STARKVILLE –Asked if he’s surprised his team has bought in to his defensive, grind-it-out, and responsible style, Mississippi State University men’s basketball coach Rick Ray shook his head and laughed.
“They don’t have much of a choice,” the first-year coach said. “That’s all we do. We practice defense. If you are not willing to play defense and play tough, you are probably not going to play.”
Ray doesn’t hide the fact that MSU wants to play in the 60s and hopes to be efficient in a motion offense to maximize its low possession numbers.
After a 56-54 victory against the University of South Carolina last week, Ray was asked if his style was going to continue a season that has been filled with injuries and a lack of depth, and if it will last as long as he is in charge of the program.
“The way basketball is anymore, it is low scoring and grinding it out. That’s the way we’re going to have to do it all the time –not just this year,” Ray said.
Ray and MSU (7-7, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) will continue on that path at 8 p.m. Wednesday (CSS) when they play host to the University of Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum. It’s a direction Ray has followed every step of his coaching career.
“I’m not surprised. I’ve always been ar coaches,” Ray said. “I think (Purdue coach) Matt Painter is a very good defense coach, and I think (Clemson coach) Brad Brownell is a really good defensive coach. I’ve had the pleasure of working for guys who teach defense first, toughness, and the offense will come.”
The philosophy Ray developed as an assistant coach at Clemson, Purdue, Northern Illinois University, Indiana State University, and the University of Nebraska-Omaha identifies more with the principles of teams in the Big Ten and Missouri Valley conferences. Despite an emphasis on defense, the teams Ray was a part of in four seasons at Purdue finished in the top half of points per game in the conference.
“We don’t do anything but work on defense in practice. That’s all we do,” MSU freshman guard Craig Sword said Monday. “Coach figures if we play good defense the offense will come along, and we believe in that. So far he’s been right.”
Former NIU coach Rob Judson, a current assistant coach at Illinois State University, isn’t surprised Ray has brought that style of play to a new league. He believes Ray’s style contrasts nicely with the finesse and offense-minded approaches of many SEC teams.
“Rick has a terrific offensive mind, and he’s always been aggressive offensively in his coaching career,” Judson said. “I’m sure you always picture you want to play and then you massage that. He’ll be able to evolve to another league very quickly.”
The principles Ray has instilled in the program is what MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin wanted. Stricklin knows Ray has to own a commitment to defense, a motion offense, and an emphasis on hustle and discipline.
“When we sat down a couple of weeks (before he was hired) I was not looking at a label, (but) I wanted a person who fits our qualities the best,” Stricklin said. “He is bright, enthusiastic, disciplined and is a man of integrity. He has served with some of the top head and assistant coaches in college basketball and will bring a piece of all of them to our head coaching position.”
CBSSports.com analyst Jeff Goodman tweeted Ray would receive a “B-plus” grade so far when asked Sunday on Twitter. Ray’s teams at Purdue and Clemson averaged 13 turnovers per game but never topped 70 points per game, highlighting Ray’s commitment to valuing the basketball and not trying to push the tempo.
“(Ray) is extremely well thought of in the coaching profession on every level,” ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes said. “He comes from a background under Brad Brownell and Matt Painter, which is all you need to know. His teams will be tough, disciplined, and will be demanded to play hard.”
MSU is still adjusting to some of Ray’s philosophies. The Bulldogs are the seventh-worst team in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. However, in the second half of a victory against the University of Georgia on Saturday, the Bulldogs shot nearly 50 percent from the field and got quality open looks on a consistent basis for their first road victory of the season.
“I thought more importantly when the shot clock starting winding down our guys didn’t panic,” Ray said. “They continued to cut, screen, and move. Some good things happened late in the shot clock because of that.”
Alabama has been tried to implement a similar style in the past four seasons under Anthony Grant. The Crimson Tide coach said Monday he was “surprised” how the Bulldogs have mentally adjusted to Ray’s drastic change of style.
“You can tell they’re playing with passion (and) playing together,” Grant said. “That is rare for a team that’s relatively new in terms of the different faces they have, to figure that out as quickly as they have. I think that’s a testament to coach Ray and his staff and the job they’ve done.”
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