STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer just wanted to practice.
Following a run of three games in seven days over the past week — against No. 1 South Carolina, at Vanderbilt and home against Ole Miss — Schaefer was adamant his team needed time in the gym at Mize Pavilion.
“To get back (Tuesday) and (Wednesday) — like we did last week when we got back from Vanderbilt — I just thought we needed to practice,” he said. “And so we did that, and I think we got better.”
Heading into the heart of SEC play, practice days have come at a premium of late. Since MSU’s conference opening dismantling of Florida on Jan. 2, the Bulldogs have played four of their past six games on the road.
More recently, a swing from Columbia — where MSU narrowly missed on an upset of South Carolina Jan. 20 — to Nashville two days later for a road contest at Vanderbilt left the team just a single chance to practice between games.
But now heading into a February stretch that includes back-to-back-to-back games at No. 22 Tennessee, home against No. 15 Texas A&M and at No. 13 Kentucky, Schaefer is taking advantage of the down period the Bulldogs have enjoyed since Sunday’s win over Ole Miss — a 10-day stretch in which MSU will meet only SEC bottom-dweller Auburn and a middling Georgia squad.
“Last week is week is very difficult in that we had to go on the road both Monday and Thursday and go as far as we did — that’s always a challenge, for this team especially,” Schaefer said. “I think it was very evident Thursday we weren’t over Monday — had a big hangover.”
Among the issues MSU will hope to sort out during practices this week and next is the desperate need for a post presence outside of sophomore center Jessika Carter.
Through 21 games this season, Carter has lived up to her billing as a potential “monster” underneath, averaging 13.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. But perhaps as startling as her offensive and rebounding abilities is that she’s playing an average of 28.7 minutes per night.
While the major minutes haul has been in part due to Carter’s effectiveness on the floor, the inability for sophomore Promise Taylor and junior Yemiyah Morris to take make headway as potential backup options at center is as much to blame.
At present, Taylor and Morris are combining for a meager 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game this year.
Further complicating, Morris left the bench during MSU’s 80-39 throttling of Ole Miss on Sunday midway through the second half and did not return. It’s unclear why she left, but sources told The Dispatch she practiced with the team Wednesday.
“Yemiyah and Promise to me are lagging behind right now, to be honest with you,” Schaefer said following MSU’s loss to West Virginia on Dec. 8. “Their development has been disappointing, and I know coach (Johnnie Harris) is working with them daily.”
Now sitting at 18-3 and 6-1 in SEC play, the Bulldogs control their own destiny as postseason seeding talk heats up over the next month. Ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, the Bulldogs are likely headed for a No. 3 seed. But should they find a stable answer behind Carter during their down time and over the final nine regular-season games, it’s possible MSU could play themselves up to a No. 2 with resume-building games ahead of them.
“It’s part of conference, and it’s part of the availability of being able to be on national TV,” Schaefer said of the taxing schedule of weeks past and future. “For us, hey, that’s just what we do.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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