Photo by AP Photos
Get the big takeaways in Mississippi sports with our weekly ‘Take Five’ series. Five minutes, five takes, all the insight and information you need to stay plugged in.
By Jon Wiener and ‘Insider’ Joe Simeone
1. Mississippi Sadness Survey
The dancing didn’t last long. For Ole Miss, it was over shortly after tip-off. Oklahoma came out red hot and at least one step ahead of the boat-raced Rebels. That evening, favored Mississippi State blew a 10 point lead in the closing minutes and lost to No.12 seed Liberty. Both were the only SEC schools to lose in the first round. Which was harder to take? It has to be the Bulldogs, with their happy win turned to heartbreak, compared to the Rebels’ no-show that saved fans real March agony. It’s also much later in the game for Ben Howland and Mississippi State, who have gone four seasons under Howland without an NCAA win. Now they lose star Quinndary Weatherspoon and face the uncertain futures of their next two top minute guys: suspended guard Nick Weatherspoon (27.8 mpg) and junior NBA prospect Lamar Peters (30.1 mpg). In Oxford, Kermit Davis Jr. coached with house money all season and cashed in with an NCAA appearance well ahead of schedule. The Rebels starting backcourt of star Breein Tyree (33.8 mpg) and Devontae Shuler (32.2 mpg) should return. The Bulldogs have a promising young frontcourt but it’s crucial that either Peters or Weatherspoon suits up next season — or the heartbreaking first-round loss could prove the height of the Howland era more than five years in.
{alert} pic.twitter.com/c9y8gfanvB
— Jon Wiener (@JonWienerBBM) March 22, 2019
2. A Shining Moment for MSU Women
It was no worry, few problems, and a hair-raising curtain call for the Mississippi State women in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Starkville. The No.1 seed Lady Bulldogs named their number against SWAC winner Southern, 103-46, and easily dispatched No.9 seed Clemson 85-61; they led 23-10 after the first quarter and squeezed the life from the Tigers from there. The tests get tougher from here starting with Arizona St. in Portland, but the send-off of the seniors on Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum will be remembered long after. A crowd of 9,900+ celebrated the winningest senior class in school history, who won consecutive SEC championships, Final Four games, and made four straight Sweet Sixteens. All-American center Teaira McCowan and the others left the blowout game to an unforgettable curtain call, hugging coach Vic Schaefer and soaking up every bit of the awesome sound reverberating in the rafters and floors of the Hump. What has happened with women’s basketball at Mississippi State is a phenomenon all its own. It was summed up in every aspect of those final moments on Sunday.
3. Wake Up the Bats
It was a rough weekend to be an Old Dominion Monarch pitcher. Southern Miss played their home opener in the C-USA and came out swinging. The Golden Eagles tallied 37 hits through the weekend and outscored the Monarchs 34 – 4. While Southern Miss may have dropped a few games earlier this year, they have now won seven straight and are on a roll. Be careful with who you start against Scott Berry’s smoldering club. Mississippi State got a good run from SEC opponent Auburn but ultimately came out on top. After watching a five-run lead in game one evaporate, State was determined to show fellow SEC front-runner Auburn what they could do at the plate also. The Diamond Dogs put the hurt on Auburn in game two, winning convincingly 15 -2, then the two teams had an all-out fireworks fest in game three. State came out on top 20 – 15 in a back and forth game that saw seven lead changes. The weekend was a slugfest for both State and Southern Miss: the two schools combined to score 74 runs and tallied 87 hits over six games. You better hope you have your aces ready to go — and some extra cards in the deck — when you play these teams. If you’re not careful they will light up your pitching.
4. True Champions in Town
Vijay Singh. Fred Couples. Bernhard Langher. Steve Stricker. It’s not a roll call of future golf Hall of Famers and Ryder Cup captains — it’s guys in the field this week at Fallen Oak (Biloxi, Miss.) for the PGA Champions Tour Rapiscan Systems Classic. This event has become one of the biggest and best on the Champions Tour: the course itself, the Gulf Coast scene and flowing southern hospitality has a lot to do with it for the players. (Who wouldn’t want to get paid to stay at the Beau Rivage and play Fallen Oak for a couple days?) It’s a chance for us to watch the absolute greats of the game play up close – and they can really, really still play. We wouldn’t tell you to go down or get excited if they couldn’t. It’s routinely one of the best weekend trips of the year for those who appreciate golf, good scenes, and great times. Our quick recommendations and where you might find a Bash Brother or two:
1) Play: Grand Bear Golf Club. Nicklaus-signature design, affordable, fun, real good golf.
2) Stay: Air B&B or Golden Nugget Casino. The former is the move, the latter has a great pool.
3) Dine: The Mermaid Dive Bar (709 Howard Ave). We like funky dive bars with great seafood. This is that.
5. USM Football Back to Business
It was only a month ago that Southern Miss football was still looking for their offensive coordinator. They caught the national spotlight as head coach Jay Hopson went after disgraced guru Art Briles for the position. School president Rodney Bennett, Jr. nixed the overture, Hopson got #madonline, but despite the drama that ensued, USM stood by their head coach and filled the offensive coordinator position with Arkansas State’s Buster Faulkner. Now with spring football here, the Golden Eagles can put all of this behind them and get back to business. Faulkner will look to give a new look and more production to this USM offense. The team seems ready and eager to get back out there, and there’s reason for hope with redshirt junior QB Jack Abraham (2,347 yds, 15 TD 10 INT, 72% comp) taking the field each day. USM will look to improve on their 6-5 record from last year and hope that the new tandem of Hopson and Faulkner will be the answer.
Tweet of the Week: “Give me Liberty or give me death”
“Give me Liberty or give me death” – Mississippi State, shortly before death
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) March 23, 2019
Mississippi State made an early exit from March Madness in an upset to Liberty. While it may still sting there is nothing you can do but share a few laughs about it.
