Mississippi State basketball: Freshmen Perry and Woodard need more playing time
Reggie Perry and Robert Woodard were part of a highly regarded Mississippi State basketball recruiting class, and both players need to get more playing time.
The Mississippi State basketball team needs a win on Saturday when they take on the Ole Miss Rebels. The Bulldogs are currently sitting at 3-4 in the SEC and need to get back to the .500 mark in SEC play.
If they want to start stringing wins together, Mississippi State Basketball Coach Ben Howland needs to start playing Reggie Perry and Robert Woodard more. The two freshmen currently present better options that Aric Holman and certainly more than Abdul Ado.
The case against Aric Holman is a little more difficult than the case against Abdul Ado. Aric Holman is still the third leading scorer on the team and leading rebounder. The problem with Holman has been a lack of energy and lackluster defense.
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Robert Woodard could slide into the four position Holman currently plays for the Mississippi State basketball team. And while Woodard’s numbers don’t jump off the page at you, (4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game) he’s done it in very limited action. He’s only averaging 11 minutes per game, and he brings a shot of adrenaline to the team every time he plays.
During the first game against Ole Miss, the Mississippi State basketball team jumped out to a double digit lead at one point in the first half. Robert Woodard’s seven points came during the stretch where Mississippi State took the lead, but he inexplicably didn’t play at all in the second half.
The case for Reggie Perry over Abdul Ado is clear. Reggie Perry averages 2.6 more points per game than Ado, grabs one more rebound, but plays about one less minute per game than Ado. The two big men split time, but it is time for Reggie Perry to start getting the bulk of the playing time, and he could become a double-double machine.
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Aric Holman and Abdul Ado are talented players, but the players behind them in the rotation bring more to the table for the Mississippi State basketball team. It’s time Ben Howland stop favoring experience and start putting the more talented players on the floor more.