from USA Today
</p>
This week: Mississippi State senior point guard Dee Bost</p><div class="off" style="line-height: 12px; font-size: 12px; width: 232px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; float: right;"><div class="blog-captioned-photo0"><div class="photo-container" style="height: 390px; position: relative; padding: 0pt; clear: both;"><span>
</span></div><div class="controls"><div class="label" style="width: 100px; float: left;"><a style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 11px; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background: url("<a href="></a>/i.usatoday.net/_common/_images/caption0.gif")">http://i.usatoday.net/_co...ages/caption0.gif") no-repeat scroll left center transparent;">CAPTION</div><div class="credit" style="width: 132px; float: left; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-align: right;">By Rogelio V. Solis, AP</div></div></div></div>[snip] ...
Q: Let's start with your
most recent game. You guys went to Detroit and picked up a win in your
first true road game of the season. What was the environment like? The
game itself?</p>
A: It was a good experience. It was our
first game on the road. They're a good team. People look at their record
and think we should have been them by more. I think they should get
more credit. It was a tough game.</p>
Q: You guys are off to an 11-1 start, quietly the best start in eight years. What's working well?</p>
A: Everybody's got one common goal on the team to win. We all want to win and be successful.</p>
Q:
Despite that record and the win at Detroit, you guys dropped a spot in
both the coaches and AP poll. Why do you think that is?</p>
A:
I feel like people don't respect us enough. We just have to keep
winning to get people's respect. With polls, that's people's opinions.
We have to keep winning because that's all we can control.</p>
Q: When you get into conference play, that's got to help. Games against teams like Kentucky …</p>
A:
There are a lot of good teams in our conference. Once we start playing
against those quality teams, and we win, people will start recognizing
that we're good and move us up in the polls.</p>
Q: You're
leading your team in scoring, assists, steals and minutes. What have you
focused on improving the past year and offseason?</p>
A:
Right now, my shot. I'm kind of struggling with my shot the past two
games. But we're winning. I'm relying on my teammates more. On the
defensive end, trying to work hard and get steals.</p>
I'm going to
work on my shot. I've been staying after practice to work on it. But if
I'm in my slump as long as we keep winning, that's all that matters. As
long as we keep winning and moving up in the polls.</p>
Q: I
know it's two games from now, but I've seen you tweet about the upcoming
Baylor game. What opportunities does a game like that give you guys?</p>
A:
They're a top 10 team in the country. We have another chance to prove
where we are in the nation. People don't respect us. If we win that
game, people will respect us. I hear a lot how good they are, how
athletic they are. I think that's a pretty good matchup for us.</p>
Q: Baylor's Perry Jones III is one of the top players in the country. What kind of challenge does he present for your team?</p>
A:
He's a good player. I watch him play sometimes. But we have Arnett
Moultrie, who matches up with him perfectly size and everything. Arnett
is one of the best players in the country, too. If he outplays him,
he'll get the respect. The best part is that he matches up well so it's
not a mismatch.</p>
Q: You didn't play the full season last
year because of the suspension and academic ineligibility. What's it
like getting to play the full year now? Any challenges with
conditioning?</p>
A: Last year, I was suspended for the first
half. This year I've got a full season ahead of me. My condititioning
is better than it was last year. And I'll be able to get in a groove
before we start SEC play. We lost our first game last year. This year,
we want to win the first one and just keep winning.</p>
Q: Now
that it's a year behind you, what do you take away from that whole
experience and the suspension? Have you learned from it?</p>
A:
It helped me. It made me become a better person and a better player. It
made me realize how important college is. I matured from it, too. I was
working hard in practice, not knowing if I was going to play again --
not taking it for granted.</p>
Q: What was the hardest part about sitting out those 14 games last season?</p>
A:
The toughest part was watching my team go out there and fight game in
and game out. Games they lost -- I felt like I was responsible for.</p>
Q: Was there one game in particular that was hard to watch?</p>
A:
They lost to Virginia Tech by 30, teams like Hawaii, Florida Atlantic.
Not trying to take anything away from those teams, but they were games
they were supposed to win. We didn't have all our pieces. When we lost, I
felt like it was my fault. I could have prevented it.</p>
Q: After the start you've had and the fact that everyone can play this season, are you excited about how far this team can go?</p>
A:
I'm really excited. We've got Arnett now – he transferred in. We've got
talented freshmen that help us win. And (Renardo) Sidney is better than
he was last year as a teammate and player.</p>
Q: Last
question -- since you brought up Sidney. How has it been for you and
other teammates, hearing criticism of him? How has he been 'better than
he was last year as a teammate and player?'</p>
A: It's tough
as a teammate to hear, 'He's not in shape,' and not doing this, not
doing that. He works every day . I know he's working to get better.
