Highly-rated classes in recruiting help Bulldogs keep strong roster
Replacing two of the winningest rosters in school history has not been easy for Vic Schaefer and his Mississippi State women’s basketball program, but it’s much easier to do when he’s putting together recruiting classes as he is.
Schaefer’s best came this year and at the right time as the Bulldogs are replacing at least three starters for the third-consecutive year. Most importantly, the twotime, defending Southeastern Conference champions lost an All-american and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in Teaira Mccowan, who was one of the most dominating players in women’s college basketball the last two years.
Coming through the doors this season is the highest ranking class in program history as MSU finished sixth by ESPNW. MSU signed a junior college standout in 6-6 center Yemiyah Morris, who didn’t count towards the rankings, but all of the high school players carried a four-star rating or higher.
Jamya Mingo-young came to Starkville from Bogalusa, La., where she was the two-time Class 3A Player of the Year despite working through two knee injuries in her career and she helped Loranger High School to consecutive state championships with 23.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.8 blocks per game as a senior.
There’s fellow guard Jayla Hemingway who was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Tennessee where she broke the school record at Houston High with 2,599 career points. She averaged 22.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 1.9 assists last season.
Leading the way in the class were two five-stars however. The first of which was a wire-to-wire All-american caliber player from Detroit in Rickea Jackson. From the Mcdonald’s and Jordan Brand All-american games to being a gold medalist for Team USA’S 3X3 national team, Jackson has did it all in high school.
College has been a much different deal. Jackson has had to get acclimated to Schaefer’s style and his demands and it’s been a work in progress.
“It’s been pretty cool just coming into a new experience,” Jackson said. “It’s tough sometimes with the defensive concepts and learning three different positions at once. It’s so many complex plays and concepts that come with it, but it’s going to build my knowledge about basketball and it comes with it.”
All of the freshmen played a big role in MSU represent the USA in the World University Games with a silver medal, but none were bigger than Jackson. The freshman was the leading scorer in the event averaging 22.2 points per game with 53 percent field goal shooting and she took games over at times.
Simply put, the Detroit native is the highest rated signee in school history for a reason and she’s given plenty of reason for Bulldog fans to get excited for this season and the next three after that, but she admits she has growing to do as well, something that she’s already felt she’s progressed in a few months into her career.
“I feel like I have improved tremendously, but I still have a long way to go,” Jackson said. “I just now learned how to take a charge and every time I get in that position, I want to take a charge. There are so many small things and coach Schaefer is big on the little things.”
The other five-star in the group is point guard Aliyah Matharu, who went from the only three-star in the signing class on signing day to getting a tremendous bump all the way to five star status when it was said and done.
Matharu had a huge senior season at prestigious Bishopmcnamara in Maryland where she averaged 17.7 points and 3.5 steals a game her senior year. Schaefer and his staff saw much in her before her senior year even really began and the potential was there, but she’s also a work in progress as she’s learning Schaefer’s demands of his point guards.
“The playing style was an adjustment,” Matharu said. “Everything was a sprint and we do a lot of running. There are a lot of plays and in high school I didn’t play as much point guard as I am now so it’s new for me. I’m starting to keep up now.”
This year, Matharu is likely to be getting reps with Myah Taylor at point guard and perhaps even senior Jordan Danberry. Schaefer would much rather have his freshman step up to the plate and make something happen.
“Every day is a competition,” Matharu said. “(Schaefer) holds accountable and doesn’t want us to have too many mistakes. Because I’m a freshman, I’m going to make some mistakes, but I try to make sure I get my teammates where they need to be. I know that Jordan is going to bring it every day and Myah is going to make me better on offense because she plays such great defense. I’ve learned a lot from them over the last couple of months.”
The entire freshman class is bringing about the next step in Schaefer’s program with an increase in level of talent all around. With that is exactly what Schaefer wants in competitiveness with every member of the freshman class having a state championship ring.
Jackson can certainly feel the competitiveness oozing from the group and she sense’s something special even from this year’s team.
“I feel like we’re not normal freshman,” Jackson said. “We have to come in and play big roles. We’ve been stepping up to the plate. When times get tough, we get going. We don’t back down from anything. Everyone brings their own aspect to the game and we’re probably the most competitive freshman class there is.”
Mississippi State hosts Lubbock Christian in exhibition action tonight with a tip of 7 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum, then it opens the regular season against Southern Mississippi on Saturday at 2 p.m.