STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray said freshman point guard IJ ready isn’t close to returning from his hamstring injury.
Ready severely strained his hamstring in the second half in the 78-55 victory against Kennesaw State on Nov. 14. Ray said during his weekly teleconference the 5-foot-11 guard is only doing individual rehabilitation work.
“As far being ready to play basketball again, he’s not even close,” Ray said. “We still have hope he’ll return in the next few weeks.”
The earliest Ready could return is Dec. 5 when MSU plays host to TCU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. He may have to wait until the team travels to Las Vegas for a tournament hosted by UNLV on Dec. 22.
In Ready’s absence, junior Trivante Bloodman and redshirt freshman Jacoby Davis combined to score 12 points and had two assists at point guard in the 58-56 victory against Jackson State.
Newman doesn’t show up at Humphrey Coliseum for visit
MSU was expected to have a special guest Wednesday afternoon: top prospect Malik Newman. However, the Jackson native didn’t attend the game against JSU, which is coached by Wayne Brent, who coached Newman for his first two seasons at Callaway High School.
Newman is being pursued by Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Florida, MSU, North Carolina State, Louisville, and Florida State. The 6-foot-3 junior guard won’t be able to sign a National Letter of Intent until next November.
“Me and coach (Krzyzewski)are very cool. We’ve built a good relationship,” Newman said to CBS Sports in August. “He tells me the truth. He just said that if I come, I would be a great player, I fit great with their system, and I would be able to be a pro. They really let their players loose, and they’re a balanced team. It’s not always running, it’s not always slowing it down. I think I would fit in good with that team.”
Jackson State coach Wayne Brent, a former coach at Provine High School and Callaway as well as being an assistant coach at Ole Miss, coached Newman for his first two seasons at Callaway High School.
MSU coach Rick Ray went to his Twitter account to try and attract fans for the game against JSU. “I need our students & Greeks that are staying around to be at The Hump Wednesday, 1pm,” Ray tweeted. “We have a VIP recruit coming that needs YOUR love.”
MSU officials wouldn’t comment about whether Ray’s tweet would be reported as a violation of NCAA recruiting rules.
‘Game of Change’ reunion will be Sunday at halftime
MSU will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 “Game of Change” when it plays host to Loyola University Chicago at noon Sunday.
Fifty years ago, the all-white Bulldog basketball team defied unwritten state law and snuck out of Mississippi to play against the integrated Ramblers — and its four black starters — in the NCAA tournament.
To commemorate the game and to celebrate the basketball players who competed, the 2013 matchup will feature a reunion, fellowship, and celebration.
MSU will welcome players and spouses from both 1963 teams. Deceased players’ widows, former team managers, and current university administrators also have been invited. MSU will feature a special halftime salute to the 1963 players and present mementos to attendees. After a players-only dinner Saturday evening, honorees will attend a private brunch prior to the game.
MSU’s celebration and recognition of the 1963 game will continue Monday with “Game of Change: The Impact of Sports on Civil Rights.” The symposium is set to begin at 10 a.m. in Colvard Student Union at Bill R. Foster Ballroom and will feature appearances by “Champions for Change” author and Memphis Commercial Appeal journalist Kyle Veazey.
Follow Matt Stevens on Twitter @matthewcstevens.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.