kid with tremendous athletic ability. Josh will provide us quality depth in the post and has the ability to be effective in our ball screen offense and the press.” Franklin, a native of Birmingham, Ala, comes to Belhaven by way of Shelton State Community College where he spent the first two years of his collegiate career. “Franklin is a high-major athlete and is one of the more physically gifted players we have had come through this program,” Aiken said. “We are excited about his experience in one of the best pressing systems in all of junior college at Shelton State.” BACKCOURT The Belhaven backcourt could very well be the strength of the team with some very talented players returning to the roster in 201313. One of those players is Chris Cofield who emerged as one of the top guards in the SSAC a year ago. Cofield, a senior from Omaha, NE, was selected for the SSAC All-Division team after averaging 9.7 points per game while leading the Blazers in assists with 104 in 2012-13. At the conference level, Cofield ranked fourth in assists per game (3.47) and fourth in total assists. Cofield was also a force on defense as evidenced by 37 steals, placing him 14th in the SSAC in that category. Joining Cofield again this season is fel-

low guard Datodrick Pinkston who will help quarterback the offense as well. Pinkston, a junior from Forest, Miss, appeared in all 30 games last season, averaging 9.3 points and five rebounds per game. He was third on the team with 52 assists. Junior Jerrial Dawson will also factor into the mix this season after playing in 28 contests for the Blazers last season. Dawson, a junior from Jackson, Miss, averaged 5.4 points in 2012-13. Senior Dione Milsap, a native of Yazoo City, Miss, played in 10 games last year and averaged 6.5 points per night. Milsap brings a lot of athleticism to the table and can create havoc on the offenses and defenses of opponents. Coach Aiken also went out and brought in some quality recruits to bolster his already strong backcourt. Carlo McDonald, a native of Florence, Miss and transfer from Hinds Community College is one of those key recruits. “Carlo is a very versatile player for us and I am excited to see how he fits and where we can use him,” Aiken said. “He has the ability to play three positions offensively and defensively. He can really shoot the ball from the perimeter and has great size to take guards into the post.” Josh Carpenter, a 6’2 guard from Hattiesburg, Miss, will make his Belhaven debut after transferring from Pearl River Community College. “Josh is a strong physical guard that reminds me a lot of AJ Taylor from our 2010 team,” Aiken said. “Josh can play both the point and two guard position and has a tremendous ability to get to the rim and finish. He will provide great depth to our guards.”

OVERVIEW The potential for another exciting season is certainly there for the team in 2013-14 due to the athleticism and depth of the roster. “Our team this year is really athletic and very deep and reminds me a lot of the team that won 24 games three years ago,” said Aiken. “We have players two deep at every position and that will enable us to play fast and get up and down the floor. I think this is going to be a fun team to watch.” With a year of experience in the new system for the returners and the talented recruits brought in by the coaching staff, the table is set for an exciting season ahead. “As the head coach of the program I am really excited about the foundation we laid this past off season on the recruiting trail,” Aiken said. “My assistant Alex Ainsworth worked very hard as our recruiting coordinator this past year and really helped us address our needs for depth in a variety of areas. I am excited about the chemistry of this group and the skill set that so many of these guys bring to our program. When I took over this program, I said that our identity would be in our ability to really create pressure for 40 minutes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. We now have quality depth to really make that vision a reality.” The 2013-14 season will mark the fourth campaign in the SSAC. The Blazers will once again be back in the West Division and will face familiar rivals in William Carey University, the University of Mobile, Loyola University, and Spring Hill College. Joining the West Division this year are newcomers Blue Mountain College, Martin Methodist, and Bethel (TN). Key non-conference showdowns are scheduled with Tougaloo College, Xavier (LA), Dalton State College, and Dillard University. Belhaven tips off the regular season on November 1 at home against Dalton State College starting at 7:00 PM. - MSM 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 51

Mil saps MAJORS

2012-13: Overall: 6-21 / Conference: 3-11 / Home: 3-11 / Away: 1-9 / Neutral: 2-1

