Starkville’s Brooks signs with EMCC

STARKVILLE — Not having the game of baseball last year changed Nick Brooks’ life.

On Thursday, that same game paved the way for him to take the next step in a positive way when he signed to play baseball at East Mississippi Community College.

Zone experiment doesn’t work for MSU vs. Ole Miss

OXFORD — Mississippi State University men’s basketball coach Rick Stansbury played the percentages Wednesday night and came out on the wrong end.

For the first time this season, the Bulldogs’ 14th-year head coach decided to use a 2-3 zone defense. The philosophy was clear, MSU was going to make the University of Mississippi, which entered the game shooting 29.6 percent from 3-point range, to shoot over the top of them to win.

Rebels beat Bulldogs, protect Tad Pad

OXFORD — After further review, it’s still incredibly difficult to win Southeastern Conference road games.

That’s at least true for the Mississippi State University men’s basketball team.

For the first time in four years, MSU players walked away from Tad Smith Coliseum with a sour look on their face after playing the University of Mississippi.

Moultrie earns SEC basketball Player of Week honors; League moves to 18-game schedule

STARKVILLE — The first thing Rick Stansbury said in the preseason that his team has more pieces to work with in the 2011-2012.

The queen on Stansbury’s hardwood chess board is junior forward Arnett Moultrie because he can play in whatever style of play the opponent wishes.

Moultrie, Bost help MSU escape against Alabama

STARKVILLE — With football coach Dan Mullen in the stands, Mississippi State University senior point guard Dee Bost showcased his vertical passing abilities.

After Bost hit back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Bulldogs take the lead back, MSU had 94 feet to maneuver with 3.4 seconds left.

Bost unleashed a football pass underneath the University of Alabama’s basket that replicated a perfect football wheel route to senior guard Brian Bryant, who caught the pass in stride at halfcourt and went in for the game’s final basket and was fouled to lift No. 20 MSU to a 56-52 victory Saturday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum.

Dampier enjoys return to MSU

STARKVILLE — While he continues to wait to see which NBA team will need a 6-foot-11 center later in the season, Erick Dampier was honored Saturday at his alma mater before the Mississippi State men’s basketball team’s 56-52 victory against the University of Alabama.

Dampier, who was a significant member of the 1996 Final Four team and was the 10th overall selection by the Indiana Pacers in the 1996 NBA draft, was recognized at center court before the game Saturday afternoon as a part of MSU’s 100 years of basketball season-long promotion.

Columbus basketball teams cruise to sweep of South Panola

In one of the best point guard matchups of the area, Columbus High School’s Kiandria Patterson finally got help from her friends to preserve a win over South Panola.

Columbus was able to maintain its perfect record in region play with a 66-52 victory over an unpset-minded Lady Tigers squad due to more energetic defensive effort in the second half and the emergence of junior wing player Maggie Proffitt.

The Columbus boys then followed with a 50-32 victory.

MSU hosts long-time rival Alabama in men’s basketball

STARKVILLE – Two programs that think they can contend for a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball title will get their chance to prove it in Humphrey Coliseum Saturday afternoon.

Without a Western Division to battle over, the University of Alabama and Mississippi State University will be a pivotal matchup to possibly see who gets the final of the four byes in the SEC Tournament in March.

MSU wins fight against Tennessee

STARKVILLE — After saying it was punched in the mouth last weekend at the University of Arkansas, the Mississippi State University men’s basketball team delivered the final blow Thursday night.

In a physically demanding contest where open looks and clear cuts through the paint were at a premium, No. 20 MSU hung on for a 62-58 victory in its Southeastern Conference home opener against the University of Tennessee.

Bumphis pleads not guilty to charges

Mississippi State University junior wide receiver Chad Bumphis pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of disorderly conduct and public intoxication in his initial court appearance at Tupelo Municipal Court.

Smith, Lewis play key roles for MSU

STARKVILLE — DeVille Smith proved Thursday his performance Saturday night at the University of Arkansas wasn’t a fluke.

Smith scored most of his career-high 25 points after the Mississippi State University men’s basketball team already trailed by more than 20 points at Bud Walton Arena.

But the freshman point guard from Jackson backed up the effort in his Southeastern Conference debut against the University of Tennessee and helped keep No. 20 MSU from suffering back-to-back SEC losses.

MSU’s Bost needs guard help

STARKVILLE — It’s possible Mississippi State’s senior point guard Dee Bost should come to Humphrey Coliseum this week was a two-word sign literally hanging from him — help wanted.

Brian Bryant, who is not only Bost’s guard teammate and roommate on campus and on the road, said he doesn’t have to see the tape of MSU’s 98-88 loss at Arkansas to see where the 20th-ranked Bulldogs went wrong. It’s already been discussed in a closed-door meeting between the two friends.

Ready to move on, MSU faces Tennessee tonight at Humphrey Coliseum

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State has the same issue as their opponent in the Southeastern Conference home opener for the Bulldogs men’s basketball program.

The basic question of both MSU and Tennessee as both enter the Humphrey Coliseum tonight (8 p.m., ESPN2) is essentially, will the opener last weekend be a trend or something their fans forget quickly?

EMCC’s Wallace commits to Ole Miss

With two words on Twitter, Bo Wallace announced where he will play his final three years of college football.

“Hotty totty,” Wallace tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

The junior college first-team All-American from East Mississippi Community College has accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Mississippi. Wallace, who will sign with the 2012 recruiting class and will enroll early to compete in spring practices, chose Ole Miss over scholarship offers from Mississippi State, Baylor University, and Indiana.

Mobley sparks Starkville sweep

STARKVILLE — It was the Jacolby Mobley show Tuesday night at Starkville High School.

The senior guard fired from anywhere beyond the 3-point line and scored a career-high 35 points in a dominating 91-64 home victory against Aberdeen.

Bulldogs must regroup before facing Tennessee

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State men’s basketball program will have until Thursday night to try and answer the obvious question: what is wrong with the defense?

After matching the most points given up in the 14-year head coaching career of Rick Stansbury Saturday night in a 98-88 loss at Arkansas, the 20th-ranked Bulldogs (13-3, 0-1 in Southeastern Conference play), the MSU coach is still shaking his head at the effort.

MSU men can’t keep up with Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Mississippi State University men’s basketball coach Rick Stansbury said all week his team had enough guards to handle the University of Arkansas’ full-court pressure defense and still guard them defensively.

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson called Stansbury’s bluff on that declaration and took home a 98-88 victory Saturday night.

Bulldogs open SEC play with Hogs

STARKVILLE — What’s old is new again with Mississippi State’s opening opponent in Southeastern Conference play. The style that the Razorbacks will implement tonight (8 p.m., Comcast Sports Southeast) will remind Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury of what he saw during his first trip to Fayetteville as a head coach 14 years ago.

SEC basketball scheduling problem for 14 teams

Division I college basketball coaches across the country know one thing about their sport: It has changed, and largely without their input, creating sprawling conference boundaries more accommodating to football than basketball.

Lady Vols race past Hillcrest

STARKVILLE — Whether it was from beyond the three-point line, at the free throw line or of pull-up mid-range variety, Starkville Academy forward Anna Lea Little put on an impressive shooting display.