MS State thoughts for 2021-22

[MSUrealist]

Rather than clogging up the transfer thread with back-and-forth talk about what the future holds for MS State, I thought it might be good to have a seperate thread to speculate on MS State women's basketball in 2021-22. There are already 4 MSU players in the transfer portal--Wiggins, Mingo-Young, Cooks, and Morris--with more expected to come. Wiggins and Morris weren't big contributors this year, Cooks (6.1 ppg and 3.3 rpg) and Mingo-Young (5.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg) were bigger contributors but not irreplaceable. The big problem here is the loss of 2 of the 3 players capable of playing center (and of course the prospect of additional transfers from key contributors).

MS State has 4 freshman signed for next year (see link below) along with Temple transfer Ashley Jones. These 5 players seem to fit well with the pressing, uptempo, 3-point shooting game that Nikki McCray Penson wants the team to play. They don't address the lack of size issue at the 4 and 5 spots. It seems like those spots will have to be filled from the transfer portal and junior college ranks. The chance for a lot of early playing time at those positions should help in recruiting some pretty good players.

My gut feeling is that NMP is going to be able to put together a roster full of players that are well suited for her system. She came up with a pretty good recruiting class last year considering a really late start. Not only that, it seems like a lot of high profile recruits had MS State in their final group of schools so NMP was at least making a favorable impression on upper-tier prospects. While 2021-22 might be a dramatically changed roster and largely inexperienced, it should be a roster more capable of executing the visions of the coaching staff--therefore it should tell us a lot more about the quality of the coaching staff than what we could tell from this past season. I'm hopeful that MS State fans will be pleasantly surprised next year and then really excited about the prospects for 2022-23. Time will tell if I'm right or if I'm just being an optimistic fool, but I've learned that being optimistic makes the waiting for an answer much more pleasant.

McCray-Penson Announces Women’s Hoops 2021 Signing Class - Mississippi State

In her first class as the head coach of Mississippi State women's basketball, Nikki McCray-Penson and her staff inked some of the nation's top players fo...

hailstate.com

 

[Creature]

Well looks like you guys are Losing Morris,Cooks,Mingo-Young and Wiggins. If Rickea Jackson transfers-let me know. Any team in the country would make room for her. You know who her #2 team was right ?

 

[TC22]

I think Nikki will be fine. She has been recruiting for the SEC for over a decade. SC is a hotbed for elite talent over at least the next 5 years and right now the main competition Dawn has for some of these players is Nikki. Some of them will obviously see the logjam of talent at SC and look elsewhere, even though SC is their dream offer. Don’t give up on her yet. Two of her mentors were Pat Summitt and Dawn Staley. She’s been around the block a time or two.

 

[MSUrealist]

I just started watching this NMP press conference from this morning so I have no opinions, comments, etc. Figured I would just post it and let everyone form their own opinions.

 

[garddog]

So 2 more transfers or 1 and Thompson moving on. 8 players committed to her vision per that news conference.

She was beating that desk down today.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Lot to digest there.

Hate to say it but I expect more to transfer.

She seemed frustrated to me but I could totally be wrong.

 

[SECbbfan24]

If some do want to end up transferring I think some will wait until after the NCAAT to know what their options are if they do want to look elsewhere.

 

[CocoHusky]

Lot to digest there.

Hate to say it but I expect more to transfer.

She seemed frustrated to me but I could totally be wrong.

Here is what I basically got out of that.
COVID is to blame for EVERYTHING that Mississippi Sate WBB failed to accomplish this year.
" We didn't have an off season- because of COVID".
"We didn't have a chance to build relationships with the players besides ZOOM-because of COVID."
"We only got to play 2 games in a Month stretch of the season-because of COVID."

Was COVID not a reality for the other teams in the SEC or was the impact localized to just Mississippi state?

 

[Jmsdawg]

my take: NMP does not appear to understand the problem. COVID is a problem for everyone, canceled games was a problem for a lot of College basketball teams but most of those teams progressed in spite of the missed games, lack of fans to generate excitement was a problem for all the teams this year but most of the teams overcame the lack of fans, many WBB teams experienced transfers but most of those transfers were for personal reasons or lack of playing time, MSST transfers were, IMO, directly related to coaching. MSST performance issues were mainly due to lack of motivation and that rest solely on NMP shoulders. MSST problem is a COACHING PROBLEM!

 

[Txhoopsalot]

I do think COVID was a particular problem for teams with a new coaching staff and/or a lot of new players and without an experienced core group. I automatically downgrade my opinion of a coach who needs to have "HER (or his) players" to do a good job when the inherited players are known to be talented and capable of high performance. Such a coach might be a good coach who can build a successful program. But I have higher regard for a coach who can adjust his or her preferred style to coach the players they have to their best performance. Vic Schaeffer complained a lot about similar issues to those mentioned in CocoHusky's post, but he did a better job dealing with the issues than McCray-Penson. Also, Vic spends a lot of time acknowledging how hard the conditions have been for the players and praising the players for enduring the hardships in order to be able to keep playing. With all the transfers in the portal, NMP will perhaps have a chance for a semi-do-over. I'll check back in a year or two.

 

[DefenseBB]

 

[MSUrealist]

I do think COVID was a particular problem for teams with a new coaching staff and/or a lot of new players and without an experienced core group. I automatically downgrade my opinion of a coach who needs to have "HER (or his) players" to do a good job when the inherited players are known to be talented and capable of high performance. Such a coach might be a good coach who can build a successful program. But I have higher regard for a coach who can adjust his or her preferred style to coach the players they have to their best performance. Vic Schaeffer complained a lot about similar issues to those mentioned in CocoHusky's post, but he did a better job dealing with the issues than McCray-Penson. Also, Vic spends a lot of time acknowledging how hard the conditions have been for the players and praising the players for enduring the hardships in order to be able to keep playing. With all the transfers in the portal, NMP will perhaps have a chance for a semi-do-over. I'll check back in a year or two.