Murray Kastner

By Drew Giudice

Millsaps Sports Information

he 2013-2014 Millsaps Men’s basketball team will look to build on last year’s appearance in the semifinals of the inaugural Southern Athletic Association tournament. The Majors are coached once again by Tim Wise, entering his 11th season in charge of the program. An expected strength of this year’s squad, as noted by 4th year 52 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

assistant coach Rodney Rogan, will be their ability to defend on the perimeter. Rogan said, “We have guards who can get down and defend. Tully Gilligan is a guy who can effectively guard the 1 through 4. Marc Robertson was trusted to guard the SAA Player of the Year in our opening round win in last year’s conference tournament. That speaks to the kind of defender he is; we have even greater expectations for his sophomore season.” Another expected asset for the Majors is their focus on

valuing possessions and getting quality shot attempts. Rogan comments that, “We have three players with college experience at the point guard position; we expect them to take care of the ball and create open shots for one another.” An area the Majors must improve upon is rebounding the basketball. They were second to last in the SAA last season in rebounding margin. The Majors return plenty of veteran talent and experience to compete at the top of the conference. Seniors Tully Gilligan, Ryan Berger, and Murray Kastner are returning starters who will be counted on to lead the underclassmen. Head Coach Tim Wise notes, “The success of the team this year will certainly depend greatly on how well the three seniors lead, as well as the underclassmen progressing over the course of the season.” All three logged over 30 minutes a game as juniors, and will be counted on to do the same this season. BACKCOURT Tully Gilligan (6’3, 215) is one of the most versatile players in program history, having played all five positions on the floor throughout his career. The Ocala, Florida native filled up box scores in his junior season with per game averages of 9.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in SAA play. Murray Kastner (5’11, 180) flourished in a breakout junior year, shooting 42% from behind the

2013-14 SCHEDULE Nov. 11...... @ U. of New Orleans Nov. 15..... Pensacola Christian Nov. 16..... East Texas Baptist Nov. 23..... @ Covenant Dec. 1....... @ Birmingham So. Dec. 7....... @ Dallas Dec. 8....... @ Austin Dec. 20..... Stockton# Dec. 21..... Shenandoah# Jan. 3........ Centanary (La.)% Jan. 5........ Rust% Jan. 10...... @ Centre Jan. 12...... @ Sewanee Jan. 18...... Birmingham So. Jan. 24...... Rhodes Jan. 26...... Hendrix Jan. 31...... @ Oglethorpe Feb. 2....... @ Berry Feb. 7....... @ Rhodes Feb. 9....... @ Hendrix Feb. 14...... Sewanee Feb. 16...... Centre Feb. 21...... Berry Feb. 23..... Oglethorpe # - @ Dytona Beach % Millsaps New Year’s Classic

Tully Gilligan

three point arc and averaging 10 points per game. Rogan adds, “Murray is a great example of perseverance. He didn’t play much his first two years, but he never stopped working hard and when the opportunity arose he was ready.” Dustin Aubert (6’2, 190) joins the Majors after playing two years at a Solano College (CA). His playmaking ability, maturity, and leadership will be counted on from the outset of the season. Ryan Detillieu returns as a junior who could provide heady minutes as a reserve point guard and sophomore Rajan Hanstad also adds depth to the backcourt. The Majors also added some length to the perimeter with their freshmen class. One young player the coaches are excited to see develop is Mac McElveen. Coach Rogan highlights McElveen’s wingspan, saying “He’s a guy who certainly will had athleticism on the perimeter. He will need to quickly adjust

from high school competition to playing on the college level.” FRONTCOURT Ryan Berger (6’3, 190) will be relied on for his athleticism and rebounding prowess, having put up 7.6 points and grabbing 6 boards per contest last season. Sophomore Alex Gerchow (6’5, 205) played limited minutes as a freshmen, and will be expected to add interior toughness for the Majors. Ronnie Frebis is a freshman who has impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic and post play. Mason San Souci (6’5, 210) will also compete for playing time. THE SCHEDULE The Majors will be challenged from the beginning this season. The first practice will be held October 15th and an exhibition at Division I University of New Orleans on No-

vember 12th will be the first live game action. The regular season tips off in the Hangar Dome on campus at Millsaps with back to back games hosting Pensacola Christian and East Texas Baptist University on November 15th and 16th. The nonconference slate is highlighted by a trip to Florida to take place in the Daytona Beach Shootout versus strong Division III competition Stockton (NJ) and Shenandoah (VA) on December 20th and 21st. The second season of Southern Athletic Association basketball tips off when the Majors travel to Birmingham Southern on December 1st. Conference play gets in to full swing in January and sets up well for the Majors, as they get the last four on the regular season schedule at home in the Hangar Dome. The SAA Tournament will be hosted by the regular season champion, beginning February 28. - MSM

