2020–21 Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball
NIT, Runner-Up
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record18–15 (8–10 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaHumphrey Coliseum
2020–21 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 5 Alabama162 .889267  .788
No. 10 Arkansas134 .765257  .781
LSU116 .6471910  .655
Tennessee107 .588189  .667
Florida97 .5631510  .600
Ole Miss108 .5561612  .571
Missouri88 .5001610  .615
Kentucky89 .471916  .360
Mississippi State810 .4441815  .545
Georgia711 .3891412  .538
Auburn*711 .3891314  .481
South Carolina412 .250615  .286
Texas A&M28 .200810  .444
Vanderbilt313 .188916  .360
2021 SEC tournament winner
* Ineligible for postseason due to self-imposed postseason ban.

The 2020–21 Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Mississippi State University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Ben Howland, and played their home games at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi as a member of the Southeastern Conference. In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they finished the season 18–15, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in ninth place. They defeated Kentucky in the second round of the SEC tournament before losing to Alabama in the quarterfinals. They received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament as the fourth seed in the Saint Louis bracket. There they defeated Saint Louis,[1] Richmond,[2] and Louisiana Tech[3] to advance the championship game where they lost to Memphis.

Previous season

The Bulldogs finished the 2019–20 season 20–11, 11–7 in SEC play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They were set to be the No. 4 seed in the SEC tournament with a bye to the quarterfinals. However, the SEC Tournament[4] and all other postseason tournaments were canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Nick Weatherspoon0G6'2"185JuniorCanton, MSDeclared for the 2020 NBA draft
Reggie Perry1F6'10"250SophomoreThomasville, GADeclared for the 2020 NBA draft; selected 57th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers
Elias King2F6'8"205FreshmanAtlanta, GATransferred to Middle Tennessee
Devin Butts4G6'5"175FreshmanMacon, GATransferred to Louisiana
Tate Clayton10G6'2"170JuniorTupelo, MSWalk-on; left the team
Robert Woodard II12G6'7"235SophomoreColumbus, MSDeclared for the 2020 NBA draft; selected 40th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies
Reggie Miller13G6'5"185SeniorSaltillo, MSGraduated
Prince Oduro15F6'8"250Redshirt SophomoreToronto, ONTransferred to South Florida
Mitchell Storm20F6'7"200SeniorMadison, MSGraduated
KeyShawn Feazell22F6'8"225JuniorNew Hebron, MSTransferred to McNeese State
Tyson Carter23G6'4"175SeniorStarkville, MSGraduated
E. J. Datcher45C6'10"260SeniorHarpersville, ALGraduated

Roster

2020–21 Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G/F 0 Jalen Johnson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) RS SrLouisiana–Lafayette Baton Rouge, LA
G 1 Iverson Molinar 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoVeritas Prep (CA) Panama City, Panama
F 2 Javian Davis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)245 lb (111 kg) RS SoAlabama Canton, MS
G 3 D. J. Stewart Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS SoRiverside HS Grace, MS
G/F 4 Cameron Matthews 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)220 lb (100 kg) FrOlive Branch HS Olive Branch, MS
G 5 Deivon Smith 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)165 lb (75 kg) FrGrayson HS Loganville, GA
G/F 11 Andersson Garcia 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrHamilton Heights Christian Academy Moca, DR
F 20 Derek Fountain 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrHolly Springs HS Holly Springs, MS
G 21 Justin Rumph 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)215 lb (98 kg) RS JrSouthern Union State CC Birmingham, AL
F 24 Abdul Ado 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)255 lb (116 kg) RS SrHamilton Heights Christian Academy Lagos, Nigeria
G 25 Isaac Stansbury 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)160 lb (73 kg) SoGreenwood HS Bowling Green, KY
F 30 Andrew Junkin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)240 lb (109 kg) RS SoNew Hope HS New Hope, MS
F 32 Quinten Post 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)240 lb (109 kg) SoCartesius Lyceum HS Amsterdam, Netherlands
G 33 Reggie Morris 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)160 lb (73 kg) FrGrandview HS Grandview, MO
F 35 Tolu Smith 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)245 lb (111 kg) RS SoWestern Kentucky Bay St. Louis, MS
G/F 55 Keondre Montgomery 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrForest Hill HS Jackson, MS
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: March 30, 2021