You hit the nail on the head about it being a bigger problem for teams with a new coaching staff since there were in a situation where none of the players were familiar with the new coaching staff, style of play, etc. On the Hornfans message board this year there were a lot of references of needing to be patient and wait for Vic to bring in his players. This despite the fact that he actually did bring in 3 of his players--Gaston, Ebo and Lambert--who he had recruited to come to MS State before he took the job at Texas. That was 3 players who helped Texas immediately, but unfortunately NMP didn't have 3 SEC caliber players that she could reroute from Old Dominion to bolster the MS State roster this season.

 

[southie]

So 2 more transfers or 1 and Thompson moving on. 8 players committed to her vision per that news conference.

She was beating that desk down today.

She did a great job side-stepping the direct question if Rickea was committed to returning next season . . .

 

[SECbbfan24]

She did a great job side-stepping the direct question if Rickea was committed to returning next season . . .

Lol I noticed that too.

 

[southie]

You hit the nail on the head about it being a bigger problem for teams with a new coaching staff since there were in a situation where none of the players were familiar with the new coaching staff, style of play, etc. On the Hornfans message board this year there were a lot of references of needing to be patient and wait for Vic to bring in his players. This despite the fact that he actually did bring in 3 of his players--Gaston, Ebo and Lambert--who he had recruited to come to MS State before he took the job at Texas. That was 3 players who helped Texas immediately, but unfortunately NMP didn't have 3 SEC caliber players that she could reroute from Old Dominion to bolster the MS State roster this season.

Actually, Lauren Ebo was denied a waiver for immediate eligibility; she did gain eligibility in late December via the blanket waiver. But, then she went home for Christmas break and contracted COVID, apparently. So, it took her several weeks to be cleared in 2021, and regain her conditioning. Slowly but surely, she's helping in the paint.

DeYona Gaston did help immediately and through 2020; unfortunately, she was injured in mid-January, had surgery, and was unable to return to play the remainder of the season.

Lambert's experience, maturity, and leadership has no doubt been a blessing at the PG position; she's not always consistent, but she's better than anyone else we have at that position.

 

[southie]

Lol I noticed that too.

So, I'm taking that non-answer to be a big, fat "NO".

 

[MSUrealist]

When she said 8 players were committed to next season, I thought she was talking about current players and recruits combined. After all, this year's roster only included 12 players and 4 are transferring so if it is 8 from the roster then that would be everyone other than the already announced transfers.

 

[garddog]

When she said 8 players were committed to next season, I thought she was talking about current players and recruits combined. After all, this year's roster only included 12 players and 4 are transferring so if it is 8 from the roster then that would be everyone other than the already announced transfers.

8 left on roster plus 2 more recruits coming in is 10. So 2 of the 10 are not committed. So possibly 2 more leaving.

 

[JellyBean]

The program will be fine. Coach Nikki has some solid players coming into the program. She will have, hopefully, a full summer of player development and a better chance to bond with her players more and develop her buy in approach. Mississippi State will be fine. If players transfer, which happens to many programs, it just opens up more minutes for players and players that blend with the coaching philosophy and allows for a better fit for the culture of the program for what the coach is putting into place. Coach Nikki will be fine.

 

[Jmsdawg]

The program will be fine. Coach Nikki has some solid players coming into the program. She will have, hopefully, a full summer of player development and a better chance to bond with her players more and develop her buy in approach. Mississippi State will be fine. If players transfer, which happens to many programs, it just opens up more minutes for players and players that blend with the coaching philosophy and allows for a better fit for the culture of the program for what the coach is putting into place. Coach Nikki will be fine.

When starters transfer there is a problem. I seriously doubt Mississippi Stats will ever return to prominence with NMP as our coach. This season was a disaster directly related to NMP coaching. We would have done better hiring Coach Jumper!

 

[cancontent]

When starters transfer there is a problem. I seriously doubt Mississippi Stats will ever return to prominence with NMP as our coach. This season was a disaster directly related to NMP coaching. We would have done better hiring Coach Jumper!

Yikes. It can't be all that bad can it?

 

[southie]

Was there a reason why she held that press conference? Or, do most head coaches do that at their season's conclusion?

 

[HuskyMJ]

8 left on roster plus 2 more recruits coming in is 10. So 2 of the 10 are not committed. So possibly 2 more leaving.

Are you sure? She was talking about offseason workouts they were getting ready to do and I thought she said she had 8 in terms of going onto the next steps before school ends. Any incoming recruits wouldn't come until summer and I don't think she was talking that far in advance? I understood her to say after her 4 transfers, she has 8 remaining and she expects them back but even said you never know these days.

 

[garddog]

I could listen again, but all she said was that she.had 8 players committed to her plans/vision.

 

[DefenseBB]

Actually, Lauren Ebo was denied a waiver for immediate eligibility; she did gain eligibility in late December via the blanket waiver. But, then she went home for Christmas break and contracted COVID, apparently. So, it took her several weeks to be cleared in 2021, and regain her conditioninga. Slowly but surely, she's helping in the paint.

DeYona Gaston did help immediately and through 2020; unfortunately, she was injured in mid-January, had surgery, and was unable to return to play the remainder of the season.

Lambert's experience, maturity, and leadership has no doubt been a blessing at the PG position; she's not always consistent, but she's better than anyone else we have at that position.

Wait, that's implying she was in condition to run up and down the court, which she is not. It's beyond me to understand how a D1 top tier program can have players so far out of shape to perform their sport. Texas is a second round exit this year....