A year older and wiser with all of its pieces back is an enviable position to be in.
Debbie Antonelli doesn’t need nearly 30 years experience as a college basketball television analyst and commentator to know experience and depth have pushed the 2016-17 Mississippi State women’s basketball team into the top 15 of all of the preseason rankings.
But Antonelli, a former basketball standout for Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow at North Carolina State, also knows something about the intangibles it takes to turn that experience and depth into a championship. That’s why she is eager to see how MSU builds on a program-record 28 win season in a year in which Division I women’s college basketball lacks a clear favorite and parity could be at an all-time high.
“Who has control of the locker room when Vic is not around? Who is the person who makes sure everybody is going to be accountable and brings that responsibility to practice every day?” Antonelli said earlier this week prior to today’s annual Southeastern Conference Media Day for its 14 women’s basketball teams in Nashville, Tennessee. “You have to have someone beside coach. They have talent and experience, but that intangible could be a small line or a giant crater.”
On Tuesday, MSU accomplished another first when it was picked second in the SEC’s preseason media poll. Coming off a program-record matching 11 SEC wins in 2015-16, the second-place pick is the program’s highest preseason selection.
Junior guard Victoria Vivians also was named to the five-player preseason All-SEC team. She returns after leading the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game, which was second in the SEC. Overall, MSU returns all five starters and nine letterwinners from last year’s squad that claimed the school’s highest league finish (tie for second) and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the second time.
There are plenty of positives to add to the optimism. Junior point guard Morgan Williams is healthy again after offseason surgery to her leg. Post players Chinwe Okorie and Teaira McCowan appear to have improved. Junior transfer Roshunda Johnson, who was a member of the Big 12 Conference’s All-Freshman team at Oklahoma State, is eligible after sitting out a year due to NCAA rules. Sophomore point guard Jazzmun Holmes appears to have matured and could be ready to take on a bigger role behind William. Freshmen Jacaira Allen and Ameshya Williams figure to provide a boost with their energy, athleticism, and length.
Mix all of that up and you have an imposing array of talent. But talent doesn’t guarantee results. It remains to be seen if MSU will come together to develop the chemistry it needs to challenge South Carolina and stay with other league leaders like Tennessee and Kentucky.
Antonelli feels experience is a good chip to have when you’re going against heavyweights like South Carolina and Tennessee. She said she “can’t wait” to see what Vivians and William have added to their games. She is confident the Bulldogs have worked on their perimeter shooting to improve their chances against zone defenses, which they saw plenty of last season. Antonelli backed up that confidence by picking MSU No. 2 earlier this week in preseason balloting by national and SEC media members.
The question remains, though, who will lead the team? Antonelli said someone has to take responsibility, whether it is William, Vivians, or Dillingham, who is regarded as the team’s defensive catalyst.
Antonelli said MSU will need multiple leaders and voices if it is going to realize its potential in a league that has seen Vanderbilt hire a new coach (Stephanie White) and LSU (Mickie DeMoss), South Carolina (Melanie Balcomb), and Kentucky (Lin Dunn) add veteran coaches with professional experience she feels will change the makeup of the SEC.
“Sometimes leadership and motivation go together,” Antonelli said. “They have to get better every day because the league is going to be significantly different.”
Antonelli said it will be imperative for MSU to continue to develop as an offensive team. She credits Schaefer, whose nickname is the “Secretary of Defense” from his time working with Gary Blair at Arkansas and Texas A&M, for evolving as a coach and incorporating more offensive looks into his game plan.
A healthy William, who appears to have re-gained the explosiveness she had as a freshman, a more versatile Vivians, a more consistent post tandem of Okorie and McCowan, and higher shooting percentages from Dillingham and senior forwards Ketara Chapel and Breanna Richardson could help MSU become an even better offensive team.
Who will lead the team? It remains to be seen if William will step up and emerge as a loud enough voice. There is no doubt she has the fire to make it happen, but she has to be more assertive and learn how to be more assertive on the court. Dillingham is another Bulldog who brings passion to the court every day. Floor burns alone would qualify her to be a team leader, so she has to use the respect she has earned from her teammates and demand that her teammates play to her level every practice and every game.
Talent will put MSU in the conversation with the nation’s best teams this season. Leadership will determine if the Bulldogs are able to reap the rewards of their experience and knowledge.
Adam Minichino is sports editor of The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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