Bulldog Roundup: Busy day for Mississippi State on start of early signing period

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Mississippi State Athletics

Mississippi State Head Coach Sam Purcell during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neville Arena in Auburn, AL. | Mississippi State Athletics

While preparing to face Jackson State on Thursday, Mississippi State women’s basketball announced two signings on the first day of the early national signing period.

The Bulldogs signed Lani Smallwood, a consensus four-star, 5-7 guard from Alabama, and Andrea Flores, a 5-10 guard from Tennessee.

"Lani and Andrea are not only great players to add to our program, but they are great people and will help define the culture at Mississippi State," Bulldogs’ coach Sam Purcell said. "We look to bring high quality people that come from a winning background into our program. These two have a high work ethic that will help this program continue to compete for championships."

Smallwood is the 75th overall prospect in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100 after averaging 23 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 2.7 assists per game.

"Lani is a dawg on the court," Purcell said about Smallwood. "Early in her career, she was not highly ranked. She had one of the best summers across the country to propel herself into the top 100 and I couldn't be prouder of her for that. You can tell that her best basketball is still ahead of her. She's relentless on the defensive side of the ball but also has a heart of gold. She has a knack for making the big plays."

Flores is a three-star recruit at Daniel Boone High School and is rated as the fourth best player in Tennessee.

"We've got one of the best shooters in the country with Andrea," Purcell said about Flores. "Her release is ultra quick and can always get her shot off. She has competed against some of the best teams on the AAU circuit and she continues to expand her abilities. Her game will translate well into the SEC."

Yesterday’s Results

No games scheduled.

Today’s Schedule

No games scheduled.

Did You Notice?

Mississippi State softball coach Samantha Ricketts signed a fifth-straight top 25 recruiting class on Wednesday with nine signees. The class includes five players ranked in the top 100, No. 12 overall Megan Woodridge and No. 15 overall Taylor Faga.

"We are thrilled to bring this next class of Bulldogs to StarkVegas, and for our fans to have the opportunity to see their talent at Nusz Park in the near future," Ricketts said. "A big shoutout goes to associate head coach Tyler Bratton and assistant coach Zac Shaw for putting together such a dynamic group. This class has a little bit of everything from pitching and power to speed and athleticism. With representatives from all over the U.S., this group will make an impact on our program for years to come. We can't wait to see these young women in the Maroon and White soon."

Daily Dose Of Mike Leach

I think the most important thing is confidence. A lot of people think they're confident, but if you think about it, most people aren't.

Mike Leach

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