The men’s basketball stage is certainly different, at this point, between Starkville and Oxford.
On the same day that Ole Mississippi coach Kermit Davis announced the Rebels had talked former Oxford High School star Jarkel Joiner into coming back home from Cal State Bakersfield, Mississippi State coach Ben Howland pondered over the only scholarship spot he still has left for the 2019-20 season.
Howland says he talked to a possible recruit Monday while not dropping his name.
With 12 scholarship players on hand, including Columbus High School star Robert Woodard II, who figures to play a prominent role in next season’s team, the Bulldogs have the luxury of waiting. They are coming off their first NCAA Tournament season in 10 years.
There is no desperate need to grab a graduate transfer off the shelf, which becomes a lively game among coaches this time of year.
What could change all of that, however, is the status of Reggie Perry, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward who has declared for the upcoming NBA Draft. He still has time to withdraw his name from consideration, meaning he could still return to the Bulldogs.
So, if Howland was to pull the trigger on signing a transfer player, it would be a forward or a center, and possibly a Perry replacement.
“Obviously, a big key for us, in terms of bigs, is what does Reggie end up doing?” Howland said during a press conference Monday in Starkville. “If Reggie comes back, I think it makes us a whole lot better than if he stays in the draft. That’s something that we have no control over. We just have to wait and see.”
Perry, a McDonald’s All-American while at Thomasville High School in Georgia, is projected as a possible choice in the second round or late in the first round. He has until June 10 to pull his name out of contention. After that, his college eligibility is gone whether he is drafted or not. He is scheduled to visit with NBA teams in the meantime.
Perry averaged 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds last season for the Bulldogs, and started 18 times.
“We are waiting to see what will occur and wishing him nothing but the best in his workouts and his opportunity to go to some of these NBA teams and visit with them.”
While the Perry question goes on, Howland made a couple of things clear Monday: Woodard will play a leading role on next season’s team and he expects Nick Weatherspoon to be the team’s starting point guard. He was suspended in February for a violation of team rules and remains suspended.
“We’re looking for big things out of Robert,” Howland said.
Paul Bowker is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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