STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer trusts experience.
When you have been coaching for more than 30 years, you tend to develop an ability to develop talent. It helps, too, when you have someone on your staff like associate head coach Johnnie Harris who has been through the battles in the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 Conference, two of the nation’s top leagues, and can help you nurture players and bring out the best they can deliver.
Schaefer also has been fond of saying “the tape doesn’t lie.” After watching a replay of his team’s 67-54 victory against Alabama on Thursday, Schaefer wasn’t happy with a lot of what he saw. Outside of a third quarter in which No. 4 MSU outscored Alabama 26-9, the Bulldogs struggled in nearly every facet to extend their record to 6-0 in the SEC and earn their program-best ninth road win of the season.
Schaefer knows another effort like the one his team delivered Thursday won’t cut it against No. 5 South Carolina (16-1, 6-0) at 6 p.m. Monday (ESPN2) at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
Roshunda Johnson and Ameshya Williams could provide the Bulldogs with a needed lift off the bench. Johnson had two points and an assist in 11 minutes against Alabama, while Williams had four points and three rebounds (all of the offensive end) in five minutes.
Johnson, a junior transfer from Oklahoma State, likely will be able to bring experience to the court. The 5-foot-7 guard burst onto the scene by scoring 21 and 14 points in wins against Villanova and Maine to open the season. She added 15 points in an overtime win against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, and had 13 in 30 minutes in a win against SMU.
Since then, though, Johnson has been slowed by an ankle injury. Since playing 22 minutes against Alabama State on Dec. 20, Johnson has missed three games and has played 10 minutes or less in three others. Schaefer said Johnson looked to be moving better against Alabama, even though she was 0-for-5 from the field. He knows Johnson, who is averaging 6.9 points per game and shooting 42.1 percent from 3-point range, can be a valuable weapon when she gets rolling and will be needed if the team is going to reach its potential.
“I am encouraged by her mobility. That is the first piece we had to get back,” Schaefer said. “She is getting that piece back, and I think she is happy about that. She is getting that quickness back in her step.”
Schaefer said the shooting stroke will come for Johnson, who was named to the Big 12’s All-Freshman team and then averaged 11.3 ppg. as a sophomore at Oklahoma State. Johnson shot 39.3 percent from 3-point range and had 76 steals as a sophomore before transferring to MSU and having to sit out a year due to NCAA rules.
Schaefer said it is important to find a way to work Johnson back into the equation.
“We have got to spend the time and get her back and get her ready because she really brings a lot to the table,” Schaefer said. “She is a multi-dimensional player that can do some things for us, and do some things to our opponents that is hard to deal with.”
Williams, a 6-1 forward from Gulfport, has logged double-digit minutes in only four games. She hasn’t played in seven other games. Still, Williams’ length and athleticism has allowed her to make instant contributions. Against Alabama, she scored a key basket in the lane off an out-of-bounds play to help MSU build a 32-24 halftime lead. Schaefer said after the game that Williams is “coming along nicely. She is going to be a good one for us.” On Friday, he elaborated on what Williams, who is averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game, has to do to play a bigger role.
“All she needs is playing time and she is really going to blossom,” Schaefer said. “This kid is coachable. She wants to be coaches and is a great kid. If you want to coached and you want to be good and you have the skill set and the talent, athleticism, and the length — all of the things she possesses — you have a chance to be really good, and she does.”
Harris, who works with MSU’s post players, said Williams has work to do on the defensive end, but she said Williams’ willingness to learn separates her from other post players she has coached. She said Williams asked her what she did wrong after she was taken out of the game against Alabama. She said that mentality is unique, especially for a freshman. She said Williams’ mind-set bodes well for the future.
“I think she is getting better every day,” Harris said. “She goes against Bre(anna Richardson) and Ketara (Chapel) every day (in practice), and they are two seniors who know what we are doing. When she is going against those kids, we are correcting and trying to teach her.
“She is a kid who is hungry to learn. She understands her role. Her role is to make those kids better, and she is doing that every day. In making them better, she is getting better. … I think she is really preparing herself for the future.”
NOTES: Fans will have two opportunities to join No. 4 MSU women’s basketball team Tuesday. At 11:30 a.m., the team will hold its fourth Hail State Hoops Luncheon. Doors will open at 11:15 a.m. for the event at Mize Pavilion. The cost is $12. Fans can RSVP for the luncheon by calling 662-325-0198 or e-mailing [email protected]. From 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, fans will be able to hear Schaefer and members of his team at “Dawg Talk” at The Veranda in Starkville. Schaefer and his players will join veteran broadcaster Jim Ellis for the weekly talk show. Fans can attend the show at The Veranda or participate by calling 866-998-4893.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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