2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 53

SEC HOOPS 2013-14 ALABAMA Nov.4...........West Georgia Nov. 8..........Oklahoma# Nov. 14........Texas Tech Nov. 18........NIT Tip-Off Nov. 19........NIT Tip-Off Nov. 27........NIT Tip-Off Nov. 29........NIT Tip-Off Dec. 4..........North Florida Dec. 7..........@South Florida Dec. 14........Charleston So. Dec. 17........Wichita State Dec. 21........Xavier Dec. 28........@UCLA Jan. 4...........Robert Morris Jan. 7...........Vanderbilt Jan. 11..........@Georgia Jan. 15.........Miss. State Jan. 18.........@Missouri Jan. 23.........Florida Jan. 25.........LSU Jan. 29.........@Auburn Feb. 1...........Tennessee Feb. 5..........@Arkansas Feb. 8..........@Florida Feb. 11.........Ole Miss Feb. 15.........@South Carolina Feb. 20........@Texas A&M Feb. 22........Missouri Feb. 26........@Ole Miss Mar. 1..........Auburn Mar. 4..........@Kentucky Mar. 8..........Arkansas # - Dallas, TX

ARKANSAS Nov. 8..........SIU-Edwardsville Nov. 15........Louisiana Nov. 18........SMU Nov. 25........California# Nov. 26........Syracuse/Minn.# Nov. 27........TBD Dec. 3..........SE Louisiana Dec. 7..........Clemson Dec. 12........Savannah St. Dec. 19........UT-Martin Dec. 21........South Alabama% Dec. 28........High Point Jan. 4...........Texas-San Antonio Jan. 8...........@Texas A&M Jan. 11..........Florida Jan. 14.........Kentucky Jan. 18.........@Georgia Jan. 22.........@Tennessee Jan. 25.........Auburn Jan. 28.........Missouri Feb. 1...........@LSU Feb. 5..........Alabama Feb. 8..........@Vanderbilt Feb. 13.........@Missouri Feb. 15.........LSU Feb. 19.........South Carolina Feb. 22........@Miss. State Feb. 27........@Kentucky Mar. 1..........Georgia Mar. 5..........Ole Miss Mar. 8..........@Alabama # - Maui Invitational, % - North Little Rock, AR

AUBURN Nov. 8..........Nichols State

Nov. 15........Northwestern State Nov. 19........Jacksonville State Nov. 23........Murray State Nov. 26........Tennessee State Dec. 2..........@Iowa State Dec. 8..........Illinois# Dec. 19........Clemson Dec. 22........Boston College Dec. 30........Arkansas-Pine Bluff Jan. 4...........Florida A&M Jan. 9...........@Ole Miss Jan. 11..........Missouri Jan. 15.........@Tennessee Jan. 18.........Florida Jan. 22.........@Miss. State Jan. 25.........@Arkansas Jan. 29.........Alabama Feb. 1...........Georgia Feb. 5..........@South Carolina Feb. 8..........@LSU Feb. 12.........Kentucky Feb. 15.........Miss. State Feb. 19.........@Florida Feb. 22........Vanderbilt Feb. 26........South Carolina Mar. 1..........@Alabama Mar. 5..........Tennessee Mar. 8..........@Texas A&M # - Phillips Arena, Atlanta

FLORIDA Nov. 1..........Florida Southern Nov. 8..........North Florida Nov. 12........@Wisconsin Nov. 16........Arkansas-LR Nov. 18........Southern Univ. Nov. 21........Middle Tennessee Nov. 25........Jacksonville Nov. 29........Florida State Dec. 2..........@Connecticut Dec. 10........Kansas Dec. 17........Memphis# Dec. 21........Fresno State% Dec. 29........Savannah State Jan. 4...........Richmond Jan. 8...........South Carolina Jan. 11..........@Arkansas Jan. 14.........Georgia Jan. 18.........@Auburn Jan. 23.........@Alabama Jan. 25.........Tennessee Jan. 30.........@Miss. State Feb. 1...........Texas A&M Feb. 4..........Missouri Feb. 8..........Alabama Feb. 11.........@Tennessee Feb. 15.........@Kentucky Feb. 19.........Auburn Feb. 22........@Ole Miss Feb. 25........@Vanderbilt Mar. 1..........LSU Mar. 4..........@South Carolina Mar. 8..........Kentucky % - Sunrise, FL

GEORGIA Nov. 4..........UNC-Pembroke (Exh.) Nov. 8..........Wofford Nov. 15........Georgia Tech Nov. 21........Davidson# Nov. 22........TBA# Nov. 24........TBA#

