There has never been a worse stretch for the Mississippi State football fan than 2001-2006. There have been other down times throughout MSU history, but this was the worst. State was ranked #18 coming into 2001 and expectations were sky high. We were let down with a hugely disappointing 3-8 season, then lost the next three Egg Bowls, and it took until 2007 to get back to a bowl game.

In 1997, Jackie Sherrill used junior college transfers to create one of the best recruiting classes in MSU history. He tried to repeat that feat in 2001 by signing 12 jucos and it didn’t work.  In fact, it turned into a complete disaster as players with questionable character and academics came in and tore everything apart. Sherrill reversed track in 2002 and went back to high school players, and seemingly recovered as the class was LOADED with talent. But the damage was already done and even half of that class turned into busts.

Ole Miss had great recruiting years from 2006-2008, kind of like MSU did from 1997-1999. And it paid off with back-to-back 9-4 seasons and Cotton Bowl victories in 2008 and 2009. But in ’09, Houston Nutt signed 37 players and they’ve fizzled into a worthless group just like State’s 2001 class was. Only 19 of those players are still on their roster. The jury is still out on the Bears highly touted 2010 class, but they appear to be on the same path as the Dawg’s 2002 group. The result of this has been falling face first into the cellar of the SEC West and three straight Egg Bowl losses.

In 2004, Sylvester Croom was brought in as head coach after Sherrill retired. Despite no previous head coaching experience, Croom was a high-character individual who was needed to turn around a football team in disarray. His first recruiting class was almost embarrassing. With not much talent coming in and players quitting by the handful, State was in for a long and tough recovery.

After falling out of the bad football team tree and hitting every branch on the way down, Ole Miss fired Houston Nutt and hired Hugh Freeze this past December. Freeze does have some low-level head coaching experience, but it appears as though the Bears are looking for a “character” individual to turn things around. Freeze is unlikely to be as stubborn as Croom was with delinquents, but there are almost always dismissals with a new coach. His first class does have a couple of good players, but it looks pretty bad for an SEC team. And Freeze has a different obstacle than Croom had: his in-state rival is good.

We’ll see how things go, but there are a lot of similarities between Mississippi State’s down years and where Ole Miss is now. Hugh Freeze may be able to bring TSUN back to respectability fairly quick, but he’s got some big obstacles ahead of him.

Every young football player has the right to make their college choice for any reason they choose. Bo Wallace and Jeremy Liggins have made their choice, and just because they didn’t choose MSU doesn’t mean they made the wrong one. And for the record, I am very happy with Nick Schuessler in a Bulldog uniform. But Liggins and Wallace were the higher-rated QBs, so for the purpose of this, that is what I referring to.

Plenty of quarterbacks have been recruited by MSU and they’ve gone on to great careers at other places…case in point the guy who went to Auburn and won a national title but I won’t say his name because it stings really bad. But these are QBs who shunned MSU for a “bigger” program, but their career was, or has, been a flop.

Hutson Mason - 6′-3″ 200 3-star from Marietta, GA in the 2010 class. MSU was the only SEC team recruiting him and he looked like he was excited about State. Then UGA came in and he immediately jumped on the offer. Being the primary back-up to Aaron Murray he was unable to red-shirt in ’10 but he’s never been able to start in his two years at Georgia. Earlier this month, he asked Mark Richt if he could red-shirt the 2012 season because he does not think he will ever get to play behind Murray.

Chris Garrett – 6′-4″ 220 3-star from Tupelo, MS in the 2009 class. His parents went to Mississippi State and he looked like a shoe-in. After committing to MSU, LSU came calling and that was it – he was gone to Baton Rouge. He red-shirted his true freshman season, then Les Miles told him there would be no scholarship for his second year. He then went to Northwestern State for one year (a FCS school in LA) where he was 6 of 13 for 24 yards with 3 INTs. For the 2011 season he walked on at Ole Miss, which he had to sit out because of transfer rules. I couldn’t find where he’s still listed on their roster, but if he is still at it he’s got a long way to go behind their 14,000 QBs.

