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Weekend Brunch: Mississippi State primed for SEC jump thanks to transfer portal

A new offseason means a new weekly column!

Check out below for the first installment of “Weekend Brunch”, a new project that will be published each and every Friday on all the latest happenings in the world of college basketball.

Buon Appetit!

A La Carte

Mississippi State primed for SEC jump thanks to transfer portal
Ben Howland didn’t mince words recently when he was asked about his team’s potential for the upcoming season.

“Buy your season tickets now,” Howland said. “Get on board now. We’re going to be good.”

It’s hard to argue with that sentiment considering how well Mississippi State has done this spring via the transfer portal. The Bulldogs did lose their second-leading scorer D.J. Stewart to the NBA Draft, but have since added four starting caliber players — D.J. Jeffries (Memphis), Garrison Brooks (North Carolina), Rocket Watts (Michigan State), and Shakeel Moore (NC State) — as transfers to go with a strong returning duo of Iverson Molinar (16.7 points) and Tolu Smith (12.6 points, 8.5 rebounds). The 6-10 Smith was the SEC’s leading rebounder last season and should pair nicely with Brooks, who was the ACC Preseason Player of the Year prior to last season.

“He’s a much better shooter than his numbers show,” Howland said of the 6-8 Brooks, who has only taken 15 three-point shots in his career. “We’re really going to work on that with Garrison.”

The 6-7 Jeffries (9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds) was heavily recruited by Mississippi State out of high school and initially committed to Kentucky before winding up at Memphis. He’s got the ability to be an impact player as does Watts (7.7 points), who never really found his niche as a table-setting point guard at Michigan State, but remains an elite defender and capable scorer. The Spartans were 16-2 during the last two seasons in games where Watts scored in double figures. Moore also figures to be a key contributor along with sophomores Derek Fountain and Cameron Matthews, who both averaged double figure minutes on last year’s team that finished 18-15 and reached the finals of the Postseason NIT.

What will this all equate to in terms of wins and losses?

That’s to be determined.

The Bulldogs do not possess a player on their roster that’s been a reliable three-point shooter with consistency during his career other Molinar (43.5 percent) and possibly Fountain, who shot 38.5 percent from long distance last year. Brooks did shoot 50 percent from three-point range last season at North Carolina, but only attempted eight shots from long distance. This could open the door for a freshman — either Camryn Carter or Alden Applewhite — to push for regular minutes.

Mississippi State is also going to have to deal with an SEC that has reloaded since the end of last season. Seven of the conference’s 14 teams are currently ranked in the Top 33 of the ROTHSTEIN 45.

The Bulldogs have averaged 21.5 wins over the past four years and advanced to the last three postseasons under Howland, but it’s far too early to forecast if this will be his best team yet in Starkville.

One thing that can’t be debated though?

Very few teams in college basketball did better this spring in terms of upgrading its personnel than Mississippi State.

If rhythm, chemistry, and reliable outside shooting can be established, a finish among the top three or four teams in the SEC is very much within the realm of possibility.

Assorted Pastries

  • Gonzaga is again loading up its non-conference schedule. The Bulldogs will host games next season in Spokane against Texas and Washington while also playing neutral site tilts against Duke (Las Vegas), Alabama (Seattle), and Texas Tech (Phoenix). Mark Few’s squad is also again revisiting the possibility of playing UCLA in a Final Four rematch, but the date and location of a showdown with the Bruins is currently TBD.
  • The PK85 will be a 16-team event held in Portland in 2022, multiple sources told College Hoops Today. The preseason tournament will celebrate the 85th birthday of Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
  • St. John’s was 7-0 in games last season where Posh Alexander (10.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 steals) made multiple three-point shots. The 6-foot sophomore will be one of the best guards in the country next season if he becomes a reliable threat from long distance.
  • Good news for the Pac-12: UCLA and Oregon — the two top projected teams in the conference — will play twice next year during the regular season. The Bruins and Ducks only played once last season due to COVID.
  • Ever had pork chop milanese? Me neither until last Friday’s trip to Park Side in Corona, Queens. The dish was to die for, as was the four pastas that my party and I sampled prior to working our way to our main course. This is quietly one of the best restaurants in the five boroughs.

Leftovers