4 bold predictions for Mississippi St. hoops
STARKVILLE — There's a fine line between bold and foolhardy.
But as the Mississippi State men's basketball season arrives, with the opener Wednesday (7 p.m., SEC Network+) against North Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum, it's time to predict what the next five months could hold — at the risk of at least straddling that line.
The Bulldogs added several key additions in the latest recruiting class and through the transfer portal to replace D.J. Stewart and Abdul Ado, and coach Ben Howland is targeting a March Madness appearance for the second time in his tenure. With that added experience, Mississippi State feels confident about where it can end up when the regular season concludes.
Here are the Clarion Ledger's bold predictions ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Mississippi State will reach second weekend of NCAA Tournament
Howland left no uncertain terms about the Bulldogs' goal as a team this season.
“There's only 68 spots that are invited to the end of the year NCAA Tournament,” Howland said, “and we want to be one of those this year.”
Howland set Mississippi State up in good position to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. He added four key transfers to the mix: forward Garrison Brooks from North Carolina; forward D.J. Jeffries from Memphis; guard Rocket Watts from Michigan State; and guard Shakeel Moore from NC State. That insertion of experience will pay dividends down the stretch for a push into the tournament.
But beyond just making the tournament — something the Bulldogs have done just once since 2009 — the Bulldogs will make the second weekend, winning games in the first and second round. They haven't advanced past the
second round since 1996, when they finished as SEC champions and made the national semifinal.
Mississippi State likely won't reach those heights this season. The squad is projected to finish eighth in the preseason SEC poll. But the influx of experience will help come March Madness.
Iverson Molinar leads the Bulldogs in scoring — and the conference
Mississippi State could go as far as Iverson Molinar carries it. The junior
guard is an ALL-SEC first team preseason selection, as well as a member of the Wooden Award preseason watch list. He led the Bulldogs with 16.6 points per game last year — six points fewer than LSU'S Cam Thomas, who led the conference in scoring.
Molinar will take that next step, setting himself up to be drafted in the NBA on the back of a major season. Vanderbilt's Scotty Pippen Jr., Alabama's Jaden Shackelford and LSU'S Darius Days will also pour in baskets, but Molinar will be right in that mix as one of the SEC'S best scoring threats.
Cam Carter establishes himself as the first guard off the bench
Michigan State transfer Rocket Watts is expected to pair with Molinar as the starting backcourt duo, but Watts is recovering from a hip surgery he underwent in June.
Howland said Watts is back practicing, but the coach vowed not to rush him back into the fray, opting to slowly build Watts up in practices.
That thrusts freshman Cam Carter into a major role immediately, joining Molinar and Moore as the primary guards with Watts sidelined.
Carter could build a major role for himself with the Bulldogs. The four-star recruit out of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia averaged 13 points, 4.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game as a senior. There will be a learning curve to playing in the SEC, but Howland has been impressed by what Carter has shown thus far.
The 6-foot-3 guard could take his increased usage early in the season to set himself up for considerable playing time down the stretch.
Derek Fountain averages 10 points per game
In four games during the NIT last season, Derek Fountain showed the player he can be. The forward averaged 8.5 points in the tournament, including a 15-point outpouring in a career-high 37 minutes against Louisiana Tech.
Back for his sophomore season, Fountain can take a leap, from averaging 5.4 points per game to averaging 10 points per game. The 6-foot-9 forward will have the chance to see the floor plenty while forward Tolu Smith remains out after foot surgery, joining Alden Applewhite and Brooks as impact frontcourt pieces.
Once Smith returns, Fountain's role could regress slightly. But a strong start to the year will carve out his place as a stretch four.