MSU basketball’s NIT run has magical feel
Howland wouldn't have it any other way.
Mississippi State didn't need a 3-pointer on its final possession of Thursday's NIT quarterfinal game against Richmond at UNT Coliseum in Denton, Texas. The No. 4 seed Bulldogs only trailed the No. 2 seed Spiders by two with less than 10 seconds left.
Many coaches would call for an aggressive drive to the basket in that situation. Maybe make a layup, maybe get fouled and tie or win the game at the free throw line.
Not Howland. Mississippi State's sixth-year coach wanted redshirt sophomore D.J.
Stewart Jr., who had scored 14 points in the second half, to stop and pop from deep.
"I was just yelling at the top of my lungs hoping he'd hear me, 'Shoot the 3!'" Howland said. "We don't need the tie. We need the win. And he got it. He came through." Deja vu.
Howland said the shot that gave Mississippi State (17-14) a 68-67 victory over Richmond (14-9) reminded him of the buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave the Bulldogs a 78-77 win over Baylor in the second round of the 2018 NIT.
So here Howland and the Bulldogs are again, two wins away from an NIT title. Just like they were three years ago. Every postseason run usualben ly feels similar in nature. Nobody knows when it will end, but everyone involved is grateful for the ride as long as it lasts.
This one is no different for Mississippi State.
The energy is there for this bunch. The team learned in the last 24 hours that redshirt sophomore forward Tolu Smith would not be able to play Thursday because of COVID-19 contact tracing protocols. It was a big blow on and off the court.
Smith is the team's third-leading scorer and the SEC'S top rebounder. Mississippi State wouldn't be where it is without him. That's why the first thing the Bulldogs did when they got into the locker room after the win was call him on speaker phone.
"We yelled a big hooray for him," Howland said. "We love him very much and feel for him so badly that he can't be here with us."
It's unclear whether Smith will play Saturday in the semifinal against fourth-seeded Louisiana Tech (23-7). The team that took down Richmond will be on the floor Saturday (ESPN) at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, though.
That was enough Thursday. It just might be enough Saturday. If it is, Mississippi State will be playing for a championship Sunday.
Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter. To read more of Tyler's work, subscribe to the Clarion Ledger today!