by Paul Jordan
GAME 34 – 3/14/2010 1 PM
BRIDGESONE ARENA – NASHVILLE, TN
TV – ABC
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS 23-10 (11-7)
KENTUCKY LEADS SERIES 86-19
RECENT MEETINGS:
2/16/2010: KENTUCKY 81 MSU 75 OT
2/3/2009: MSU 66 KENTUCKY 57
1/15/2008: MSU 69 KENTUCKY 64
3/9/2007: MSU 84 KENTUCKY 82 (SEC TOURNEY)
1/13/2007: KENTUCKY 64 MSU 60
2/1/2006: KENTUCKY 81 MSU 66
Anyone got DeMarcus Cousins’s cell phone number? Quick, get it to the fans in Starkville so they can clear their party lines (do they still have party lines down there?) and break out their phone trees and get ready for the game. Kidding. Fact is, the first UK/Mississippi matchup was a classic and had it’s share of memorable subplots. The DeMarcus Cousins cellphone controversy. The Ravern Johnson suspension. An insane road environment. The anticipation of a Boogie vs Varnado smackdown. And of course the thrilling OT win by Kentucky that told the BBN “yes we can … win on the road”.
The drama is just as big for this game. Can the Bulldogs win their way into the NCAA for the second time in a row? Will a Bulldog loss propel them to the NIT? Kentucky has never gone more than five years without winning a SEC Tourney Title … a win would break the five year drought. At this point it’s March Madness and we don’t need to hype this game. It speaks for itself.
THE STARTERS
G- RAVERN JOHNSON – JR 6’7 175
13.5 ppg, 3.5 reb, 0.5 assists
G – DEE BOST – SO 6’2 170
12.8 ppg, 4.4 reb, 5.3 assists
G – BARRY STEWART – SR 6’3 170
11.7 ppg, 3.2 reb, 2.8 assists
F – KODI AUGUSTUS – JR 6’8 220
9.3 ppg, 5.7 reb, 0.9 assists
F – JARVIS VARNADO – SR 6’9 230
SR 13.5, 10.4, 0.9 assists
Ravern Johnson will be a challenge to defend due to his length and his propensity to bomb away from down town. At 6’7, Johnson is more of a sharp shooter rather than a threat to constantly cut to the basket. Right at 60% of his shot attempts will be 3-point attempts, and he is knocking down the treys at a 40% clip. When not fighting with his coach and getting suspended or benched, he can be a pretty dangerous player, but is inconsistent. Dee Bost is a fantastic passer and is among the SEC leaders in assists per game, but does tend to turn the ball over a good bit as well. He is hitting 35.5 of his three point attempts and haas picked up his scoring, hitting double digits in his last six games and over the twenty point mark twice in that span. As talented as Bost is with the ball, he can have some truly dreadful nights like his 1 assist 6 turnover performance against Vandy. It should be noted the next game against Florida, he had 9 assists and 2 TO’s. Barry Stewart is yet another of Mississippi State’s trey happy bombers, as 60.5 of his shot attempts are three pointers. He is hitting them at a 35% clip and is about as consistent scorer you will see. He has all but seven games in double digit scoring this year. Stewart is also a good ball handler and defender.
Kodi Augustus is not merely content to play second fiddle to Jarvis Varnado. He had a public feud with Bulldog coach Stansbury (anyone notice a trend with this team?) over playing time earlier and was suspended two games for it. Since returning, he has been a pretty consistent rebounder but his scoring has been streaky and he is hitting just 40% of his FG attempts, unforgivable for a big man. He has been scoring better and he did have 17 points against UK earlier, which was his best performance of they season. Finally we come to the one player that is always a handful for Kentucky to handle, Jarvis Varnado. Varnado is a defensive game changer and a shot blocking genius. He is the all time shot blocker in NCAA history and he has averaged around 5 blocks a game for the past three seasons. His scoring has progressed this season, up about 3 points a game from last season and Varnado is a tenacious rebounder. It should be noted that he has gone four games without a double double, which for him is a lifetime. Maybe he is still rattled about the article Zach Rosen wrote about him, which implied his shot breaking record should have an asterisk.
G Phil Turner offers a bit of scoring and rebounding support off the bench as he is averaging 5.3 points a game and 4.2 rebounds. Turner is also a pretty good passer but is hitting just 27.2% of his FG attempts. F Romero Osby does not get a lot of playing time (13 minutes a game) but he is very productive with 4.6 points and 2.7 boards. He also offers an occasional 3-point threat hitting 38.9% (14-36) on the year. Unfortunately, this is about as deep as the Bulldog bench goes. No other player averages over 1.7 points a game.
OUTLOOK
I have to admit, this is going to be a tough game for UK as the Bulldog starters match up against the UK starters very well. UK’s guards will have their hands full trying to control the 3-point happy guard trio of Bost, Johnson, and Stewart. Mississippi State feels they let one get away from them last month in Starkville, and if they had won that game, they would not be fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives right now. Both Jarvis Varnado and Raven Johnson will feel they have something to prove.
Expect this game to be a battle but Kentucky has a much deeper bench and really only seven players produce for Mississippi State. Once again, this will need to be a game where Mississippi State can not counter Kentucky’s depth and will need to compensate with a solid three point shooting night. If Kentucky can keep the Bulldog’s from hitting 13 three pointers or so, the Cats should pull away late. Kentucky should use Orton to try to get Varnado in foul trouble as well. I can’t pick against UK after they played the way they did against Tennessee. I think the Bulldogs will make the NCAA and represent the SEC well. I’d love to see a Kansas/Mississippi State round two matchup. But for tonight, the glory goes to the Cats 81-73.
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