Mississippi State's Trey Fort 'Had No Idea' He Was Starting Against Arizona State

Mississippi State guard Shakeel Moore was suspended earlier in the week due to a violation of team rules. He was expected to be the starter for the season opener against Arizona State on Wednesday night, so head coach Chris Jans obviously had to select someone else.

Jans said that there were four or five guys to choose in place of Moore, but he ended up selecting Howard College transfer Trey Fort.

Fort finished his Bulldogs debut by scoring 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting from behind the arc and led Mississippi State to a 71-56 victory. However, he revealed during the post-game press conference that he didn't realize he was starting until shortly before tip-off.

"It was two minutes before, and I had no idea it was happening," Fort said. "We walked in after warmups and I saw my name on the board. But I'm always ready and I was locked in from the jump."

And locked in he was, as 14 of his points came in the first half, which led all players on both teams by a sizeable margin. Fort was a major factor in creating a massive separation between the two teams at halftime, as the Bulldogs were up 39-18 at the break.

That being said, every player on both teams was a bit rusty at the start, as even Ford missed his first couple of shots. However, that obviously didn't deter him from heating up.

"I've always had that confidence," Fort said. "I don't see the misses. It's what I've been doing my whole life. I've been a scorer and shooter, and I believe all of them are going in."

It is uncertain at this time if Fort will be a starter once Moore returns. Nevertheless, Jans praised Fort for his performance, stating he "picked the right one."

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