STARKVILLE — On Wednesday, Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Ben Howland felt like a kid on Christmas.
The NCAA officially cleared Division I basketball teams to begin their seasons starting one day before Thanksgiving on Nov. 25, 15 days later than originally scheduled. Howland said the Bulldogs are tentatively scheduled to begin their season Nov. 25 against Clemson in the Cancun Challenge in Melbourne, Florida, and then face either Illinois State or Purdue the next day depending on the result.
“I think it’s very prudent what they did,” Howland said at his media availability session on Thursday. “I think it’s smart because 75 percent of all students will be gone because of Thanksgiving, so it forms a safer environment for your players moving forward.
“I’m just excited for basketball again. I think it was devastating and heartbreaking that we finished our season without a real finish. I’ll always regret we didn’t get to play those (final) games.”
MSU has been conducting offseason workouts for eight hours a week starting in the summer and will be able to extend that to 12 hours a week on Monday. The Bulldogs will officially start practice Oct. 14.
With the NCAA rule change, a Division I team can have up to 27 games in a season instead of the normal 31, to which Howland said MSU fully intends to play a complete schedule. Yet, the schedule has yet to be finalized. If the Bulldogs keep their original plan, scheduled nonconference opponents include Dayton (in Atlanta), Minnesota on the road, Utah State (in Panama City, Florida) and a home game against a Big 12 opponent in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Bulldogs are also slated to play 18 conference games this season.
“There’s no easy games for us,” Howland said. “We have a very tough schedule.”
While Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has mandated that no more than 25 percent of spectators be present at high school and college football games this fall, a decision has yet to be made on basketball.
“All I know is our state government will determine that,” Howland said. “It’s 25 percent for football, so I would assume we’d have as many as 25 percent; I would think that would be the maximum. But I really don’t know.”
Moving over to team news, Howland said the team is still awaiting word on Alabama transfer Javian Davis’ eligibility status. When cleared to play by the NCAA, Davis, a 6-foot-9 forward, will have three years of eligibility remaining.
“I have a lot of optimism that will all work out,” Howland said.
The sixth-year MSU coach said if the season started today he would play D.J. Stewart at the three, Iverson Molinar at the two and freshman Deivon Smith at point guard. Molinar, who Howland called the team’s most improved player this offseason, will back up Smith at the one.
“We’d start small but quick on the perimeter,” Howland said. “We’d have an explosive lineup with those three guys.”
Howland also praised Abdul Ado for his leadership in offseason workouts and said Western Kentucky transfer Tolu Smith should be a huge factor in the Bulldogs’ rotation along with Louisiana transfer Jalen Johnson.
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.