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 25, 2020*
7:30 p.m., CBSSN
vs. Clemson
Space Coast Challenge
L 42–53  0–1
 12  Tied  10  T. Smith  2  Stewart Jr.  Titan Field House (0)
Melbourne, FL
November 26, 2020*
5:00 p.m., CBSSN
vs. Liberty
Space Coast Challenge
L 73–84  0–2
 20  Tied  7  T. Smith  5  D. Smith  Titan Field House (0)
Melbourne, FL
November 30, 2020*
7:00 p.m., SECN
Texas State W 68–51  1–2
 23  Stewart Jr.  8  Davis  5  Matthews  Humphrey Coliseum 
Starkville, MS
December 4, 2020*
7:00 p.m., SECN+
North Texas W 69–63  2–2
 16  Stewart Jr.  9  Ado  3  Matthews  Humphrey Coliseum (1,877)
Starkville, MS
December 8, 2020*
8:00 p.m., SECN
Jackson State W 82–59  3–2
 21  Molinar  12  T. Smith  4  Molinar  Humphrey Coliseum (1,889)
Starkville, MS
December 12, 2020*
2:00 p.m., ESPNU
vs. Dayton
Holiday Hoopsgiving
L 82–85 2OT 3–3
 32  Stewart Jr.  7  Tied  7  Molinar  State Farm Arena (0)
Atlanta, GA
December 16, 2020*
7:00 p.m., SECN+
Central Arkansas W 81–65  4–3
 17  Stewart Jr.  10  T. Smith  5  Stewart Jr.  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
December 21, 2020*
8:00 p.m., SECN
Mississippi Valley State W 87–48  5–3
 18  Molinar  12  T. Smith  5  Molinar  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
SEC regular season
December 30, 2020
6:00 p.m., SECN
at Georgia W 83–73  6–3
(1–0)
 24  Molinar  8  Ado  8  3 Tied  Stegeman Coliseum (1,638)
Athens, GA
January 2, 2021
5:00 p.m., SECN
Kentucky L 73–78 2OT 6–4
(1–1)
 19  Stewart Jr.  12  T. Smith  5  Molinar  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
January 5, 2021
8:00 p.m., SECN
No. 13 Missouri W 78–63  7–4
(2–1)
 24  Stewart Jr.  9  T. Smith  4  Stewart Jr.  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
January 9, 2021
12:00 p.m., SECN
at Vanderbilt W 84–81  8–4
(3–1)
 24  Molinar  8  Tied  4  Stewart Jr.  Memorial Gymnasium (101)
Nashville, TN
January 13, 2021
8:00 p.m., SECN
Texas A&M L 55–56  8–5
(3–2)
 16  Molinar  6  Smith  4  Tied  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
January 16, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN2
Florida W 72–69  9–5
(4–2)
 27  T. Smith  14  T. Smith  4  D. Smith  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
January 19, 2021
8:00 p.m., SECN
Ole Miss L 46–64  9–6
(4–3)
 18  Stewart Jr.  9  Ado  3  Tied  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
January 23, 2021
5:00 p.m., SECN
at No. 18 Alabama L 73–81  9–7
(4–4)
 27  Stewart Jr.  9  T. Smith  2  Tied  Coleman Coliseum (2,055)
Tuscaloosa, AL
January 26, 2021
6:00 p.m., SECN
at No. 18 Tennessee L 53–56  9–8
(4–5)
 16  Molinar  12  Ado  5  Smith  Thompson–Boling Arena (4,191)
Knoxville, TN
January 30, 2021*
5:00 p.m., ESPN2
Iowa State
Big 12/SEC Challenge
W 95–56  10–8
 20  Molinar  7  Tied  9  Smith  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
February 2, 2021
8:00 p.m., SECN
at Arkansas L 45–61  10–9
(4–6)
 10  T. Smith  5  T. Smith  3  Tied  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
February 6, 2021
2:30 p.m., SECN
at South Carolina W 75–59  11–9
(5–6)
 29  Stewart Jr.  8  T. Smith  5  D. Smith  Colonial Life Arena (3,208)
