STARKVILLE — Mario Kegler walked into the gym in early August and knew it was going to be a long two weeks.
With the help of his legal guardian, Omhar Carter, Kegler spent two hours or more in the gym during a workout/training session.
Kegler had to make 90 of 100 free throws before and after practice. He had to go around the horn, making 14 of 20 3-pointers. Kegler worked on his ball handling and agility and then moved to the post to work on defense, scoring on the low block and working on his mid-range jump shot.
“If he didn’t get the 90 out of 100 free throws, he would have to start over,” Carter said. “If he didn’t make the 3-pointers, the 14-for-20, he would have to start over. Actually it just depended on him. The workout is already a shade of what you’re going to have to do normal wise, you just have to finish it.”
Kegler, a Mississippi State men’s basketball freshman guard, was not cleared academically by the NCAA. He couldn’t make the trip in early August to Italy as the Bulldogs got two weeks of practice and played in four games. Kegler was cleared academically Aug. 15, meaning he was cleared to play this season. He got to participate in the first practice last Tuesday. The MSU men’s basketball team will play host to Norfolk State in its season opener at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at Humphrey Coliseum.
Kegler, who enrolled at MSU ahead of the June semester, has been doing that workout regiment since he was in the sixth grade, the same year Carter adopted him. Carter, the CEO of MBA Hoops Elite in Jackson, said Kegler would wake up every morning at 5 and go through his workout regiment. It was something Kegler wanted to do and something that wasn’t forced.
Away from his team and seeing the success they were having, Kegler wanted to stay in shape. He also wanted to keep his basketball skills sharp.
“It was mostly motivation,” Kegler said. “It didn’t stop anything. I stayed here, got in the gym, worked, and told myself to get better. My dad came down and worked me out sometimes. I just got down there and worked out.”
Carter wasn’t worried about Kegler getting cleared. He said his classwork and ACT score were all in order, and it was a matter of waiting out the process.
The biggest disappointment was Kegler not being with his teammates, bonding and experiencing another country.
“For him it was hard because he’s a person that wants the team to have success and wants to be around. That part of it was hard, the camaraderie part,” Carter said.
There figures to be plenty of opportunities for Kegler to get a chance to contribute. MSU has only three returning lettermen, so MSU men’s basketball coach Ben Howland will have to replace six of the top eight scorers the Bulldogs lost from the 2015-16 squad that went 14-17 (7-11 in the Southeastern Conference).
But signs are encouraging. MSU went 4-0 in Italy thanks in part to sophomore guard Quinndary Weatherspoon, who led the Bulldogs in scoring (23.3 points per game) on the trip. Freshmen Tyson Carter, Eli Wright, and Lamar Peters scored 82, 61 and 44 points, respectively.
Howland said the trip was good for the freshmen, but he was disappointed Kegler didn’t get to go. However, he’s wasn’t surprised Kegler decided to work out on his own.
“He’s got a good attitude,” Howland said. “He loves the game. I think he’s going to be I think a very good player for us as a freshman.”
Kegler played for coach Steve Smith at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. Howland is impressed with Kegler’s knowledge of the game. He said he has picked up things quickly on both ends of the floor and has a real good feel for the game.
Kegler, who was a four-star prospect and the top player in the state of Mississippi by 247Sports, picked MSU over Indiana, Maryland, Arizona, Connecticut, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas, among others. He averaged 18.5 points and 21 points as a senior and junior, respectively. He helped lead Oak Hill Academy to a DICK’S Sporting Goods High School National championship with a 62-60 overtime victory against La Lumiere (Ind.). He had two points and six rebounds in the game.
Kegler averaged 15.4 points and 7.2 rebounds as a sophomore and helped Callaway High School win the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A State championship. He played alongside former MSU guard Malik Newman, who transferred to Kansas in the offseason.
MSU assistant coach George Brooks called Kegler a mature kid who is all about the team. He said he is not selfish and cares more about winning than personal gains.
“I think he never lost focus,” Brooks said. “He set some goals for himself, first with his team to come in help this team have a successful year. He has personal goals for himself. When he didn’t get to go overseas, it just intensified his hunger to reach his goals for the team and himself.”
Kegler said his dream is to play in the NBA. Howland hopes he can help Kegler realize his dream to play in the NBA. At UCLA, Howland coached future NBA players Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Jordan Farmar, and Darren Collison.
The 6-foot-7 Kegler said his weight was 232 pounds when he enrolled in the summer. He said he weighs 220-225 pounds now.
Carter is mostly impressed by Kegler’s ball handling because he is a big guy. He said he can handle the ball as well as a point guard. He believes he will be a matchup nightmare for the Southeastern Conference.
“You can’t put post guys on him because he can take them off the dribble. You can’t put a guard on him because they’re too small and he can go around them,” Carter said. “He shoots it at a high level. He shot it at a little bit over 40 percent at Oak Hill during the run for the national title.
“It’s a problem because if you put a five or a four on him and they back off of him, he can hit a 3. If you put a smaller guy on him, he can take them off the dribble.”
Kegler hopes the bonds the freshmen developed in the summer can help them reach the same level. He feels the Bulldogs have potential and that they can use that chemistry to improve every day. It’s the same mentality Kegler used while he toiled in the gym while his teammates were in Italy.
“It’s tough,” Kegler said. “You’re in the gym for three, four hours and they’re just consistently working you, working you.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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