January 1998 MSU Basketball Skuttle-Butt

01/31/98 - I hope you are going to be at the Hump cheering our Bulldogs on to victory.

01/31/98 - Here is a link to an article about former Bulldog Marcus Bullard.

01/29/98 - Miss State lost a tough one to Auburn tonight, 69-66. Guess we'll have to come back and beat Arkansas this Saturday. Sorry, I can't post much about the game. It is late and I've got exciting football recruiting news to report.

01/26/98 - Congratulations go out to Miss State assistant basketball coach Greg Carter and his wife Schreese. Schreese, on Jan. 14th, gave birth to future Bulldog Tyson Gregory Carter, who checked in at 7 pounds, 3 1/2 ounces. The Carters also have a daughter, 4-year old Toria. Source: The Clarion-Ledger.

01/26/98 - Rusty Hampton of The Clarion-Ledger wrote an exceptional article about Detrick Whit in Sunday's edition. Click here to go to it.

01/26/98 - I was told that Miss State is looking at Laurel HS basketball player Derrick Martin (6-3). He is averaging about 27 points per game. He scored 44 points in a win the other night.

01/24/98 - Ole Miss 81 - Miss State 77 (Double Overtime, at Ole Miss). Ole Miss got the victory but Miss State (13-6, 2-4) proved today they can play with anyone in the SEC. When you consider how tough it is to play at Ole Miss, a 4-point loss in double overtime is quite a feat. Remember, Ole Miss defeated Miss State by 24 last year. The Rebels are tough, tough, tough at home. But in the SEC you have to be tough on the road and Miss State is proving they can compete on the road with the best of them.

These Bulldogs continue to impress with their never-say-die attitude. Down by 10 in the first half, Miss State came back to tie the game at the halftime. Not to be outdone, Ole Miss came back and scored the tying basket to take it into overtime. Miss State, in the 1st overtime, led by as many as 5 points, but couldn't hold the lead. Ansu Sesay, proving why he is the best player in the SEC (thank goodness he is a senior), really took charge in the 2nd overtime, to win the game for the Rebels. But, overall, Miss State proved they have a lot of go-to guys, which will be invaluable in the NCAA Tournament. Consider this: Detrick White absolutely shut down Keith Carter except for a few free throws and a late steal and slam. Detrick was just too quick for Carter. But that was not unexpected: He's been shutting down some of the best guards in the SEC and he did it once again. Plus, Detrick was almost unstoppable when going to the basket in the second half, scoring a total of 18 points for the game. I'm starting to see why Kevin Henderson has said Detrick will be the best guard in the SEC next year. Tyrone Washington had a good game against Anthony Boone, scoring 20 points with at least 4 block shots. I realize Boone was coming back from knee surgery due to a chronic knee injury. Horatio Webster scored 21 points and Trey Moore 12.

No loss is fun, but this team is proving it has a chance to be really, really good. Looks like Miss State is going to peak at just the right time, very similar to how the 1995 (Sweet 16) and 1996 (Final Four) teams did. To all you Rebels, see you in Starkville. We'll we waiting.

01/24/98 - Good luck, Dawgs. Beat Ole Miss.

01/20/98 - Mississippi Hoops' Kevin Henderson has come out with his SEC issue, included in it was his early period recruiting ratings. Kevin had Miss State's class rated the 2nd in the SEC. Kentucky was first. Here is what he said about our class:

"What an encore from last year. This is a small but fabulous class loaded with talent. MSU's top prospect since Dontae Jones is Tyrus Boswell, a 6'8" multi-forward who can play three positions and who will make an immediate impact. Boswell can also get his 230 lbs off the floor with anybody in the country. 6'9" Robert Jackson can score in the post and that's something that the Bulldogs really need. Jackson can also shoot from 12' effectively. Ontario Harper is an acrobat with great hops and will only improve with time. Although Ontario's not a great shooter, he is improving and is a great scorer on the move and can finish in the open court. Basically, State improved an already solid team and has really been a recruiting factor nationwide."

To subscribe to Mississippi Hoops, click here to go to a subscription form.

01/18/98 - The Bulldogs lost a 77-73 decision to Vanderbilt on the road. Horatio Webster scored 25 points to lead all scorers. Bart Hyche scored 15 points (all on 3 pointers, mostly late), while Detrick White scored 13 points, while adding 11 assists and 6 rebounds. White continues to get better and better as the season progresses.

While I was disappointed Miss State lost, our players continue to prove that they never give up. Other than the Arkansas game, they could have easily won any of the SEC games they have played so far. Add a top rebounding power forward and this team would be tough to beat by anyone. Too bad Tyrus Boswell and Robert Jackson are in prep and high school.

01/17/98 - Don't forget; The Miss State/Vanderbilt game is the Jefferson Pilot television game of the week. It begins at 12:00 CST.

01/17/98 - The latest word from Hoopscoop is Miss State is looking at Pensacola (JC) FL big-time big man 6-10 Mate Milisa. Mate is originally from Croatia. Other schools looking at him are Alabama, Colorado, Utah, Florida State, Florida and Long Beach State. BTW, if you don't already subscribe to Hoopscoop, you really ought to think about it. It is one of the best recruiting publications out there. Click here to check it out. It really is an oustanding recruiting publication.

01/12/98 - Northeast MS CC 2-guard Tim Cole and several of his teammates were at the Kentucky/MSU game this past Saturday.

