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August 4th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Mississippi
State Bulldogs
Overall Rank:
#101
Conference
Rank: #10 SEC
2005-06:
15-15, 5-11, 4th West
2005-06
postseason: none
 It
will take a while for Mississippi
State to regain their form they had during their Lawrence
Roberts glory days, but it’s all on the up swing from here on
out. Last year’s freshmen had quality campaigns and this year’s
newcomers will add some more depth to an increasingly impressive
roster.
Who’s Out:
The frontcourt takes a hit with the graduation of Wesley
Morgan. The 7-2 center averaged 4.5 points and 5.3 boards in 20
starts. Forwards Jerrell Houston and Walter Sharpe have
transferred and won’t be returning to Coach Rick Stansbury’s
squad. Wing Michael Boler averaged 1.2 points in limited
playing time as senior. The big loss on the perimeter is Jamall
Edmondson. The guard averaged 11.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8
assists during his final campaign in Starkville.
Who’s In:
Jarvis
Varnado highlights a decent group of newcomers. Varnado, a 6-8
power forward, needs to bulk up a bit, but has the tools to make
an impact immediately, especially in the shot blocking
department. A need at power forward could see Varnado starting
sooner than later. Small forward Travis Gabbidon could also be
forced into action at the four spot. The 6-7 Phoenix, Arizona
native averaged 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore at
Southern Idaho College. The perimeter will add some depth with
Barry Stewart, Ben Hansbrough, Phil Turner and Billy Begley.
Stewart, a 6-3 point guard, is an excellent scorer for a point
guard, averaging 23.1 points during his senior season at
Shelbyville Central High School in Tennessee. Hansbrough, the
brother of North Carolina’s Tyler, and Turner are solid scoring
options, but will need some time to adjust to the level of
play. Walk-on Billy Begley will be eligible to play once again
after redshirting last season.
Who to Watch:
The
backcourt will depend on the Delk brothers. Reginald Delk
stepped up quickly and proved to be a major scoring threat,
especially from beyond the arc. Richard Delk didn’t see as many
minutes as his brother, but by the end of the season Richard was
quite effective running the point. With that duo on the
perimeter the Bulldogs have the potential to make some noise.
Final
Projection:
The Bulldogs are
a little slim up front. Dietric Slater and Jamont Gordon are
solid wing players, but Gordon may need to move up to the four
if the Bulldogs want their best five on the floor. Charles
Rhodes developed into a solid post player as a sophomore
averaging 13.8 points and a team high 7.1 boards. MSU is a
little young and will be beaten by teams with more talent up
front, but the guards have the potential to pull off some big
wins. In the end, the Bulldogs are still a year or two away
from thinking about the NCAA Tournament.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Richard Delk,
Sophomore, Guard, 3.5 points per game
Reginald Delk,
Sophomore, Guard, 8.9 points per game
Dietric Slater,
Senior, Guard, 10.1 points per game
Jamont Gordon,
Sophomore, Forward, 13.8 points per game
Charles Rhodes,
Junior, Forward, 13.8 points per game
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