Rick Ray has his work cut out for him.

[DawgatAuburn]

I haven't seen a lot of previews, but none of them are very hopeful. It's gonna be a long road back I am afraid.

http://www.thesportsbank.net/college-bball/109-mississippi-state-bulldogs-college-basketball-111-in-111/#more-73115

<h1 class="entry-title">#109 Mississippi State Bulldogs: College Basketball 111 in 111</h1>

<div class="post-info"><span class="date published time" title="2012-08-01T07:57:49+00:00">August 1, 2012</span> By <span class="author vcard"><span class="fn">davidkay</span></span> <span class="post-comments">2 Comments</span> </div><div style=" margin-bottom: 5px;">

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</p>

Welcome to The Sports Bank’s third annual college basketball season preview
series. Two years we looked at 99 teams in 99 days. Last year, we
were slightly more aggressive and expanded to 111 teams in 111 days and
will do so again as we look ahead to the 2012-2013 season.</p>

We will rank the 75 power conference teams and top 36 mid-majors
in reverse power ranking order. We’ll break down rosters, transfers,
incoming freshmen, non-conference schedules, and pick a player to watch
for each team.</p>

The Mississippi State Bulldogs were one of the most disappointing teams in college basketball last season. As a result, fourteen-year head coach Rick Stansbury “retired” and was replaced by little known Clemson assistant, Rick Ray. Ray inherits a messy situation in which he loses six of the Bulldogs eight rotation players from last season.</p>

<span id="more-73115"></span>MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Last Season: T-6th, 8-8 in SEC, 21-12 overall
Predicted SEC Finish: 14th</p>

Projected Depth Chart
C: Wendell Lewis (Sr)/Shawn Long (Fr)/Gavin Ware (Fr)
PF: Colin Borchert (Jr)/Kristers Zeidaks (So)
SF: <span style="color: rgb(238, 17, 17); border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(238, 17, 17); font-size: 15px; float: none; cursor: pointer;" id="ICE-text-2133-1">Shaun <nobr style="color: rgb(238, 17, 17);">Smith

</nobr></span> (Jr)/Roquez Johnson (So)
SG: Jalen Steele (Jr)/<span style="color: rgb(238, 17, 17); border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(238, 17, 17); font-size: 15px; float: none; cursor: pointer;" id="ICE-text-2266-1">Fred <nobr style="color: rgb(238, 17, 17);">Thomas

</nobr></span> (Fr)/Andre Applewhite (Fr)
PG: Trivante Bloodman (So)/Craig Sword (Fr)/Jacoby Davis (Fr-torn ACL)</p>

Gone: PG-Dee Bost, F/C-Arnett Moultrie, F/C-Renardo Sidney, SG-Brian Bryant, SF-Rodney Hood (transfer-Duke), PG-Deville Smith (transfer-Southwest CC)</p>

2012-2013 Outlook:
The Bulldogs lose 84% of their scoring from last season including the
loss of Rodney Hood who would have been the star player this year but
decided to transfer to Duke
after Stansbury stepped down. That leaves Jalen Steele as the team’s
top returning scorer even though he only averaged 8.7 points per game.
He was often the fifth option on the floor last year but will become MSU’s
go-to option this year. Seldom used Shaun Smith could join Steele on
the wing although even less-used Roquez Johnson, and freshmen Andre
Applewhite and Fred Thomas will both push to land that starting spot and
earn minutes off the bench.</p>

With Bost gone and Deville Smith transferring, junior college
transfer Trivante Bloodman will take over as the starting point guard.
He has a reputation for being a pesky on-the-ball defender but is also
capable of creating on the offensive end. Depth behind Bloodman took a
hit when freshman Jacoby Davis tore his ACL during summer workouts
meaning he will likely miss the entire season. Freshman Craig Sword is
likely assume the back-up point guard duties even though he is more of a
two-guard. However, his status is up in the air after being arrested
for having a bb gun in his dorm room.</p>

Wendell Lewis will man the middle for Mississippi State and also take
over the leadership role as the only senior on the roster. Lewis is
only 6’8 but knows how to throw his 260 pound frame around inside. He
hasn’t displayed much of an offensive game during his three years in
Starkville but must be more assertive on the offensive end this season.</p>

The other starting spot in the frontcourt is up for grabs. JUCO
transfer Colin Borchert is a stretch four who brings some versatility to
the floor. Latvian transfer Kristers Zeidaks was ruled ineligible for
all last season by the NCAA due to amateur issues. He will have to sit
for the first 11 games of this season as well but should be a
contributor once he becomes eligible. Redshirt freshman Shawn Long will
bring some size off the bench as well as an ability to knock down
outside shots. True freshman Gavin Ware will also try to earn playing
time in a reserve role.</p>

Ray has a rebuilding effort on his hands after losing a few transfers
and a couple of talented incoming freshmen who decided to de-commit due
to the coaching change. It won’t be an easy transition and as a
result, the Bulldogs will struggle to survive in the expanded SEC.</p>

Player to Watch: Fred Thomas
The most of highly-touted of the Bulldogs’ incoming class, committed to
Stansbury after his junior year and decided to stick with Ray during the
new coaching regime. He is a shooter who isn’t shy about pulling the
trigger. On a team that lacks a lot of offensive firepower, Thomas will
be relied on at some point to help the team puts points on the board.</p>

Key Non-Conference Games:
11/19 vs. North Carolina (Maui Invitational)
11/20 vs. Marquette/Butler (Maui Invitational)
11/21 vs. Texas/Chaminade/USC/Illinois (Maui Invitational)
12/1 at Providence (Big East/SEC Challenge)</p>

Other 111 in 111’s:
#110 Utah Utes
#111 Nebraska Cornhuskers</p>

David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com
and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David
has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from
Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate
2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag.)</p>

You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.</p>

 

[Shmuley]

Nm

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

Ray probably won't be here after three years. The AD was grossly negligent in allowing this to happen to the program. R.S. should have been out a year sooner and we then might have been able to hire a legitimate replacement.

 

[OzarkaNSW]

nm

 

[studentdawg87]

And Sword, not Thomas, was our most highly-touted signee.

But yea, we're going to suck. I hope it Ray can get the job done, because he seems like a really likeable guy. The odds aren't in his favor, though.

 

[shotgunDawg]

I disagree, I am not saying that Ray will be a good coach because we don't know that yet. However, turning around a basketball program is not like football, and think most people on this board think in football terms, where you have to build depth and institute a system, instead of basketball terms, where one or two players can make all the difference. Again, I am not saying that Ray is good, but if he is and can get lucky with a couple recruits, he could turn this around quickly. Just as every other basketball team in the country has the opportunity to do.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

in the paint. I never actually got to see him play. All I saw was the youtube of him. But you can't teach 6'10" and we don't have anything close to that on the roster.

 

[maroonmania]

that in basketball, one recruiting class can bring you a national championship in their first year if you bring in the right guys. Basketball is just a totally different animal than football or baseball. The right 2 or 3 players can totally turn your program around. You really can't do that in most other sports. If it takes Ray 4 or 5 years to get our program competitive again then he is not the right guy to be coaching our program.

 

[fishwater99]

The right 2 or 3 players can totally turn your program around. You really can't do that in most other sports. If it takes Ray 4 or 5 years to get our program competitive again then he is not the right guy to be coaching our program.

Our "old coach" left Ray with a pretty good class, now it's up to him to get add to it and win some damn games..

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...Some idiot who probably sells insurance in his real job tells you MSU is going to be #109 & you believe him?


Don't get me wrong. MSU is going to suck.


But they are not going to suck #109 bad.