Posted on Wed, Feb. 20, 2008
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Rebs will be fired up
Bulldogs lead in SEC West
By JIM MASHEK
SUN HERALD
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Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury understands the Ole Miss Rebels are struggling.
Ole Miss has lost three of its last four SEC games, including home games with South Carolina and Auburn. Mississippi State has gone 12-2 over the last two months.
But Stansbury said neither trend will be a factor in tonight’s grudge match at Tad Smith Coliseum.
“You can forget about all the records, how they’re playing,” Stansbury said. “The game itself changes things. They’re going to play with extreme emotion.”
Ole Miss (17-7, 3-7 in the SEC) has come back to earth after starting the season 13-0 and crashing the national rankings. The Bulldogs (17-7, 8-2) grabbed a two-game lead in the SEC West on Saturday by turning back Arkansas 80-74 in Starkville.
State has a leading candidate for SEC Player of the Year in junior guard Jamont Gordon, who averages 17.7 points, five assists and six rebounds.
Stansbury has had a lot of success against Ole Miss over the years, compiling a 15-5 record against the Rebels. State had little trouble with Ole Miss last month in Starkville, rolling to an 88-68 victory. But the Bulldogs have not swept Ole Miss in SEC play since the 2004-05 season.
Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy has expressed concern that the Rebels rely too much on freshman point guard Chris Warren, who at 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds is spotting Gordon about six inches and 70 pounds. Warren leads the Rebels in minutes played (30.5 per game), scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (116) and 3-point field goals (68). But he’s already played as many games as he roughly did last year as a high school player in Orlando, Fla.
“It’s probably unfair that we put so much of a burden on him,” Kennedy said. “Chris Warren is no longer a secret.”
State is favored by a point. The Bulldogs are 3-1 on the road in the SEC.
“You’ve got to be able to defend and rebound on the road,” Stansbury said.
With Jarvis Varnado near the basket, the Bulldogs are the SEC’s top defensive team. Varnado is the national leader in blocked shots.