54 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

Nov. 29........Appalachian St. Dec. 2..........Chattanooga Dec. 14........Lipscomb Dec. 19........Gardner-Webb Dec. 21........Western Carolina Dec. 28........@Colorado Jan. 3...........@George Washington Jan. 8...........@Missouri Jan. 11..........Alabama Jan. 14.........@Florida Jan. 18.........Arkansas Jan. 22.........South Carolina Jan. 25.........@Kentucky Jan. 29.........Vanderbilt Feb. 1...........@Auburn Feb. 6..........LSU Feb. 12.........@Miss. State Feb. 15.........Ole Miss Feb. 18.........@Tennessee Feb. 22........@South Carolina Feb. 25........Missouri Mar. 1..........@Arkansas Mar. 5..........Miss. State Mar. 8..........@LSU

KENTUCKY Nov. 1..........Transylvania Nov. 4..........Montevallo Nov. 8..........UNC Asheville Nov. 10........Northern Kentucky Nov. 12........Michigan State# Nov. 17........Robert Morris Nov. 19........Texas-Arlington Nov. 25........Cleveland State Nov. 27........Eastern Michigan Dec. 1..........Providence% Dec. 6..........Baylor^ Dec. 10........Boise State Dec. 14........@North Carolina Dec. 21........Belmont Dec. 28........Louisville Jan. 11..........@Vanderbilt Jan. 14.........@Arkansas Jan. 18.........Tennessee Jan. 21.........Texas A&M Jan. 25.........Georgia Jan. 28.........@LSU Feb. 1...........@Missouri Feb. 4..........Ole Miss Feb. 8..........@Miss. State Feb. 12.........@Auburn Feb. 15.........Florida Feb. 18.........@Ole Miss Feb. 22........LSU Feb. 27........Arkansas Mar. 1..........@South Carolina Mar. 4..........Alabama Mar. 8..........@Florida # - Chicago (United Center), % Brooklyn, NY (Barclay’s Center), ^ - Arlington, TX (AT&T Stadium)

LSU Nov. 12........@UMASS Nov. 16........Northwestern St. Nov. 19........New Orleans Nov. 22........SE Louisiana Nov. 28........St. Joseph’s# Nov. 29........Memphis/Siena# Dec. 1..........TBD# Dec. 14........UL-Monroe Dec. 18........@Texas Tech

Dec. 21........UAB Dec. 28........McNeese St. Jan. 4...........Rhode Island Jan. 7...........Tennessee Jan. 11..........@South Carolina Jan. 15.........@Ole Miss Jan. 18.........Vanderbilt Jan. 21.........Missouri Jan. 25.........@Alabama Jan. 28.........@Kentucky Feb. 1...........Arkansas Feb. 6..........@Georgia Feb. 8..........Auburn Feb. 12.........@Texas A&M Feb. 15.........@Arkansas Feb. 19.........Miss. State Feb. 22........@Kentucky Feb. 26........Texas A&M Mar. 1..........@Florida Mar. 6..........@Vanderbilt Mar. 8..........Georgia # - Orlando, FL

Jan. 2...........Maryland East Shore Jan. 8...........@Kentucky Jan. 11..........Ole Miss Jan. 15.........@Alabama Jan. 18.........Texas A&M Jan. 22.........Auburn Jan. 25.........@Ole Miss Jan. 30.........Florida Feb. 1...........@Vanderbilt Feb. 5..........@Texas A&M Feb. 8..........Kentucky Feb. 12.........Georgia Feb. 15.........@Auburn Feb. 19.........@LSU Feb. 22........Arkansas Feb. 26........Tennessee Mar. 1..........@Missouri Mar. 5..........@Georgia Mar. 8..........South Carolina #Tupelo BancorpSouth Arena % Las Vegas Classic