Columbia, SC
February 10, 2021
8:00 p.m., ESPNU
LSU L 80–94  11–10
(5–7)
 24  T. Smith  10  T. Smith  4  Tied  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
February 13, 2021
12:00 p.m., SECN
Vanderbilt L 51–72  11–11
(5–8)
 19  Molinar  6  Tied  6  D. Smith  Humphrey Coliseum (0)
Starkville, MS
February 18, 2021
4:00 p.m., ESPNU
at Auburn Postponed due to weather concerns. Auburn Arena 
Auburn, AL
February 20, 2021
5:00 p.m., SECN
at Ole Miss W 66–56  12–11
(6–8)
 17  Molinar  7  Ado  6  Stewart Jr.  The Pavilion at Ole Miss (895)
Oxford, MS
February 24, 2021
6:00 p.m., SECN
South Carolina W 69–48  13–11
(7–8)
 15  Stewart Jr.  13  Smith  5  Stewart Jr.  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
February 27, 2021
5:00 p.m., SECN
No. 6 Alabama L 59–64  13–12
(7–9)
 15  Stewart Jr.  13  Smith  4  Tied  Humphrey Coliseum (1,000)
Starkville, MS
March 3, 2021
7:30 p.m., SECN
at Texas A&M W 63–57  14–12
(8–9)
 18  Molinar  8  D. Smith  6  D. Smith  Reed Arena (901)
College Station, TX
March 6, 2021
12:00 p.m., SECN
at Auburn L 71–78  14–13
(8–10)
 20  Smith  9  Smith  2  Tied  Auburn Arena (1,824)
Auburn, AL
SEC Tournament
March 11, 2021
11:00 a.m., SECN
(9) vs. (8) Kentucky
Second Round
W 74–73  15–13
 21  Molinar  11  T. Smith  10  Stewart Jr.  Bridgestone Arena (1,733)
Nashville, TN
March 12, 2021
11:00 a.m., ESPN
(9) vs. (1) No. 6 Alabama
Quarterfinals
L 48–85  15–14
 18  Molinar  11  Ado  2  Tied  Bridgestone Arena (2,186)
Nashville, TN
NIT
March 20, 2021
4:00 pm, ESPN
(4) vs. (1) Saint Louis
First Round – Saint Louis Bracket
W 74–68  16–14
 20  Stewart Jr.  7  Ado  6  Stewart Jr.  Comerica Center (751)
Frisco, TX
March 25, 2021
5:00 pm, ESPN2
(4) vs. (2) Richmond
Quarterfinals – Saint Louis Bracket
W 68–67  17–14
 22  Stewart Jr.  11  Ado  5  Stewart Jr.  UNT Coliseum (935)
Denton, TX
March 27, 2021
2:00 pm, ESPN
(4) vs. (4) Louisiana Tech
Semifinals
W 84–62  18–14
 25  Molinar  7  Tied  4  Stewart Jr.  Comerica Center 
Frisco, TX
March 28, 2021
11:00 am, ESPN
(4) vs. (1) Memphis
Championship
L 64–77  18–15
 19  Matthews  11  Ado  3  Tied  Comerica Center 
Frisco, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

Source[6][7]

References

  1. "Mississippi State vs. Saint Louis - Game Recap - March 20, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  2. "Mississippi State vs. Richmond - Game Recap - March 25, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  3. "Louisiana Tech vs. Mississippi State - Game Summary - March 27, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  4. "2020 SEC Tournament canceled Thursday amid coronavirus pandemic concerns". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  5. "2020 NCAA Tournament canceled due to growing threat of coronavirus pandemic". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  6. "2020-21 Mississippi State Bulldogs Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  7. "2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule". Mississippi State. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
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