A Must Win: Why MSU Men's Hoops Has to Best Colorado State
Coming into the season, Mississippi State fans had - and many still do have - high hopes for this men's team. However, after dropping their first two big out of conference tests, the support for this team has started to waver. The Bulldogs have a chance to redeem their early-season resume, though, as they face undefeated Colorado State this Saturday.
CSU has been one of the biggest risers early on this season, and while some will say that they haven't played a truly grueling schedule, they do boast some quality wins, managing to beat a potent Saint Mary's team 74-58 - quite a statement victory for the Rams. They also hold an early victory over Oral Roberts, a team that the entire country is familiar with after they made their tournament run this past season. They returned all five starters from last year's NIT team, and received 'A' ratings across the board in Chris Dortch's Blue Ribbon yearbook coming into the season.
So what makes this CSU team so good, exactly? The same thing that Bulldog head coach Ben Howland says makes his team so special - depth. They have 10 players that average more than 9 minutes per game, allowing them to stay fresh throughout the full 40 minutes. This team likes to score and run the floor, much like MSU when they're playing at their best.
Just like any other team, they also have a number one guy - David Roddy. The 6-foot-6 forward boasts one of the most impressive stat lines in the country, averaging 20.6 points per game while managing to pull down 7.8 rebounds, dishing out 2.3 assists and a little over 1 block and steal as well. That makes him arguably the best player that MSU has faced up to this point in the season, and may be the most talented they face all year.
"I think Roddy is an NBA player," said Howland to reporters on Thursday, "and having coached a lot of NBA players I know what one looks like. This guy is special. He's really something because he's added the ability to step out and shoot threes at a very high level now, he's really problematic."
Roddy is one of the more unorthodox players in the NCAA, in fact. He plays around the rim a lot as an undersized center, but his background as a quarterback - in which he had several D1 offers - has boosted his footwork and court-reading ability to heights that players of his size and skillset don't normally possess. Whoever Howland matches up with him will have their hands full, that you can be sure of.
Finally, the biggest reason the Bulldogs have to pull this one out is to maintain national respect - their ranking. The Rams currently hold the 26th spot in the Associated Press rankings, while MSU is not receiving a single vote after their loss to Minnesota. Kenpom.com has CSU in the 41st slot, while MSU has slid back to the 47th. If the Bulldogs want to take a significant leap in terms of tournament resume, they have to come away with a win this weekend.
They'll have their chance soon, as the game tips off at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday from the Naismith Hall of Fame Classic in Fort Worth, Texas, and will air on ESPNU.
