With a smile and growth mindset, Favour Nwaedozi is thriving at Mississippi State

Favour Nwaedozi’s positive attitude is turning into production as the Bulldogs center puts together her best game of the season.

Mississippi State Forward Favour Nwaedozi (#25) during the game between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Sometimes when coaches and players talk about one another or other teammates, there’s some hyperbole or exaggerations made.

Like, with Mississippi State coach Sam Purcell talking before the season about Favour Nwaedozi having a positive attitude and always smiling. Her teammates have said the same thing.

Based on the press conference following the Bulldogs’ 87-64 win, Nwaedozi’s teammates and coaches weren’t exaggerating. During the press conference, the only time she stopped smiling was when she was drinking some water.

“Favour’s one of those people who are going to get better because she always is smiling, she's always in a good mood, she's always picking somebody up,” Chandler Prater said while sitting next to a smiling Nwaedozi. “And all the years I've been in college, I know that those type of people continuously get better throughout the season because they have a growth mindset. And it's showing, she just is better and better every game.”

Nwaedozi is definitely getting better as the season progresses. She had her best game, so far, as a Bulldogs with 21 points and 23 rebounds. Her performance on the boards was the sixth-best in program history and three shy of the all-time single game record.

“I wasn't thinking about the matchup,” Nwaedozi said. “I just played to what my coaches had probably said, play hard, square up, get in the body, hit a body to get the rebounds. I guess all of those things really work.”

Through 11 games, Nwaedozi is averaging almost 30 minutes a game and 12.9 ppg and 10.7 rebounds per game. She also has 13 blocks, seven steals and is shooting 59 percent from the field. What’s most impressive, though, is she has 18 assists and 16 turnovers.

“Centers, forwards, they usually have a negative assist to turnover ratio. She has a positive on the season. That's unheard of,” Purcell said. “Most bigs are called the black hole where if you throw it in and ain't coming back out.”

Against Southern Miss on Sunday, Nwaedozi had one assist and no turnovers.

“That doesn’t get the attention it deserves,” Purcell said. “She’s getting double teamed in a box, feet taken out, and never was off balance.”

For the season, Nwaedozi is 19th in the nation in rebounds per game and her five double doubles is tied for 11th most.

Nwaedozi and the Bulldogs will look to extend their win streak to seven games on Wednesday when Alabama State comes to Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on SECN+.