STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer is big on players doing what they’re supposed to do.
The Mississippi State fourth-year head coach expects his players to bring maximum effort and intensity every day and to harass opponents with defensive performances that would make many cringe.
That formula has worked the past three years and has helped the Bulldogs climb back into the national conversation. In that stretch, particularly the past two seasons, MSU has moved to uncharted heights in the national rankings and in the Southeastern Conference by winning the games it is supposed to. A double-overtime loss to LSU and an overtime loss to Kentucky — both at home — are the only possible exceptions to that rule given how difficult it is to win on the road in the SEC, especially against ranked opponents.
At No. 11 in The Associated Press and USA Today polls and No. 22 in the NCAA’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), MSU has an opportunity to take the next step and win a game some might not expect it to win at 6 tonight when it takes on No. 15 Texas A&M at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas.
MSU (21-4, 8-3 SEC) enters the game in sole possession of second place in the league behind South Carolina. It holds the tiebreaker against Florida, which is the only other team with three SEC losses, and a win would put it two games ahead in the loss column of the rest of the pack with four regular-season games remaining. Those points are important because the top four teams in the SEC will earn double byes in the league tournament, which will be March 2-6 in Jacksonville, Florida.
All of that will factor into what should be an intense matchup. You also have to add to the mix that the game is a return home for Schaefer, a former associate head coach to Gary Blair at Texas A&M, Johnnie Harris, a former assistant coach at Texas A&M, MSU sophomore guard Blair Schaefer, who grew up in Texas, and Texas natives Dominique Dillingham, Ketara Chapel, Teaira McCowan, and Kayla Nevitt,
The game also will broadcast live on the SEC Network, so there will plenty of eyes on a game that figures to help sort out the logjam that is the SEC standings.
Last season, MSU took an important step when it defeated Texas A&M 63-61 in overtime in Starkville. The victory was part of a record-breaking 27-win season (program-best 11 in the SEC) that saw MSU return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010.
This season, MSU has continued its record-breaking ways. On Jan. 28, it earned its first victory in 37 tries against Tennessee with a 65-63 overtime win in Starkville. That victory has sparked a four-game run that includes wins at LSU and Arkansas and a home victory against then-No. 21 Missouri. All three of those games could have been stumbling blocks coming off the emotional high against the Lady Volunteers, but the Bulldogs put those thoughts aside and took care of business.
Schaefer hopes MSU can do the same tonight against a dear friend and one of the most talented and experienced teams in the league. Led by senior guards Courtney Walker and Courtney Williams, Texas A&M (16-7, 6-4) is coming off an emotional 76-71 overtime victory against Tennessee on Sunday. The Aggies rallied from a 13-point deficit to earn the home victory that snapped a two-game slide.
“We’re going into a very tough environment and playing a quality basketball team,” Schaefer said. “Coach Blair is a six-time Hall of Fame coach and those kids will be prepared. Those seniors are the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. They’re a very talented and special group. They have had a lot of success in their careers.
“I’m fully expecting a tough environment on Thursday night. I’m excited to see how we go in there and compete. I think we will. We have tremendous kids with a competitive spirit. I’m hopeful that we can go in there, compete and play a great ball game on Thursday night.”
Two years ago, MSU was humbled in a 73-35 loss in College Station. The Bulldogs didn’t fear much better in Schaefer’s first meeting against his old team, losing 81-33 on Jan. 24, 2013, in Starkville. But MSU has grown significantly in that time and — at least on paper — enters tonight’s matchup as a favorite. In many ways, though, MSU will be going against a team that is a lot like itself. The Aggies have size in 6-foot-7 redshirt senior Rachel Mitchell and 6-5 sophomore Khaalia Hillsman. Walker, who is averaging 18.7 points per game, and Williams (11.9) are two of the league’s best players who can create their own shots and present matchup problems.
Playing at home in a venue that seats 12,989 also figures to give Texas A&M an advantage in a game that will play a big part in determining if the Aggies can secure a top-four finish in the SEC. An 83-81 loss to Florida on Feb. 4 in Gainesville, Florida, gives the Gators the tiebreaker against the Aggies.
“I think you are kidding yourself if you say this is just another game,” Schaefer said. “You have to go in there and get in your foxhole with your team and realize that you have to compete and try to win a basketball game. You have to try to shut out all of the other distractions. I have a lot of respect for coach Blair and a lot of appreciation for the 15 years I had with him. At the end of the day I have to take my team in there and go play a top-15 team on the road in the SEC. We haven’t talked this week because I’m getting my team ready and he’s getting his team ready. I’m excited about taking my team and playing against a really good, veteran basketball team.”
Blair Schaefer said the Bulldogs will block out all of those thoughts and treat the game like a “business” trip. She said the team also won’t be fazed by the knowledge that a victory tonight would greatly enhances its chances of earning a top four seed and a chance to play host to the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.
Entering tonight’s game, Texas A&M has a RPI of 18, according to the NCAA, and a Strength of Schedule (SOS) that is fifth in the nation, according to RealTimeRPI.com. MSU has a SOS of 71 in the same ranking. The Bulldogs’ SOS is the lowest of every team in the top except UTEP (125) and Duquesne (116), which means a victory tonight would give the Bulldogs a lift in two categories the NCAA tournament committee analyzes when it decides which teams earn the right to play at home.
“We still have our set goal of wanting to host,” Blair Schaefer said. “We really wanted to host last year, but so I think that is in the back of our minds. I feel like every little win adds up and all these computer points mean a lot to the NCAA. We are trying to get every little thing we need in order to host.
“It is very weird, awkward, and cool all at the same time (going back to College Station). I know a lot of their players. I grew up playing against a lot of the players that play for Texas A&M right now. We are really good friends when we are off the court. When we step on the court, it is weird being enemies. As far as going back to College Station and me growing up there, a lot of fans that are Texas A&M fans are our family’s personal fans. It is very weird for them. They cheer for us every game except when we play Texas A&M. Going back to College Station is going to be fun. I want to get a win for our team. I have to look at it as a business trip, not as a trip going back to see anybody special. I am going to have a lot of people that I know there: family, high school coaches, friends, Texas A&M fans that I grew up with. When I step on the court it has to be for my team. This is business. We need to win. We need to play Mississippi State ball.”
Dillingham, who is from Spring, Texas, which is a little more than 80 miles from College Station, said a victory against Texas A&M would be another building block in the team’s resume.
“They are a veteran ball club,” Dillingham said. “They have a great point guard in Jordan Jones. They have Courtney Walker and Courtney Williams, two very good guards. They are veterans. They are always going to be a tough team to play or beat. We are going to have to go in there ready to play from the jump. If not we will get embarrassed, just like we did my freshman year. Just being ready to play is going to be a big part in gaining a road win against Texas A&M.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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