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Mississippi State Basketball: Ben Howland excited about upcoming season

By Cole Patterson

Jan 3, 2017; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Ben Howland during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2017; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Ben Howland during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports /
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While the focus has shifted to the upcoming Mississippi State football season, Ben Howland is excited about his hoops squad going into 2017.

Ben Howland held an offseason press conference today. He spoke on topics ranging from his excitement level about the incoming players to Mario Kegler’s surprise decision to transfer from the program in May.

Howland says he is excited about the upcoming season. He mentions that the team’s chemistry is in a great place right now. That should only help the Bulldogs rise in the SEC standings.

"“We’re excited about this coming year,” said Howland. “We’re finishing up the first session of summer school and beginning our fourth week to work with our players, both in the weight room with the strength and conditioning coach and our time allowed on the floor with them. I am excited about the work ethic of the players and the players putting in work on their own time outside of practice. We’ve got very good chemistry right now and I am excited about that.”"

While 5-star guard Nick Weatherspoon is the newcomer Bulldogs fans are most anxiously waiting to see play in The Hump, he isn’t the only player that is expected to contribute in his first season for Howland. Abdul Ado, a 4-star big man from the 2016 class, is finally eligible to play this upcoming season. 3-star forward Keyshawn Feazell should also compete for minutes in the front court.

"“I am excited about a couple of kids that will be new this year,” said Howland. “Abdul Ado redshirted last year and KeyShawn Feazell is better than I hoped at this point. He’s got a lot to learn but he has lots to work with in terms of his body.“Nick is still involved in finishing up his NCAA requirements. We fully expect that to happen and we look forward to Nick being here when the second summer session begins.”"

Ben Howland has a history of turning around programs in his third-season at the helm.

Howland took Northern Arizona from 16 combined wins in his first two seasons to 21 wins and a conference crown in year three. At Pitt, year-three in the Howland-era featured 28 wins, a conference championship, a 2-seed, and an Elite 8 appearance for the Panthers. Howland then took his dream job, UCLA, and led the Bruins to 32 wins and a season that jump-started three consecutive Pac-10 Championships and three straight Final Four appearances.

Obviously winning a conference title over Kentucky seems like a stretch, but it’s not too big of an expectation to see Mississippi State hoops improve drastically. I.J. Ready and Mario Kegler are gone, but the Bulldogs return All-SEC performer Quinndary Weatherspoon, All-SEC Freshman point guard Lamar Peters, and practically everyone else on the roster.

Howland also brings in a 5-star guard that has the ability to attack the basket and be the play-maker the Bulldogs have lacked since the Dee Bost days. Ado is expected to be the rim protector that takes the defense to another level.

Next: Take a look at next year's hoops squad!

Football season is only 68 days away, but I am personally excited for basketball season, too. If the team continues to grow under Howland, The Hump should be rocking all season long. Ben Howland is hungry to bring a winner to Starkville.

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