Ryan Perrilloux – 6′-2″ 210 5-star from Reserve, LA in the 2005 class. He was listed as the #1 or #2 QB in the nation depending on who you ask. He considered Texas, Mississippi State and LSU. He chose the Tigers on signing day. He red-shirted in ’05 and then got some playing time behind Matt Flynn in LSU’s 2007 national championship run. His biggest moment came in the ’07 SEC Championship Game when he started for an injured Flynn and led them to a win over Tennessee. But after a number of off-the-field problems he was dismissed from the team in March of 2008. He transferred to FCS Jacksonville State for the ’08 season and had two moderately successful years there. He was not drafted by an NFL team in 2010, and played in the United Football League. In 2011, he was an on and off again practice squad player for the New York Giants.

None of this is to suggest Jeremy Liggins and Bo Wallace won’t have fine careers in college. The point is, going with the “bigger” or “more established” program isn’t always the right move. All these players want to play, and sometimes they can’t do that when there are future NFL starters ahead of them on the depth chart. MSU has always been a place where players were not cast aside for the next big recruit, and with a coach like Dan Mullen you have to wonder what he could have done with Mason or Garrett.

With it seeming inevitable that Jeremy Liggins will not sign with Mississippi State (most likely LSU), Loganville, GA quarterback Nick Schuessler was offered a scholarship and he responded by committing to State.

Schuessler’s commitment makes him the 26th member of the 2012 recruiting class. The final two are expected to be linebackers Beniquez Brown and Richie Brown. Neither one of them is planning to make their commitment known until Wednesday (Signing Day).

If the 26 commits plus the Browns do sign with MSU it will arguably be Dan Mullen’s best class. As of now, State is #16 in the country according to Scout, 2009′s class was #19.

#4 on the list of Top 5 games while Rick Stansbury was an assistant coach at Mississippi State is #23 MSU 76, #4 Kentucky 71.

After the 1991 season Mississippi State went into rebuilding mode, and this game was the signal they were back. Rick Pitino had Kentucky poised for greatness after bringing them back from their late 80s lull and probation.

Rupp arena opened in 1976 and State failed to win there in 16 previous tries. In addition to that MSU had not beaten UK in Lexington since 1967 (played every year until 1991). MSU was coming off a home loss to Auburn and were heavy underdogs to Tony Delk, Antoine Walker and company. The Wildcats had won four in a row and were cruising towards another SEC Championship when the Bulldogs came in on a Tuesday night.

In the game, Marcus Grant got hot and hit six of eight from behind the arc and totaled 23 points. Erick Dampier kept the Cats out of the paint and the perimeter defense held them to 26% from the 3-point line. Dampier also added 17 points and 13 rebounds to seal the victory.

This victory got State over the hump in Lexington and was the signature win that really kicked off a great two-year run. It set the tone as MSU went on to the Sweet 16 in ’95 and Final Four in 1996.

#5 – 1991, MSU vs. LSU

Rick Stansbury was an assistant coach at Mississippi State under Richard Williams from 1990-1998. That time period of MSU basketball was all or nothing. It featured some of State’s best teams, and also some very mediocre teams.

We start with #5 on the list, from 1991: #23 MSU 76, #18 LSU 73.

In 1991, there were only 10 SEC teams so each team played every other team twice for a total of 18 conference games. The Bulldogs came into this game with a record of 12-5 and LSU was 13-4. LSU had won five in a row, and seven straight SEC games coming into Starkville. Since the Tigers had already clinched at least a share of the SEC Championship Dale Brown rested Shaq in this game (he dinged his knee in the mid-week game).

While not having to play against Shaq and his 27.6 PPG, 14.7 RPG and 5.0 BPG would seem to diminish the quality of this win, MSU did beat LSU with Shaq in Baton Rouge a month prior. MSU/LSU was a big rivalry back then; State had won six of the last seven vs. a school who was on their way to their 8th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Mississippi State had not won an SEC Championship in 28 years and this game was for a share of the conference Championship (with a double tie-breaker).

MSU was able to win the game with a senior-laden squad led by Greg Carter who had 20 points and 14 rebounds. The Dawgs withstood plenty of runs by the Tigers and held on 76-73. This would be State’s 20th and final win on the year, but the victory led to the school’s second NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1963.

#16 Mississippi State goes on the road to play #13 Florida today at the O-Dome. This will be another tough test for the Bulldogs. State failed the first two against Arkansas and Ole Miss, but they were able to win a huge game at Vanderbilt last weekend. SEC road games have proved to be especially difficult for almost everyone this year.

