STARKVILLE — Rick Stansbury should have plenty of fun playing with an assortment of puzzle pieces this season.
From the savvy penetration skills of point guard Dee Bost to the energy and enthusiasm of Arnett Moultrie and Wendell Lewis to the high-stepping versatility of Brian Bryant to the potential of Rodney Hood, the Mississippi State men’s basketball team showed all the parts Saturday that could make for a promising season.
Bryant scored a game-high 20 points, and Moultrie, Renardo Sidney, and Lewis all had double-doubles to lead MSU to a 97-63 victory against Florida Tech in an exhibition game at Humphrey Coliseum.
Bryant made eight of his team-high 13 shots, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Moultrie (19 points, 11 rebounds) was 9 of 12 from the floor, while Sidney added 11 points and 11 rebounds. Lewis had a game-high seven rebounds en route to a 14-point, 11-rebound effort.
“I like our little old pieces and the ability to make basketball plays,” Stansbury said. “We have some different weapons.”
Stansbury liked how the Bulldogs shared and moved the basketball. He also feels his team will be able to shoot against zones and will be able to throw the basketball inside against zones and get consistent production. All of those ingredients were on displays thanks to a number of performers.
Bryant, a senior who spent last season as a point guard, looked like he had the green light from the start. He played with energy and didn’t hesitate to take the open shot, even if it might have been outside of his usual range.
“I normally don’t shoot threes as much,” Bryant said. “I usually try to get to the mid-range and create or get to the hole. Today was one of those nights it was going right for me knocking down shots. I know it is not going to be like that every night, so you just have to play according to how the game is coming to you.”
At 6-foot-3, Bryant could see action at several positions to give MSU an even more athletic and multi-dimensional lineup, one Stansbury feels will be able to attack on offense and defense.
Stansbury said Bryant, who he said looked like a “different cat”, will play a key role in creating tempo and getting teammates open shots.
“It is very obvious we dribble it and we pass it much better than we have in the last couple of years,” Stansbury said. “When you can do that you can manufacture baskets in different ways. You don’t always have to set up. We didn’t run many sets today. We played in motion and guys made basketball plays a lot.”
Stansbury said the Bulldogs used a lot of sets the past few years to get shots for players like Ravern Johnson, the team’s leading scorer last season, and Riley Benock. This year, though, with Bost, Bryant, Hood (five points, 2-of-9 shooting), Jalen Steele (seven points) on the perimeter, the Bulldogs have multiple players who can create shots and open lanes and get better looks for their teammates.
MSU capitalized on those skills Saturday and handed out 19 assists against only 11 turnovers. Speedy freshman DeVille Smith added eight points and five assists in 17 minutes.
Moultrie and Lewis showcased their athleticism and energy rebounding. Both players were active outside of the lane, reaching and pushing through bodies to claim loose balls. Their hustle helped MSU own a 54-41 rebounding edge that made it easier for the Bulldogs to push tempo.
Moultrie, a transfer from the University of Texas at El Paso, said he always plays with the mind-set that every rebound is his. His long arms and his agility make it easier for him to realize that goal.
“His motor runs, and that is just an ability or a knack the young man has,” Stansbury said. “You can’t create that in somebody. The guy has the nose for the basketball, and he is a pogo stick around the basket.”
Lewis, a junior, continued to show improvement and flashed an explosiveness on offensive rebounds and on dunks that could help him earn consistent playing time as a substitute for Moultrie and Sidney.
“One thing he has if he will utilize it, not many big guys can keep up with him in transition,” Stansbury said. “When he goes to the offensive boards, he is utilizing what he has, his athleticism. It offsets what he doesn’t have. He is not the most skilled guy. He is not going to beat you shooting jump shots, but if he will do the things he has been blessed with and he will use his ability, that is how he helps this team.”
MSU was shooting 19 percent from the field and trailed 19-14 midway through the first half. Moultrie then had a steal and a dunk and Bost had a steal and fed Moultrie, who used a nifty dribble to free himself for a layup that tied the game and sent the Bulldogs on their way.
Bost (10 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals) also had a solid afternoon to lead MSU to a 56.1-percent shooting effort in the second half that helped them pull away after a sluggish start. MSU led by as many as 34 late in the second half.
“I think everybody will jell together eventually,” Bost said. “We just have to keep playing together and just keep playing hard and everything will work out.”
Julius Reed led Florida Tech, a Division II school in Melbourne, Fla., with 20 points. He had only four points in the second half.
MSU will play its final exhibition game at 7 p.m. Friday against defending NAIA national champion University of Pikeville. MSU will open the regular season at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 against Eastern Kentucky at Humphrey Coliseum in the 2K Sports Classic.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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