STARKVILLE — The first thing Rick Stansbury said in the preseason that his team has more pieces to work with in the 2011-2012.
The queen on Stansbury’s hardwood chess board is junior forward Arnett Moultrie because he can play in whatever style of play the opponent wishes.
“We have the abilities and bodies to be able to match up that way, too,” Stansbury said. “We like to do the same thing ourselves a little bit.”
Moultrie was named Southeastern Conference?player of the week after averaging 19 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks last week after the opponent decided to play in a much more physical and halfcourt pace.
“Everybody is a little different with their style and personnel,” Stansbury said. “I think everybody would do it that way if they had the personnel. For the most part that is the way in the SEC being tough around that rim.”
In leading the Bulldogs to the two wins, Moultrie hit 72.7 percent of his shots, while draining a career-best 10 field goals against Alabama and blocking a career-best four shots against Tennessee.
“His engine always ran, and he always rebounded the basketball,” Stansbury said. “But I think his biggest improvement has been on the offensive side of the ball. He works at it every day.”
Moultrie had 25 points while also hauling in 13 rebounds against the Crimson Tide to give him an SEC-best tying, with Kentucky center Anthony Davis, nine double-doubles.
“He brings a consistent rebounder for us — number one,” Stansbury said Monday morning. “He’s going to get you 10 (rebounds) a night. Offensively he’s gotten better for us and puts a little pressure around that rim.”
The two home wins propelled MSU to No. 15 and No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches and Associated Press polls this week.
“I work hard every day to get better and improve my game,” the 6-foot-11 Moultrie said. “The bigger picture is how we do as a team. That’s what is important. Not individual awards.”
Moultrie, a former 6-foot-4 guard out of Raleigh Egypt High School in Memphis, has quickly become one of the most dominant frontcourt players in the league while leading the leading the SEC in rebounding at 10.9 boards, and being fourth with his 16.5 scoring clip.
Since the statistic was tracked by league officials, the last and only player in MSU history to lead the conference in rebounding was Lawrence Roberts in 2005 at 11 boards per contest.
Auburn head coach Tony Barbee, who recruited Moultrie to the University of Texas at El Paso out of high school, said he wasn’t expecting him to rise to a potential lottery pick whenever he decides to leave Starkville for the National Basketball Association.
“Out of high school he was always a versatile 6-foot-10 player and those types of players especially along the baseline are hard to guard at our level,” Barbee said. “They really translate into NBA players as well. Happy for Arnett’s success.”
SEC going to 18-game schedule for 2012-13 season
The Southeastern Conference basketball slate will feature 18 games as soon as next season.
With the addition of two schools, Texas A&M University and the University of Missouri, to the Southeastern Conference next season, league consultant Larry Templeton confirmed to The Dispatch Monday evening the league will add two more conference opponents to every school’s schedule.
Templeton said discussions have revolved around the possibilities of keeping the current 16-game format, going to 18 or even upping the number of league games to 20. Templeton confirmed that the league, pending approval from the athletics directors on the number and format in the spring, will “likely” adopt a 18-game slate.
Several SEC coaches express support for an 18-game or even 20-game schedule at the league’s media day last October.
“We’re not ready yet to announce the details of how the 18 games is going to work,” Templeton said. “The athletics directors will vote on this in May but we’re confident 18 games will be approved.”
The Kansas City Star reported earlier Monday that Templeton said each one of the 14 SEC teams would play a 16-game league schedule with the plan being to move to an 18-game schedule the following season. However, Templeton clarified to The Dispatch Monday evening that an 18-game schedule will be ready for next season.
“We had initially looked into tabling an 18-game schedule for the following year but that doesn’t need to happen anymore,” Templeton said.
The last time the SEC played an 18-game schedule was the 1990-91 season but after that year the conference was split into two divisions. Templeton said Monday evening he didn’t envision the league coaches or athletic directors being in favor of returning to divisions in men’s college basketball.
“I think our coaches are adamant about the idea of eliminating divisions being better for the perception of our league,” Templeton said. “I don’t think that’s something that will be up for much discussion.”
Williams emerging as scoring threat for Rebels
Ole Miss fans have been waiting for the scoring ability of Nick Williams for nearly three years. This past week may have given Rebels fans a glimpse of what coach Andy Kennedy saw in the 6-foot-4 guard to begin with.
Williams had back-to-back double figure scoring outputs against Arkansas and Auburn last week and this is a achievement the transfer from Indiana University never accomplished last season after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules.
“We thought he was really good at home against Arkansas. He was aggressive against Auburn — not quite as effective as we needed him to be in order to win on the road. But he’s a kid that I know every day he’s going to show up and give an honest day’s work with a great attitude.”
The Rebels (11-6, 1-2) are currently going through serious offensive problems after leading scorer Dundrecous Nelson was dismissed from the basketball team for a “violation of team rules,” a day after he was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia by the Oxford Police Department.
Ole Miss currently 219th in the country in scoring at 66 points per game and shooting just 42 percent from the field as a team this season. Williams, a junior from Mobile, Ala., has seen his numbers increase back to his freshman days with the Hoosiers program before transferring to be closer to home.
Williams was named Alabama High School Player of the Year after his senior season at LeFlore Prep Academy in Mobile and was rated the No. 30 overall prospect by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. in 2008. After being a player that struggled with his jump shot last year with the Rebels program, Williams hit the game-tying basket in overtime during Ole Miss’ 69-68 double overtime loss at Auburn Saturday. Kennedy said Monday the only veteran guard he has left on his active roster will certainly get more scoring opportunities in the future when MSU comes to Tad Smith Coliseum Wednesday (8 p.m., CSS).
“We’ve got to get him to step up and make plays for us, give us leadership, give us consistency.” Kennedy said.
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