It’s been a busy period for Mississippi State women’s basketball since the end of the season back in March. Sam Purcell was appointed head coach, his staff appointments were finalized, recruiting wrapped up with the addition of several transfers and high school prospects, and offseason workouts began.
It’s clear that the perceived confidence in the direction of the program is shared by members of the team, both old and new.
“I don’t wanna be part of a startup,” Asianae Johnson said about what she was looking for in a transfer destination. “But (Purcell) was like: It’s not a start up. These kids, they just need some heart in ‘em, they just need some faith, and we’re gonna push them and get to the top.”
From the outside looking in there has been a sense that Purcell wants to build something special ASAP at Mississippi State, a program that just four years ago made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA championship game. The arrival of so many transfers as well as younger players indicates the rebuilding process could be farther along than initially thought, and the players have fed off that excitement and set a positive tone early.
“I think it’s a different identity this year,” Kourtney Weber, another newcomer, said about the team. “Especially with the coaching staff and new players that have come in, I think the identity has totally changed.
“People like to work hard, and it’s gonna be a good year. The chemistry is really good, everyone likes each other, it’s just a good time.”
It was well documented how involved Purcell was in recruiting from the get-go. Incoming freshman Debreasha Powe confirmed how quickly he was able to make the trip to meet with her and her family, enjoy some food and sell her on his coaching and the program he wants to build.
“It made a big difference,” she said. “It was a lot, but with me and my family being able to communicate with them, talking to coach Sam, it was great. I could tell I wanted to stay committed. I can tell everyone’s bought in, and I feel like they can get me to the next level.”
According to JerKaila Jordan, the team has spent plenty of time together bonding and building chemistry and taking a trip to Atlanta together. Every player stressed how good it’s been getting on campus during the summer and starting work together, and the energy and intensity that Purcell wants from the team already seems to have worked its way into their mindsets
For returning senior Anastasia Hayes, the decision to return was made easier after consulting with her new coach and feeling a drive to challenge for championships.
“I listened to him, heard him out, listened to all the things he wanted to do with this program,” Hayes said. “I thought it out, took a week. I was thinking about going pro, but after listening to him, and I had a thumb situation that I had to deal with, it just made me realize one more year would be best for me to stay, play under his wing and get an opportunity to take Mississippi State back to SEC championships and go to the Final Four.
“With this team I feel like we can do that.”
After two years of uncertainty and missing the NCAA tournament there have been reasonable concerns over the direction of the program. The culture needed to be reset, but the hope now is that can be done while improving the performance level of the current roster while making key additions through the transfer portal. Since then, the excitement seems to be back.
Humphrey Coliseum is undergoing a makeover, and the Bulldogs old and new are buying in. October can’t come soon enough.
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