People judge on how many points you score. He gives us energy on the
defensive end. We don't have to worry about (other teams)' big men.</p>
</p>
This week: Mississippi State senior point guard Dee Bost</p><div class="off" style="line-height: 12px; font-size: 12px; width: 232px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; float: right;"><div class="blog-captioned-photo0"><div class="photo-container" style="height: 390px; position: relative; padding: 0pt; clear: both;"><span>
</span></div><div class="controls"><div class="label" style="width: 100px; float: left;"><a style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 11px; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background: url("<a href="></a>/i.usatoday.net/_common/_images/caption0.gif")">http://i.usatoday.net/_co...ages/caption0.gif") no-repeat scroll left center transparent;">CAPTION</div><div class="credit" style="width: 132px; float: left; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-align: right;">By Rogelio V. Solis, AP</div></div></div></div>[snip] ...Q: Let's start with your
most recent game. You guys went to Detroit and picked up a win in your
first true road game of the season. What was the environment like? The
game itself?</p>
A: It was a good experience. It was our
first game on the road. They're a good team. People look at their record
and think we should have been them by more. I think they should get
more credit. It was a tough game.</p>
Q: You guys are off to an 11-1 start, quietly the best start in eight years. What's working well?</p>
A: Everybody's got one common goal on the team to win. We all want to win and be successful.</p>
Q:
Despite that record and the win at Detroit, you guys dropped a spot in
both the coaches and AP poll. Why do you think that is?</p>
A:
I feel like people don't respect us enough. We just have to keep
winning to get people's respect. With polls, that's people's opinions.
We have to keep winning because that's all we can control.</p>
Q: When you get into conference play, that's got to help. Games against teams like Kentucky …</p>
A:
There are a lot of good teams in our conference. Once we start playing
against those quality teams, and we win, people will start recognizing
that we're good and move us up in the polls.</p>
Q: You're
leading your team in scoring, assists, steals and minutes. What have you
focused on improving the past year and offseason?</p>
A:
Right now, my shot. I'm kind of struggling with my shot the past two
games. But we're winning. I'm relying on my teammates more. On the
defensive end, trying to work hard and get steals.</p>
I'm going to
work on my shot. I've been staying after practice to work on it. But if
I'm in my slump as long as we keep winning, that's all that matters. As
long as we keep winning and moving up in the polls.</p>
Q: I
know it's two games from now, but I've seen you tweet about the upcoming
Baylor game. What opportunities does a game like that give you guys?</p>
A:
They're a top 10 team in the country. We have another chance to prove
where we are in the nation. People don't respect us. If we win that
game, people will respect us. I hear a lot how good they are, how
athletic they are. I think that's a pretty good matchup for us.</p>
Q: Baylor's Perry Jones III is one of the top players in the country. What kind of challenge does he present for your team?</p>
A:
He's a good player. I watch him play sometimes. But we have Arnett
Moultrie, who matches up with him perfectly size and everything. Arnett
is one of the best players in the country, too. If he outplays him,
he'll get the respect. The best part is that he matches up well so it's
not a mismatch.</p>
Q: You didn't play the full season last
year because of the suspension and academic ineligibility. What's it
like getting to play the full year now? Any challenges with
conditioning?</p>
A: Last year, I was suspended for the first
half. This year I've got a full season ahead of me. My condititioning
is better than it was last year. And I'll be able to get in a groove
before we start SEC play. We lost our first game last year. This year,
we want to win the first one and just keep winning.</p>
Q: Now
that it's a year behind you, what do you take away from that whole
experience and the suspension? Have you learned from it?</p>
A:
It helped me. It made me become a better person and a better player. It
made me realize how important college is. I matured from it, too. I was
working hard in practice, not knowing if I was going to play again --
not taking it for granted.</p>
Q: What was the hardest part about sitting out those 14 games last season?</p>
A:
The toughest part was watching my team go out there and fight game in
and game out. Games they lost -- I felt like I was responsible for.</p>
Q: Was there one game in particular that was hard to watch?</p>
A:
They lost to Virginia Tech by 30, teams like Hawaii, Florida Atlantic.
Not trying to take anything away from those teams, but they were games
they were supposed to win. We didn't have all our pieces. When we lost, I
felt like it was my fault. I could have prevented it.</p>
Q: After the start you've had and the fact that everyone can play this season, are you excited about how far this team can go?</p>
A:
I'm really excited. We've got Arnett now – he transferred in. We've got
talented freshmen that help us win. And (Renardo) Sidney is better than
he was last year as a teammate and player.</p>
Q: Last
question -- since you brought up Sidney. How has it been for you and
other teammates, hearing criticism of him? How has he been 'better than
he was last year as a teammate and player?'</p>
A: It's tough
as a teammate to hear, 'He's not in shape,' and not doing this, not
doing that. He works every day . I know he's working to get better.
People judge on how many points you score. He gives us energy on the
defensive end. We don't have to worry about (other teams)' big men.</p>