Julysses Nobles
Instant Analysis: The Mississippi State Bulldogs came into their first SEC matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks looking to start their conference slate on a positive note. The Razorbacks and their “40 Minutes of Hell” philosophy had something to say about that. The Razorbacks defeated the Bulldogs in a high scoring game 98-88 — Julysses Nobles and B.J. Young paced the Hogs with 24 points each. The Bulldogs fall to 13-3 on the season.
Key Stats
MSU 18 Turnovers: Arkansas’ pressure obviously got to the Bulldogs. They had trouble breaking the press all night long.
50+FGP Both Teams: Both teams were hitting shots all game — Arkansas just hit a couple more.
17 Combined Points Sidney and Moultrie: MSU won’t win a game the rest of the year if Sidney and Moultrie don’t have 20 plus points combined.
What I Liked
Sidney Not Fouling: I heard some people complaining about Sidney letting people take it to the hole the second half. I think he didn’t challenge penetrators to avoid fouling out of the game. The ESPN analyst even said in the Baylor game that Sidney should just allow players to score when he was in foul trouble. So, I feel that is why he didn’t challenge more shots.
Freshmen Play: Hood and Smith balled out last night. They combined for 42 points and did a solid job of controlling tempo.
What I Didn’t Like
Nothing: I don’t have much to complain about, honestly. The game went kind of like I thought it might, and I wasn’t surprised by the negatives. I had one more thing I didn’t like, but I will save it for another column.
Players To Watch
Arkansas
B.J. Young: Young played lights out, making several big shots. He finished with 24 points off the bench.
Mississippi State
Rodney Hood: I continue to be impressed by the play of Rodney Hood. This kid has a chance to be truly special.
Three Keys To Victory
Arkansas
1. Let Bost Do His Thing: Arkansas let Bost have some open shots, and he did bite. He was 6-13 in field goal range, but went 0-6 from behind the arc.
2. Stick With The Game Plan: The Razorbacks definitely stuck to the game plan, and they won because of it.
3. Go At Sidney: They went at Sidney and got him into early foul trouble.
Mississippi State
1. Feed Moultrie: I expected Moultrie to do a little better last night, but he seems to struggle against teams that have aggressive defenses.
2. Zone Up: I don’t even know if the Bulldogs got a chance to set up in a defensive set. Arkansas was a blur, shining all night.
3. Slow It Down: The Bulldogs, and mainly Dee Bost, failed to control the game by not slowing down the tempo.
Final Analysis: The Bulldogs must now get ready to face the Tennessee Volunteers, who upset the fourteenth-ranked Florida Gators this past Saturday. It will be an 8 pm game that will be televised on ESPN2.
The Real Story Player Of The Game
Julysses Nobles: Nobles of Arkansas is the The Real Story player of the game, hanging 24 points and 7 assists. He played big for the Razorbacks.
January 9, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Rick Cashberry is a big CRY BABY ! State will not win with the bunch of half- wits they are playing with. The ones who don’t go to JAIL will FAIL their grades!