Ole Miss

Nov. 8..........SE Louisiana Nov. 12........Southern Illinois Nov. 16........Hawaii# Nov. 23........Gardner-Webb Nov. 25........UPUI Nov. 28........Northwestern% Nov. 29........Nevada% Dec.5...........West Virginia^ Dec. 7..........UCLA^ Dec. 15........Western Michigan Dec. 21........Illinois& Dec. 28........@NC State Jan. 4...........Long Beach St. Jan. 8...........Georgia Jan. 11..........@Auburn Jan. 16.........@Vanderbilt Jan. 18.........Alabama Jan. 21.........@LSU Jan. 25.........South Carolina Jan. 28.........@Arkansas Feb. 1...........Kentucky Feb. 4..........@Florida Feb. 8..........@Ole Miss Feb. 13.........Arkansas Feb. 15.........Tennessee Feb. 19.........Vanderbilt Feb. 22........@Alabama Feb. 25........@Georgia Mar. 1..........Miss. State Mar. 5..........Texas A&M Mar. 8..........@Tennessee # - Kansas City, % - Las Vegas, ^ Big 12/SEC Challenge, & - St. Louis

Nov. 1..........South Carolina-Aiken Nov. 8..........Troy Nov. 16........@Coastal Carolina Nov. 22........MS Valley State* Nov. 26........North Carolina A&T* Nov. 29........Georgia Tech* Nov. 30........Penn State/St. John’s* Dec. 5..........@Kansas State Dec. 8..........Oregon Dec. 14........Middle Tenn. State Dec. 18........Louisiana-Monroe Dec. 22........Mercer Dec. 30........@Western Kentucky Jan. 4...........Dayton Jan. 9...........Auburn Jan. 11..........@Miss. State Jan. 15.........LSU Jan. 18.........@South Carolina Jan. 22.........@Vanderbilt Jan. 25.........Miss. State Jan. 29.........@Tennessee Feb. 1...........South Carolina Feb. 4..........@Kentucky Feb. 8..........Missouri Feb. 11.........@Alabama Feb. 15.........@Georgia Feb. 18.........Kentucky Feb. 22........Florida Feb. 26........Alabama Mar. 1..........@Texas A&M Mar. 5..........@Arkansas Mar. 8..........Vanderbilt * - Barclays Center Classic - Bronx, New York

Miss. State Nov. 8..........Prairie View Nov. 14........Kennesaw State Nov. 19........MS Valley State Nov. 23........@Utah State Nov. 27........Jackson State Dec. 1..........Loyola-Chicago Dec. 5..........TCU* Dec. 13........SE Louisiana# Dec. 17........Florida A&M Dec. 19........Florida Gulf Coast Dec. 22........South Florida% Dec. 23........Santa Clara/UNLV%

MISSOURI

SOUTH CAROLINA Nov. 3..........USC Aiken (Exh.) Nov. 9..........Longwood Nov. 12........@Baylor Nov. 17........@Clemson Nov. 24........Florida International Dec. 6..........@Oklahoma State Dec. 17........Manhattan Dec. 19........USC Upstate Dec. 22........Saint Mary’s# Dec. 23........TBD# Dec. 25........TBD# Dec. 28........Akron Dec. 30........Marshall Jan. 3...........South Carolina St.

SEC HOOPS 2013-14 Jan. 8...........@Florida Jan. 11..........LSU Jan. 15.........@Texas A&M Jan. 18.........Ole Miss Jan. 22.........@Georgia Jan. 25.........@Missouri Jan. 29.........Texas A&M Feb. 1...........@Ole Miss Feb. 5..........Auburn Feb. 8..........@Tennessee Feb. 12.........Vanderbilt Feb. 15.........Alabama Feb. 19.........@Arkansas Feb. 22........Georgia Feb. 26........@Auburn Mar. 1..........Kentucky Mar. 4..........Florida Mar. 8..........@Miss. State # - Hawaiian Airlines Diamondhead Classic

TENNESSEE Nov. 2..........Florida Southern Nov. 7..........Southern Indiana Nov. 12........@Xavier Nov. 16........USC Upstate

Nov. 18........The Citadel Nov. 22........Tennessee State Nov.28.........UTEP# Nov. 29........Iowa/Xavier# Nov. 30........TBD# Dec. 7..........Tennessee Tech Dec. 14........@Wichita State Dec. 18........NC State Dec. 23........Morehead State Dec. 30........Virginia Jan. 4...........Tusculum Jan. 7...........@LSU Jan. 11..........Texas A&M Jan. 15.........Auburn Jan. 18.........@Kentucky Jan. 22.........Arkansas Jan. 25.........@Florida Jan. 29.........Ole Miss Feb. 1...........@Alabama Feb. 5..........@Vanderbilt Feb. 8..........South Carolina Feb. 11.........Florida Feb. 15.........@Missouri Feb. 18.........Georgia Feb. 22........@Texas A&M Feb. 26........@Miss. State