01/11/98 -Saturday, Miss State lost a tough game, 77-71, against the 6th ranked team in the country. Kentucky, soon to be ranked in the top 5 in the country and very deserving of that ranking, shot the ball well, especially early in the game and at crunch time. Miss State was lead in scoring by Tyrone Washington (playing like an All-SEC center) with 23 points. Other Miss State players in double figures were Horatio Webster with 18 points and Detrick White with 13 points. Miss State was down big (18 points) early in this game, but they proved once again they are not a team that will get down on themselves easily. They came back to tie the score with a couple of minutes left in the game, but Kentucky made two straight 3-point shots that pretty much won the game. Miss State made a gallant effort and we should all be very proud of this team. BTW, great fan turnout: 9,334.

01/10/98 - Sixth ranked Kentucky visits Miss State today. Win this one today, and our Bulldogs will get all the attention they deserve. We, as fans, need to do our part by being at the game and yelling until we can't yell any longer.

01/10/98 - After the Ontario Harper article by Brick Oettinger was posted yesterday, I hoped I would hear from folks that have followed Ontario's career. Here are a couple of comments from two people who have followed Ontario's career for many years:

1st email: "He (Ontario) worked all summer on his perimeter shot and has made tremendous improvement. As far as bad passing goes, Mr. Oettinger should pick a new scout to evaluate this facet of Harper's game. Harper is an excellent passer and I can't understand why Oettinger said this. My only guess is he or his source caught Harper on the wrong night."

2nd email: "Brick's evaluation could not be any farther from the truth. I have seen him play many, many years. Coach Boone and everyone else who regularly sees him play, says he is the most complete player to ever come through Clinton. He has a deadly shot from 15 feet in, but will have to improve his 3-point shooting. (Former Clinton HS player) Jerod Ward didn't even compare to Ontario's overall game. Ontario is also an excellent young man and comes from a good family."

01/09/98 - Here is Brick Oettinger's (chief recruiting analyst for Recruiter's Handbook) evaluation of Miss State signee Ontario Harper:

"The 195-pound swing athlete has carried a big reputation for a couple of years, yet we haven't seen him connect often on his perimeter jumpshot. And when he misses, he tends to miss badly. An exciting leaper but not an especially cerebral player, he looks lost at times on the court. Too often telegraphs passes and throws up airballs. Mid-to conceivable (but we doubt it) high-major prospect."

Even though this is not the kind of evaluation Miss State fans like to read, this is an excellent publcation if you are looking for names of high school and junior college players. Click here to go to the online version.

01/08/98 - Miss State (12-3) was defeated 83 to 70 by Arkansas at Arkansas last night. Hopefully, this is a good sign since we lost by a similar score (80-68) our Final Four year. Oh well, time to get ready for Kentucky. Sure will be nice to see our Bulldogs at the Hump once again. Seems like forever since they last played at home, doesn't it? Sure hope you guys help welcome the Bulldogs back by packing the Hump.

01/06/98 - Miss State basketball player Tyrone Washington was selected SEC Player-of-the-Week for his efforts last week.

01/06/98 - Here's what Recruiting USA says about two of Miss State's recruits: "Mississippi State is bringing in two powerful horses, one a Clydesdale and the other a hybird, in Top 100 players Robert Jackson, a 6-8 player who knows his position is near the basket and likes it, and Tyrus Boswell, who has used his postgraduate year to improve his skills. Both rebound well and will be expected to impact."

Folks, this is an outstanding publication and I highly recomend it. Click here to find out how to subscribe to Recruiting USA.

01/04/98 - In a squeaker, Miss State (12-2, 1-0 in SEC, 7-2 on the road), defeated Alabama at Tuscaloosa, 56-52. It wasn't pretty, but our guys came through at crunch time. Horatio Webster led Miss State in scoring with 17 points with Bart Hyche coming in second with 16 points (4 treys included in this number), including 2 free throws with just a few seconds on the clock to put State up by 4. Bart proved once again why he has to play. I know there are some that say he hurts us when he is on the defensive side of the court, but the guy plays with such tremendous effort and hustle, he deserves to play. One thing I have noticed, along with many other fans that I have talked to, is these guys do not get rattled when they are behind. They just go about their business and win the game, most of the time, as they did last night.

01/03/98 - Don't forget Miss State plays Alabama at 7:00 p.m. at Coleman Coliseum. A lot of Bulldog fan, including Mary Ann and me, are going to Tuscaloosa. If you can, drive on over. Let's show our support.

01/02/98 - To the person who asked me if I knew anything about a Scott Jasper from Wisconsin; I looked in the latest Hoop Scoop and there was nothing about him. BTW, I tried to email you but my email wouldn't go through. How about emailing me your email address.

01/02/98 - I found this info on MSU signee Robert Jackson. During last year's WIAA State Boys Basketball Tournament, Robert, during three games, averaged 21.2 points per game, 9 rebounds per game (12 offensive and 15 defensive), while shooting 57.4% (27-47) from the field and 72.4% (10-14) from the free throw line. His team wound up state runner-ups. You can find the actual boxscores at this location. BTW, the 4 offensive rebounds per game sure look good, don't they?

01/02/98 - According to the Sun Herald, Stone HS guard 6-2 Roderick James is being looked at by Miss State, Ole Miss, USM, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Northwestern. James, who is averaging 20 ppg and 8 apg, is close to meeting freshman eligibility requirements. MISSISSIPPI HOOPS' recruiting analyst Kevin Henderson rates him as the 3rd best basketball player in Mississippi in his pre-season issue. Number 1 is MSU signee Ontario Harper and number 2 is Ole Miss signee David Sanders. Here is what Kevin says about James: "If Roderick can improve his shooting he'll be the player of the year. A tough and strong kid that can jump like a deer and has excellent passing skills, but his half-court handles are suspect. This athlete is one to watch."

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