Here are the records of each SEC team on the road this season:

Kentucky   3-0
Vanderbilt  2-0
Florida  2-1
Mississippi State  1-2
Ole Miss  1-2
South Carolina  0-2
Georgia  0-2
Arkansas  0-2
Auburn  0-2
Tennessee  0-3
Alabama  0-3
LSU  0-4

Combined SEC road record: 9-23

Kentucky’s at the top of that list, but last year they struggled on the road. The Wildcats finished 29-9 with a Final Four appearance, but they were 2-6 on the road in conference play.

Home court advantage means more in basketball than any other sport. Even in the NBA teams have trouble winning on the road. The crowd plays a huge factor in the emotional swings of the game, giving the home team more energy. It almost sounds silly that is why it is so tough to win on the road, but it effects most players, and separates the good from the great.

Hopefully the Dawgs can show more of the mental toughness they exerted in the second half in Nashville last week. The great teams win road conference games, and this is a chance for MSU to win a big one. State is a 9 1/2 point underdog. Go Dawgs!

In 2006 & 2007 Florida’s team of superstars won back-to-back national championships. Joekim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer led their team in dominating fashion. All three of them said the Hump was the toughest place to play. They lost in 2005 and were nearly upset when they came to Starkville in 2007 – by a Bulldogs team that only made the NIT. Corey Brewer said the Hump was “a different kind of loud…so loud that you can’t think”.

That is the Hump I remember. I was at State from 2002-2007, and basketball games were loud, electric and exciting. If you wanted a lower level seat, you got to the Hump early, real early. If you wanted to make sure you got tickets to that week’s games, you woke up while it was still dark on Monday morning and got in line at the Bryan Building. The Hump was intense, it was deafening.

These days, not so much. The other night it looked like the arena was half full for the final minute of a close game vs. LSU. Why is this you ask? Here are my top 5 reasons why the Hump has lost a bit of its luster.

5. Hank Flick – He was the PA announcer for 32 years, but was asked to step down in 2009. His football presence was lukewarm, but his legendary call, “Welcome to the Hump foooor Hoops! For an evening of bas-ket-ball, MISSISSIPPI STATE STYLE!!” was a staple at MSU basketball games. He gave the players nick-names and really gave the job some personality.

4. Rick’s Rowdies/Dawg Pound – When we were in school, the Rick’s Rowdies were a collection of dwebs who got together in the name of basketball. Apparently, they’ve changed the name but not their personality. All the pretty people sit as far away from them as they can. The folks in between can’t decide if they want to cheer with the rowdies or act cool for the pretty people. Get rid of the rowdies so everyone will sit down and cheer together.

3. Distractions – Whenever there is a timeout, commercials, games or contests are used to draw the attention of the fans. Instead of hanging on the edge of our seat with sweaty palms, fans turn their attention to the jumbotron and lose their emotional ties to the game. One might create more nervous energy watching the game on the couch than at the Hump.

2. Students – Football is the alumni’s game, but basketball is the student’s game. Instead of being apathetic, they should be excited about our Top 20 team! If you’re 20 years old it should be fun to stand up and yell, high five your buddy and hug the Phi Mu you don’t know two rows back. Getting people energized in a basketball arena is the responsibility of the students, not the alumni from Jackson who worked all day and just drove two hours to see the game.

1. Seating Chart – Like I said before, basketball is a student’s game. The seating chart was changed in 2009 by Greg Bryne, and he said it was to “provide more lower level donor seating at side court, while putting our students behind each goal, thus improving atmosphere.” Perhaps the former was accomplished, the the ladder has been a total failure. The donors should have good seats, and that is court-side where the cameras can’t see them. The students should be court-side as well, opposite the donors, and in full view of the cameras.

I’m not sure if ole Hank Flick would be willing to come back, but all the other problems are solvable. Get rid of the “Dawg Pound” and bring the students back together. Keep the distractions to pre-game and halftime. Students, step it up. And change the seating chart so that we look good on TV, and are intimidating to opposing teams.

If all those things are corrected, the Hump will always be full when the team is at least decent. Perhaps some of the local fans were cast aside in favor of out-of-town fans with more money. Those out-of-town fans may not make it to all the games now, but they surely will if it’s more exciting at the Hump. Bottom line, MSU is putting a good product on the court, and they need the home court advantage we used to provide. Hail State.