Mar. 1..........Vanderbilt Mar. 5..........@Auburn Mar. 8..........Missouri # - Battle 4 Atlantis (Bahamas)

TEXAS A&M Nov. 8..........Buffalo Nov. 11.........MS Valley State Nov. 15........Rice Nov. 19........Prairie View Nov. 24........Sam Houston St. Nov. 26........Arkansas-Pine Bluff Nov. 29........Missouri St. # Nov. 30........SMU/Virginia # Dec. 4..........Houston Dec. 14........McNeese St. Dec. 21........Oklahoma% Jan 4............UTPA Jan. 8...........Arkansas Jan. 11..........@Tennessee Jan. 15.........South Carolina Jan. 18.........@Miss. State Jan. 21.........@Kentucky Jan. 25.........Vanderbilt Jan. 29.........@South Carolina Feb. 1...........@Florida

Feb. 5..........Miss. State Feb. 8..........@Georgia Feb. 12.........LSU Feb. 15.........@Vanderbilt Feb. 20........Alabama Feb. 22........Tennessee Feb. 26........@LSU Mar. 1..........Ole Miss Mar. 5..........@Missouri Mar. 8..........Auburn # - Corpus Christi, % - Houston, TX

VANDERBILT Nov. 12........Georgia State Nov. 15........Lipscomb Nov. 19........@Butler Nov. 22........Providence# Nov. 23........TBD# Nov. 24........TBD# Nov. 25........TBD# Dec. 2..........@Texas Dec. 5..........Marshall Dec. 17........Austin Peay Dec. 21........Georgia Tech Dec. 30........Saint Louis Jan. 4...........Northeastern

2013-14 COLLEGE Bowl Schedule Sat., Dec. 21 .......2 p.m. ET .............. Gildan New Mexico Bowl ........................................Albuquerque, N.M. ..........ESPN Sat., Dec. 21 .......3:30 p.m. ET ......... Las Vegas Bowl .........................................................Las Vegas, Nev. ..................ABC Sat., Dec. 21 .......5:30 p.m. ET ......... Famous Idaho Potato Bowl .....................................Boise, Idaho ......................ESPN Sat., Dec. 21 .......9 p.m. ET .............. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl .............................New Orleans, La. ..............ESPN Mon., Dec. 23 .....2 p.m. ET .............. Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg .....................St. Petersburg, Fla. ..........ESPN Tue., Dec. 24 .......8 p.m. ET .............. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl .............................................Honolulu, Hawaii ..............ESPN Thu., Dec. 26 ......6 p.m. ET .............. Little Caesars Pizza Bowl .........................................Detroit, Mich. ....................ESPN Thu., Dec. 26 ......9:30 p.m. ET ......... San Diego Co. Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl ........San Diego, Calif. ...............ESPN Fri., Dec. 27 .........2:30 p.m. ET ......... Military Bowl by Northrop Grumman .....................Annapolis, Md. .................ESPN Fri., Dec. 27 .........6 p.m. ET .............. Texas Bowl .................................................................Houston, Texas .................ESPN Fri., Dec. 27 .........9:30 p.m. ET ......... Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl ...........................................San Francisco, Calif. ........ESPN Sat., Dec. 28 .......12 p.m. ET ............ New Era Pinstripe Bowl ...........................................New York, N.Y. ..................ESPN Sat., Dec. 28 .......3:20 p.m. ET ......... Belk Bowl ...................................................................Charlotte, N.C. ..................ESPN Sat., Dec. 28 .......6:45 p.m. ET ......... Russell Athletic Bowl ...............................................Orlando, Fla. ......................ESPN Sat., Dec. 28 .......10:15 p.m. ET ....... Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl .........................................Tempe, Ariz. ......................ESPN Mon., Dec. 30 .....11:45 a.m. ET ....... Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl ......................Fort Worth, Texas .............ESPN Mon., Dec. 30 .....3:15 p.m. ET ......... Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl ....Nashville, Tenn. ................ESPN Mon., Dec. 30 .....6:45 p.m. ET ......... Valero Alamo Bowl ...................................................San Antonio, Texas ..........ESPN Mon., Dec. 30 .....10:15 p.m. ET ....... Holiday Bowl ..............................................................San Diego, Calif. ...............ESPN Tue., Dec. 31 .......12:30 p.m. ET ....... AdvoCare V100 Bowl ................................................Shreveport, La. .................ESPN Tue., Dec. 31 .......2 p.m. ET .............. Hyundai Sun Bowl .....................................................El Paso, Texas ..................... CBS Tue., Dec. 31 .......4 p.m. ET .............. AutoZone Liberty Bowl .............................................Memphis, Tenn. ................ESPN Tue., Dec. 31 .......8 p.m. ET .............. Chick-fil-A Bowl ........................................................Atlanta, Ga. .......................ESPN Wed., Jan. 1 .......12 p.m. ET ............ TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl ......................................Jacksonville, Fla. ............ESPN2 Wed., Jan. 1 .......12 p.m. ET ............ Heart of Dallas Bowl .................................................Dallas, Texas ..................ESPNU Wed., Jan. 1 .......1 p.m. ET .............. Capital One Bowl .......................................................Orlando, Fla. ........................ABC Wed., Jan. 1 .......1 p.m. ET .............. Outback Bowl ............................................................Tampa, Fla. ........................ESPN Wed., Jan. 1 .......5 p.m. ET .............. Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO ...................Pasadena, Calif. ...............ESPN Wed., Jan. 1 .......8:30 p.m. ET ......... Tostitos Fiesta Bowl ..................................................Glendale, Ariz. ..................ESPN Thu., Jan. 2 .........8:30 p.m. ET ......... Allstate Sugar Bowl ..................................................New Orleans, La. ..............ESPN Fri., Jan. 3 ...........TBA ...................... Discover Orange Bowl .............................................Miami Gardens, Fla. .........ESPN Fri., Jan. 3 ...........7:30 p.m. ET ......... AT&T Cotton Bowl .....................................................Arlington, Texas ..................FOX Sat., Jan. 4 ..........1 p.m. ET .............. BBVA Compass Bowl ...............................................Birmingham, Ala. ..............ESPN Sun., Jan. 5 .........9 p.m. ET .............. GoDaddy Bowl ...........................................................Mobile, Ala. .......................ESPN Mon., Jan. 6 .......8:30 p.m. ET ......... VIZIO BCS National Championship ........................Pasadena, Calif. ...............ESPN

