Looking for RESPECT
Schaefer proclaims he has good team, wants his Bulldogs to keep showing it against Baylor’s Bears
OKLAHOMA CITY – There was no way for Mississippi State players to block out national thoughts on their team as the prominence of social media ran its course.
There it sat, making its rounds on cell phones, five predictions from ESPN personalities on who would come out on top in the Sweet 16 matchup between Washington and MSU.
All five logos were a purple W with nary an MSU pick to be found.
Coach Vic Schaefer didn’t know or care about those predictions pregame, but he couldn’t help but be a bit perturbed postgame after the Bulldogs’ 75-64 triumph.
“I’ve got a good team,” Schaefer proclaimed. “I’m a little disappointed in the country right now that we’re not getting the respect that they deserve. We’ve got a bunch of really good players and we’ve beaten a bunch of really good people.
“I have so much pride in these girls because I know how hard they work. They’re just not getting that much credit right now and that’s fine. We’ll fly under the radar.”
It’s nothing new for this MSU bunch, which sit at 32-4 for the year and are in the middle of the greatest season in school history.
Schaefer recruited players like Dominique Dillingham and Morgan William, who lack the physical attributes seen around some of the elite programs, but they’ve been the cornerstones of a Final Four contender.
Dillingham especially wasn’t given much of a chance in shutting down the nation’s al-time leading scorer in Kelsey Plum. While Plum got her numbers, it came with a price as she took 25 shots to get to 29 points. The win and her defensive performance wasn’t a shock to the senior guard.
“We were the higher seed, so we believed that we should win,” Dillingham said. “We don’t get the respect that we should. We’ve worked so hard to be here and I don’t think we get the credit we deserve sometimes beating a lot of great teams. We’re going to try to beat another great team (today).”
The Bulldogs will take the court on Sunday with a trip to Dallas on their mind. Standing in their way will be Baylor (32-3), which has rolled through its three games to get to this point. Once again, MSU will be picked to lose this game as it has been several times before.
Once again, the Bulldogs will carry the chip on their shoulder in the 6:30 p.m. matchup hoping to continue the magical road that began back in November.
Schaefer will go into today’s game cautious at the talent of the Baylor Bears and the leadership of coach Kim Mulkey, but it will feel just like another week in the Southeastern Conference.
After MSU’s run through the gauntlet, he hopes people will be more wary of the Bulldogs moving forward.
“We finished second in the Southeastern Conference and played for two SEC championships,” Schaefer said. “The lack of respect that I felt our team got is also a slap in the face to our league because our league is a monster. You tell me who we’re playing and I’ll be there. In our league, you’ve got to have that mentality.”