STARKVILLE — When the buzzer sounded on Thursday night to complete MSU’s first SEC win of the year, it also marked 10 straight wins and 12 straight quarters won by head coach Sam Purcell’s Bulldog squad.
The four-quarter mentality is something the fourth-year coach has harped on since the start of December, refusing to let his team celebrate wins alone. He stressed buy-in and preparation, and at the end of nonconference play he was beaming about his team going into their SEC campaign.
“Couldn’t be more proud. Top to bottom this is probably the best character group I have,” Purcell said.
The group has found success playing together and they’ve been vocal in their praise of each other. Purcell said that sets them apart from other groups.
“Yeah, 100%,” he said. “That’s nothing against the other teams, my other teams were winners. They were 20-win seasons, NCAA appearances, top of the line, and I think you’ve got to look at my journey. I came here, I inherited a lot of those players, and some of that was them allowing another coach to come in their life. For this group, they’re just starting with a fresh slate. Nothing with the past, all they know is me, is Mississippi State.”
The togetherness and spirit is hard to manufacture, especially in this day and age of college sports. Teams typically look pretty different year to year, but the transfer portal has made those roster changes seismic. Only three players returned from last year’s team, but the group still found a way to come together in a way that Purcell hasn’t seen in Starkville before. His core isn’t just his returners, there’s also a balanced group of young talent to build around and share the responsibilities on the court.
“It’s a different energy in a way, and because of that, you also have freshmen who are not normal,” Purcell continued. “Most seniors and juniors have to carry the weight, but when the freshmen can carry the weight, it makes for a stronger team, and that’s what you’re seeing right now.”
Freshmen Madison Francis and Jaylah Lampley, who both hit double digits in points against Auburn, quickly became key players in the fall. Transfer Trayanna Crisp led the Bulldogs with 17 points against Auburn while fellow newcomer Favour Nwaedozi posted nine points and 13 rebounds despite getting into foul trouble.
Again, after the game, the focus wasn’t on the individuals who had their best night, but rather on what they were able to do together.
“Anything to do with my team and us sharing a win together is just great,” Crisp said after the win. “We work so hard for this, we go at each other at practice every day, and it just showed and it paid off.”
Destiney McPhaul, one of just three returners, hit 14 points for her ninth performance of double-digit points. Even as one of the better shooters on the team, she isn’t always leading the way, but that’s a testament to her leadership as well. She knows when to feed the hot hand elsewhere on the floor, and she and fellow seniors Crisp and Chandler Prater are setting an example for the younger players.
“I’ve honestly learned a lot from her,” Lampley said of playing with McPhaul. “She’s like a big sister that I never had. I’m so lucky to have not only her, but Tray, Chandler and Rich. They’re supporting me every step of the way, even Favour. I’m like a sponge, I take in everything they tell me, and I’m grateful for it.”
Considering the inexperienced roster, it’s no surprise the Bulldogs were picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference standings in the preseason SEC media poll, with some picking them last. That snub quickly became a source of motivation, however, and Purcell hasn’t let his team, or the media, forget.
Going into the Auburn game, it became a rallying cry for both the team and fanbase to show up for the start of conference play.
“‘A team,’ they said, ‘(that has) the least amount of returning experience,’ and I think you’re watching a team come together like no other over the last four weeks,” Purcell said after the win over Samford on Dec. 28. “Since we had that serious Dec. 1 practice, a team that’s not going to forget that everybody said we’re going to be at the bottom of the league, and that’s why I’m encouraging our fans. We’ve gotta protect home, and we’ve gotta have an environment like no other, because it’s going to be an absolute war, top to bottom.”
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