Jan. 7...........@Alabama Jan. 11..........Kentucky Jan. 16.........Missouri Jan. 18.........@LSU Jan. 22.........Ole Miss Jan. 25.........@Texas A&M Jan. 29.........@Georgia Feb. 1...........Miss. State Feb. 5..........Tennessee Feb. 8..........Arkansas Feb. 12.........@South Carolina Feb. 15.........Texas A&M Feb. 19.........@Missouri Feb. 22........@Auburn Feb. 25........Florida Mar. 1..........@Tennessee Mar. 6..........LSU Mar. 8..........@Ole Miss # - St.Thomas, V.I.

FAITH - Cont. from Page 27

year and make an impact similar to the one he did last year. “He’s great. I feel like his game has just developed even, like he’s ready. We’ve got him, we’re going to hold him down 100 percent and be there for him,” said Summers, who has learned how to work hard through Henderson. “We see how he makes tough shots and just seeing how he’s developed, that’s what he’s taught me the most.” “Marshall is a good guy. I can’t take anything away from him. He’s willing to do anything and sacrifice for the team. He’s a good guy,” White added. When Summers and White aren’t playing hoops, they’re likely taking it easy and being the laid back individuals they are known for on the team. White, Summers said, is a very funny guy and always laughing. “He’s just a real funny guy. He doesn’t know that he’s funny,” Summers said. “I’m the truth on that cooking. I cook a lot. I’m really addicted to music, that’s what gets me going and keeps me focused. There are a lot of people I like, just different kinds of music. “We’re both laid back and like to have fun but we’re also about our business at the same time.” - RN 2013-14 BASKETBALL ISSUE - 55

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The Egg Bowl: What a Rivalry... RICK CLEVELAND

