STARKVILLE — Ben Howland expected Quinndary Weatherspoon to play a big role as a freshman for the Mississippi State men’s basketball team.
Howland raved about the former Velma Jackson High School standout and believed he was going to make his biggest impact at guard.
But it has taken Weatherspoon only 16 games to show that his repertoire isn’t limited to playing guard.
Weatherspoon delivered his latest example Saturday in an 80-75 loss to Tennessee, scoring a career-high 23 points in his first career start at forward.
“I just played within myself,” Weatherspoon said. “That was my first time ever playing the four. The game just came to me.”
Weatherspoon, who was making his first start since Dec. 16, 2015, against Florida State, was 8 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. He also had four rebounds.
The 6-foot-4, 202-pounder will try to build on that effort at 6 tonight (ESPNU) when MSU (7-9, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) faces Florida (11-6, 3-2) at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida.
Howland moved Weatherspoon to the four position for Thursday’s practice. It didn’t take him long to learn the offense at his new spot.
“I came in within a day and learned all the plays from the four,” Weatherspoon said.
Howland said he moved Weatherspoon because he is one of the team’s top five players on the team and the Bulldogs need his offense. In their first three SEC games, MSU averaged 67.3 points per game. Weatherspoon had 25 points in 73 minutes (no more than 26 minutes) in that span, but he nearly matched that total in a career-best 34 minutes. His previous high in minutes was 33 against FSU.
“He’s made huge progress with his body and his shooting,” Howland said. “His shot is really coming on. He’s going to be a really special player before it’s all said and done.”
Howland said the Tennessee matchup was the perfect game to use Weatherspoon at the four position because of the Volunteers’ size. Tennessee started four guards and 6-foot-5 Admiral Schofield at the five position (center).
Howland said he would like to play Weatherspoon every game at the four position. He said matchups will dictate where Weatherspoon will play.
“It becomes hard when people play big, especially when they play the traditional four power forward on the low-block-type guy who’s posting a lot,” Howland said. “That makes it much more difficult for him to stay out of foul trouble.”
Weatherspoon had four fouls against the Volunteers, but Schofield didn’t score. Tennessee had 18 points in the paint.
Florida has more size than Tennessee, and projects to have three starters who are taller than 6-7. Forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Justin Leon stand 6-8, while center John Egbunu is 6-11. Finney-Smith scored 17 points, Egbunu 10, and Leon six Saturday in an 80-71 victory at Ole Miss. The Gators scored 24 points in the paint.
Florida first-year head coach Michael White said he will consider making changes if Weatherspoon plays the four position.
“It presents defensive issues for you, having four guys on the perimeter around (center Gavin) Ware, who is dynamite on the interior,” White said. “They become very, very difficult to guard. If you decide to stay big, you better hope you take advantage of a rebounding advantage and an interior advantage.”
Howland didn’t say if Weatherspoon would start at the four against Florida, but MSU’s game notes list him as a projected starter.
Weatherspoon’s presence in the starting lineup and at power forward position could open things up for Ware, MSU’s leading scorer, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds against Tennessee. The former Starkville High standout has scored in double digits in every game.
“I take advantage of getting to the basket,” Weatherspoon said. “I’m not settling for a lot of jumpers like I was when I was playing the two. It’s because I have a bigger defender on me and I know I can go by them, so I just attack.”
Howland said Weatherspoon will get more minutes as the SEC season wears on, regardless of whether he is in the starting lineup or at forward. He said Weatherspoon’s versatility and work ethic are hard to overlook.
“He’s a bright kid, he’s smart, and he loves to play the game,” Howland said. “He’s getting better and better, and he’s really worked hard.”
n In related news, Elijah Staley is no longer a member of the MSU men’s basketball team and will focus on football.
Staley, a 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman from Marietta, Georgia, tweeted his intentions Monday morning. Howland said he was grateful for Staley’s contributions, but he said there wasn’t going to be much playing time for him.
“I couldn’t sit here and honestly promise him, ‘Yeah, I’m going to start playing you more minutes,’ ” Howland said. “He’s still not in up and down basketball shape. We wish him well.”
Staley will battle with sophomore Nick Fitzgerald for MSU’s starting quarterback position this spring and fall.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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