STARKVILLE – The Bulldogs (16-7, 3-6 SEC) are back on the road this week to face off against last season’s national finalists, No. 3 South Carolina.
Dawn Staley’s team are as fearsome as ever despite a pair of losses to SEC opponents this season. The Gamecocks destroyed previously undefeated Vanderbilt 103-74 before rattling off two more wins against Auburn and Texas A&M, and now have their sights set on Purcell’s group.
In his three matchups against Staley so far, Purcell’s Bulldogs have had some painful turns after positive starts. This time around the focus is on playing their game and not letting the occasion or the hostile environment get to them.
“I think you hit the elephant in the face. You talk about it at the beginning, about who we are, what happened last game,” Purcell said of facing the Gamecocks. “The same team that played Missouri just played Tennessee, that’s the highs and lows of the SEC. Who do we want to be? What do we want to look like when we get done playing South Carolina for four quarters?”
MSU is still looking for consistency despite signature wins over Kentucky and Tennessee. The loss at home to Mizzou on Sunday served as a harsh reminder that there is no looking ahead or behind, every game is its own test in a stacked conference.
“Play Mississippi State basketball,” Purcell said. “We’ve talked about it this year, we’ve had some unbelievable ranked wins, Top-15 wins, and then moments where it’s like, ‘What are you doing?’ That’s the consistency, we’ve got to fight for every single day, and that’s what we’ll address in practice.”
Rising talent
As the Bulldogs continue to develop, so does a talented group of freshmen. Forward Madison Francis joined teammate Jaylah Lampley in receiving SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Tuesday, adding another honor to her Emerald Coast Classic MVP and National Freshman of the Week award from the fall.
“I couldn’t be happier with her and Jaylah, how well they’ve both been playing as freshmen,” Purcell said. “Both of those kids deserve to be on the All-SEC freshman team this year. I’m starting that now and we’re going to put out stuff. For Madison, you’re talking about a young lady whose shoulder has been wrapped up, broken nose, she’s relentless. Her DNA is different from everybody else, most kids would tap out, but she’s diving on the floor, relentless around the rim, contesting every shot. She rebounds it like no other.”
Purcell pointed to the opportunity seized by the pair as incoming freshmen, quickly becoming important players for a team with postseason ambitions.
“The narrative sometimes out there that if you go to certain schools you can’t win awards,” he said. “Well, now we’ve got two kids here that are freshmen that have been SEC Freshman of the Week, and it’s been cool for their hard work, but most importantly what great teammates they are.”
Building in the post
The Bulldogs will have a tough task in attacking the paint against South Carolina. Staley always has strong post players, and this season is no exception with Joyce Edwards and former Bulldog Madina Okot.
In attacking on the road, the Bulldog forwards Francis and Favour Nwaedozi will have to continue developing their shot from wherever they can create space.
Nwaedozi, in particular, has worked on adding a mid-range game, and even took a chance to shoot the three against Mizzou in a closely contested fourth quarter on Sunday.
“I thought she had two wide open shots, they were great,” Purcell said of her shots, which missed. “I said don’t put your head down, because I watch you work on those every single day. Her goal is always going to be a pro, and that’s what you do. You’ve gotta be able to stretch the floor, knock those down, and I always judge it by when you shoot it, not fading away. That’s where I’m proud at the moment, talking about player development stuff, that we make those right plays.”
The growth has been there for both forwards and for senior Kharyssa Richardson, and together the trio has combined for big performances in recent weeks, including ranked wins over the Cats and Vols. They’ve had the green light to keep going, and Francis in particular has shown the confidence to keep firing pull-up jumpers and from beyond the arc.
“We were clear with (Francis) before the game that she’s one of the elite players getting to the rim, but they’re going to play five feet off of you, and they’re going to bait you to make shots,” Purcell said of the Mizzou game. “For her to go 3-6 is a testament to how hard she’s been working getting up shots.”
A key to MSU’s chances in Columbia and beyond will be the scoring that Richardson provides. She had her fourth 20-plus point outing of conference play on Sunday, and second straight game with 21 points, but it’s her work as a teammate that’s stood out the most after being in and out of the starting lineup early in the season.
“I challenged her to pass the ball. We had at the last two practices, I told her, ‘You’re going to work on passing, you’re going to drive and kick,’ and I thought she gave us some great looks,” Purcell said. “(Trayanna Crisp) had six threes in the last game, and a lot of those were coming from Rich. So her development, too, being a well-rounded player, where it’s not just if I catch the ball, I’m scoring, but also can I make plays for my teammates. It was cool to see her growth and like the others, I still think her best basketball is ahead of her.”
MSU and USC will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. today on SEC Network.
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