le Miss and Mississippi State have battled in snow, in monsoonish rain, in bitter, biting cold and through fog so thick spectators could scarcely distinguish between maroon and white and red and blue. They’ve played mostly in Starkville, in Oxford, and in Jackson, but only the oldest of old-timers remember they’ve also played in Columbus, Tupelo, Clarksdale and Greenwood. This Thanksgiving night, Nov. 28 in Starkville, often-bitter football rivals Mississippi State and Ole Miss will clash for the 110th time. Mississippians will have much to be thankful for, besides their turkey, dressing and bean casserole. We can be thankful for this: So far, in the tumultuous Egg Bowl rivalry, nobody has been killed. Not that there haven’t been close calls in a series that has been marked by intermittent brawls, including one 1997 melee that happened before the game. Just when the players should have been stretching and doing jumping jacks, all hell broke loose. Fights broke out all over the field. Helmets became weapons. The Mississippi Highway Patrol watched for a while and then sprang into action. Had C.R. “Dudy” Noble been watching, he might have smiled. Noble knew the bitterness of the rivalry from both sides. He coached the Ole Miss Rebels in 1917 and 1918 and switched over to Mississippi State as the Bulldogs’ head coach in 1922. State won all three years, which might explain why Noble became a fixture and a legend as State’s long-time athletic director. Ole Miss fans would tell you Noble went over to the dark side. State fans would tell you he simply saw the light. Whatever. This much is certain: Where football is concerned, fans of the two schools have never agreed on much of anything. In the beginning, they couldn’t even agree to play. Ole Miss began playing football in 1893, State in 1895. But the two couldn’t settle on a playing date until 1901. Then, when they finally did get together in Starkville on Oct. 28, 1901, they almost didn’t play. Kickoff was delayed by nearly a hour naturally by a dispute. Ole Miss accused State, then Mississippi A & M, of playing non-students; State said, no, indeed. And since there was no NCAA to rule over such matters, they finally played. State defeated Ole Miss 17-0. Due to the late start, the game was called for darkness midway through the second half. The school newspaper in Starkville accused the Ole Miss boys of “dirty play when the referee was not looking.” The Ole Miss school magazine said A&M’s complaints of dirty play came “from one who 56 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE

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has never indulged in any exercise more violent than the milking of a patient cow.” More than a century later, similar accusations continue. Even the game’s trophy - the Golden Egg - was created because of the strife. In 1926, Ole Miss won 7-6 at Starkville, snapping a 17game State winning streak. Making Ole Miss’s victory all the sweeter, the game was played in Starkville. Yes, and when Ole Miss students swarmed the field with the intent of taking down the goal posts, A&M students defended their territory, some with wooden chairs they splintered over the heads of the invaders. That year’s brawl led to the introduction of the Golden Egg Trophy. The trophy, not the goalposts, would be the winners’ reward. If anything, the rivalry has intensified in recent years, first with Jackie Sherrill-Billy Brewer and then when current State coach Dan Mullen vowed never to lose to Ole Miss again. And so it goes. . . Ole Miss grad William Winter, the former governor, believes the Rebels and Bulldogs enjoyed “a more civil rivalry back in the old days” before $40 million athletic budgets, 60,000-seat stadiums and the Internet. Winter, who graduated from Ole Miss in 1943, believes “the intemperance of comments on the Internet” has intensified the rivalry, not necessarily for the good. I would agree. Old-time State and Ole Miss players often tell me that back in the day the players were often friends for 364 days a year, competitors just once. Whatever, amid the bickering and the brawls, the Rebels and Bulldogs have played some interesting and, at times, outstanding football. How’s this for interesting? In 1907, the Rebels and the Bulldogs sloshed onto the field at the Mississippi Fairgrounds in Jackson after several days of hard rain. Much of the field was under water, some of it knee-deep according to newspaper reports. The State men proved the better mudders, winning 15-0, at least in part because Ole Miss coach Frank Mason chose to provide an urn of hot coffee to help warm his players. He added whiskey to the coffee to make certain they were good and warm. When asked about his team’s travel plans after the defeat, Mason said the team would leave for Oxford that night, but that he would not. And, he added, “I hope I never see them again.” And how’s this for outstanding? The series has involved some of the game’s greatest coaches (Allyn McKeen, Harry Mehre, Murray Warmath, Darrell Royal and John Vaught) and legendary players (Bruiser Kinard, Buddy Elrod, Shorty McWilliams, Charlie Conerly, Buster, Ray and Barney Poole, Jackie Parker, Jake Gibbs, Charlie Flowers, Archie Manning, D.D. Lewis, Deuce McAllister, Eli Manning, etc.) In 1941, State and Ole Miss played with the SEC Championship on the line. Mehre coached the Rebels. McKeen guided the Bulldogs. State won 6-0 to claim the only outright SEC title in school history. Seventy-two years later, it remains the only time State and Ole Miss have ever played when both teams had a shot at the SEC title. Many times, nothing other than bragging rights have been at stake. As any Rebel or Bulldog knows, that’s enough. - MSM Rick Cleveland is the executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. He can be reached at rcleveland@msfame.com.

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