Rick Stansbury has brought some great talent to Starkville over the years. Players like Charles Rhodes, Rodney Hood, Jamont Gordon, Dee Bost, Renardo Sidney, Ravern Johnson, Mario Austin, etc. were all highly-touted recruits that played at Mississippi State. And then there are some players that committed to State but didn’t make it to campus for one reason or another. This “best that never was” team compiles the best players who may have made a huge difference in the success of past MSU teams, but they never made it to Starkvegas.

G – Monta Ellis – Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year from Jackson, MS. He was committed to MSU’s 2005 class, but entered the NBA draft where he was selected 40th overall (2nd round). He is in his 7th year with the Golden State Warriors where he has had a very successful pro career. For his career Ellis has 19.4 PPG and 4.2 APG. He was named the NBA’s most improved player in 2007.

F – Travis Outlaw – He played in Starkville, but at the SHS gym and not the Hump. The Portland Trail Blazers took him with the 23rd overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He has achieved moderate success during his 9+ year pro career. Outlaw spent his first seven years with the Trail Blazers and then one year with the Clippers, Nets and now Kings. For his career, he has 9.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG.

F – Kei Madison – 6′-9″ double-double machine from Columbiana, AL. He played on the same junior college team (Okaloosa-Walton) as Brandon Vincent. They were scheduled to come to State in the same 2002 class but Madison opted for the NBA draft. Needless to say he went undrafted and bounced around the world playing basketball for the rest of the decade. Same size and production as Vincent, would have been nice to have on the 2003 & 2004 teams.

C/F – Jackie Butler – 6′-10″ 260 from McComb, MS. He was committed to State in the 2003 class but failed to qualify academically. After a year in prep school he entered the NBA draft but was not selected. Still, he managed to play parts of three seasons with the Knicks and Spurs averaging 5 points and 3 rebounds per game.

C/F – Johnathon Bender – A seven footer from Picayune, MS. He was scheduled to be apart of the 1999 class but opted for the NBA instead. The Toronto Raptors drafted him with the 5th overall pick and then quickly traded him to the Indiana Pacers. He played seven years with the Pacers but injuries forced an early retirement. Bender made a comeback with the Knicks in 2009-10 and played in 25 games. For his career, Bender averaged 5.5 PPG and 2.2 RPG…he is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. But it’s likely he would’ve been a great college player.

Honorable mention:

F – Wojciech Barycz – After Michal Ignerski has a successful career at MSU, there looked to be a pipeline for Polish players coming to State. It looked as though Barycz was prepared to come but he opted to stay in Europe instead. He’s had a lengthy Euro basketball career.

We’d like to encourage all of our readers to check out all of the things our website has to offer. From the links to other MSU sites at the top left hand corner to our archives at the bottom.

All of the TXMudDawg YouTube videos are done in house at Maroon and White Nation.

Be sure to follow us on twitter @mandwnation and facebook at www.facebook.com/maroonandwhitenation. Through those networks you’ll get more news and other interesting info that we don’t write about on the website.

We also have a show on Bulldog Sports Radio every Tuesday at 6:00 PM CST.

Thanks for making Maroon and White Nation a part of your MSU experience!

Arnett Moultrie had another sensational game Wednesday night vs. LSU. 28 points, 12 rebounds, clutch free throws and even a steal and lay-in before the half. He has become a prime candidate for SEC Player of the Year.

Moultrie has had some of his best games of the year at Humphrey Coliseum. He has scored at least 20 points six times at the Hump! And he missed three starts due to injury vs. easy opponents. He has also had a double-double in all but three home games.

Overall, Moultrie has 12 double-doubles in 18 games. That’s incredible. It kind of reminds you of another power forward who was a 1st team All-American at MSU….Lawrence Roberts. Moultrie is averaging 17 PPG and 11.2 RPG, Roberts had 16.9 PPG and 10.1 RPG in that 2004 season.

If there’s a reason why Mississippi State is poised to contend for and SEC Championship, it’s Arnett Moultrie. He has been a complete surprise to everyone. He’s been dominate on the boards, scoring down low, he can hit a shot from 10 feet out and he’s done well from the free throw stripe. Keep it up #23!