JACKSON — Ole Miss’ Stefan Moody and Mississippi State’s Victoria Vivians couldn’t hide from anyone this season.
The two had already become stars last season in their first year in the Southeastern Conference, so every time they stepped on the court for their respective teams, opponents were ready.
Both embraced the challenge, and this season they were even better.
Moody won the Howell Trophy and Vivians won the Gillom Trophy on Monday afternoon at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. The Howell Trophy, which is named for former MSU great Bailey Howell, is given to the top men’s college basketball player in the state, while the Gillom, which is named after former Ole Miss great Peggy Gillom-Granderson, is given to the top women’s player.
Both players were back-to-back winners. The awards are sponsored by C Spire Wireless.
Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said Vivians’ ability to evolve as a player has been vital. She has helped lead the 16th-ranked Bulldogs to a 26-7 record.
“I really think the longer she plays in her career, the harder it’s going to be because she gets everybody’s best shot,” Schaefer said. “She has to go against everybody’s best defender and their best game plan.”
A year after becoming the first freshman to win the award, the Carthage native became the third back-to-back winner of the award. She joins Alexis Rack as the two Bulldogs to hoist the trophy in back-to-back seasons.
Monday’s repeat is the fifth time a MSU player has won the award in the nine seasons it has been given out. The Bulldogs have won it three times in Vic Schaefer’s four seasons.
The 6-foot-1 Vivians is averaging 17.2 points per game this season, which is second in the SEC. She’s saved her best for the postseason — she averaged 22 points in three SEC tournament games.
MSU will learn where it plays in the NCAA tournament Monday. She hopes for a deeper run than last year, when MSU lost in the second round.
“I’ve just been in the gym — putting up extra shots,” Vivians said. “Trying to be with my teammates more and trying to get everything good.”
Vivians earned first-team All-SEC accolades last week after ranking sixth in scoring in conference play with 15.4 ppg. She shoting 45.1 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from 3-point range in the three games at the SEC tournament.
In MSU’s regular-season finale against Alabama, Vivians became the fifth Bulldog to notch 1,000-career points in two seasons.
“I’m very proud of her,” Schaefer said. “It’s harder to do it each year because she gets everyone’s best defender and best defensive game plan. She gave our team credit and rightfully so because she couldn’t do it without her teammates. It’s a great award, and we are so proud of Victoria and how she represents Mississippi State.”
The 5-10 Moody also knows what it’s like to be the center of attention on the court after leading the SEC with 23.1 points per game. His marquee game was a 43-point performance in a win against Mississippi State last week.
Moody, a native of Kissimmee, Florida, joins former MSU great Jarvis Varnado as the only two players in the award’s history to win the trophy back-to-back years.
The is the four-straight year a Rebel has been named the state’s top player after Jarvis Summers took home the award in 2014 and Marshall Henderson won the honor in 2013.
The fifth-fastest player in reach 1,000 career points in Ole Miss history, Moody leads the SEC and is ninth nationally in scoring. He needs only eight points to became only the fifth player in Ole Miss history and the 26th player in SEC history to top 700 points in a season.
Moody was a very good player last season after transferring from a junior college, averaging 16.6 points per game as the team’s shooting guard. But Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy switched Moody to point guard earlier this season and the senior’s production exploded.
“We just tried to put him in a position to where he could go and do what he does,” Kennedy said. “He’s taken that charge. For us to be sitting with a 20-11 record and 10-8 in the league going into (the SEC tournament) and really having a lot to play for is a tribute to him.”
Mississippi State’s Gavin Ware and Quinndary Weatherspoon were the other finalists for the Howell Trophy. Ole Miss’ Shandricka Sessom and Delta State’s Chelsey Rhodes were the other finalists for the Gillom Trophy.
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.