Basketball practice starts for MSU men, women
Trips to the NCAA Tournament and the Sweet 16 just don't happen for college
basketball teams.
They come with months and months of preparation.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs follow a season where they did accomplish those goals and look for more as they opened preseason practice at the Mize Pavilion on Tuesday.
MSU went through a nearly three-hour workout and coach Vic Schaefer doesn't want his team to be satisfied with what it has accomplished and forget what it took to get there.
"You get spoiled real easy because of what we've done the last two years," Schaefer said. "Our job sometimes as coaches is to make sure they know that we just didn't show up there. We got there because we paid the price so it's time to pay the price."
The Bulldogs are coming off a season where they finished with a 28-8 overall record and advanced to the Sweet 16. They had an 11-5 mark in the Southeastern Conference, which was good for a second place tie in the league standings.
For seniors like Dominique Dillingham, Chinwe Okorie, Breanna Richardson and Ketara Chapel, it has been a successful run in Starkville.
Chapel believes the first practice "went pretty well," and was impressed with what freshmen Ameshya Williams and Jacaira "Iggy" Allen bring to the table.
"The freshmen are learning," Chapel said. "Ameshya is doing so well and she's going to be a big factor with the 4 players
this year and Iggy, being a big athletic guard, is going to help. The returners came back ready to be an example."
It has been a long offseason for Schaefer and the players since MSU lost to UConn in the Sweet 16 last March.
Schaefer was happy to be able to do what he enjoys again on Tuesday and that's mold young women into excellent players.
"It's great to be with them and see them out on the court with the ball in their hand," Schaefer said. "I'm anxious to see what the season brings for us. It's a team that can really do some special things."