Mississippi State basketball: Sam Purcell confident in Jessika Carter heading into her final season

As Mississippi State women’s basketball star Jessika Carter gets prepped for her final season with the Bulldogs, Sam Purcell is pretty confident in her.

Mississippi State basketball fans certainly have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to all that Jessika Carter has done for the Mississippi State women’s basketball program. Now, as Carter is headed into her final season with the Miss. State Bulldogs, her head coach, Sam Purcell, believes Carter is getting set to have a stellar final campaign this season.

“The first thing I’m going to say, ooh wee, okay? Let me go ooh wee for a couple things on Jessika Carter,” Purcell said at SEC Media Days, according to ASAP Sports’ transcript of the event.

And yeah, Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Sam Purcell had plenty of glowing remarks to make about his star forward as she gets set to wrap up her Mississippi State basketball career this season.

Sam Purcell believes Jessika Carter is poised for a monster final season with Mississippi State basketball

“Career highs last year, all right? Almost 15 points a game. Two blocks per game. My girl can also pass. She also can take charges as she had a huge charge for us against Kentucky that helped seal the deal,” Purcell explained.

Those career highs and impressive versatility should be pretty beneficial for Purcell and his Mississippi State basketball team. And of course, that’s not all that Purcell had to brag about with his star.

Beyond her production on the court, Purcell was quick to highlight and express the way he’s impressed with Carter’s offseason work ethic.

“She crushed it in the weight room. When you look at her size, for most tall girls there’s a label at times, maybe slow or not mobile. She defies all the odds. She’s able to get out in space. She can guard a big. She also can guard a point guard,” he said.

That well-rounded skillset that features an impressive blend of athleticism, physicality, and mobility might help MSU have a pretty big year. Purcell seems to believe the Bulldogs can thrive thanks to Carter’s presence. But Purcell was also quick to highlight the leadership and persistence that Carter has displayed throughout her career.

“Outside of that, Jessika Carter is an awesome person. I mentioned this last year, all right? She’s one of the best stories in women’s basketball,” Purcell explained.

Carter has a lot to be proud of and, with Purcell continuing to build an impressive program in Starkville, her leadership and remarkable skillset has been valuable to have. Now, Mississippi State women’s basketball fans are ready to watch her flourish in her final season.