Busy Bulldogs host UNO

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Playing their third game in five days - all against Louisiana-based schools - the Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-2) will attempt to get back on the winning track by playing host to the Privateers of the University of New Orleans (1-2) from the Sun Belt Conference Wednesday evening on the MSU campus. Tip-off for the seventh MSU-UNO series renewal is set for 7 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum.

Following Saturday's 76-75 overtime home loss to preseason league favorite Northwestern State, in which they squandered a 21-point halftime lead, the short-handed Bulldogs dropped their second straight home decision to a Southland Conference opponent by falling, 57-46, to reigning NCAA Tournament participant Southeastern Louisiana Monday night in Starkville. MSU played Monday's contest against the Lions without five eligible players, including two starters, who were not dressed out for the game due to injury or illness (Dietric Slater-ankle; Piotr Stelmach-ankle; Charles Rhodes-sick; Richard Delk-foot; and Billy Begley-elbow).

The recent consecutive setbacks mark the first time in 20 years (1985-86) that a Mississippi State team has dropped back-to-back home decisions to non-conference opponents. In addition to standing as MSU's lowest scoring output since dropping a 47-46 first-round decision to Butler during the 2003 NCAA East Regional played in Birmingham, Ala., State's 25.5 percent shooting effort from the field against Southeastern earlier in the week marked the team's lowest field-goal percentage in a game since hitting only 24.2 percent from the field in a 72-71 overtime loss to Old Dominion during the 1996 Puerto Rico Holiday Classic played in San Juan. In last Saturday's narrow loss to Northwestern State, MSU had its 18-game home winning streak versus non-conference opposition snapped.

Prior to the club's recent home losses, coach Rick Stansbury's new-look State squad got out of the gates with a quick 3-0 start by recording home victories over Chattanooga (64-48) and Arkansas State (68-63) before extending the team's non-conference road winning streak to 15 consecutive games with last Wednesday's 53-38 win at Charlotte. In the Charlotte contest, MSU held the 49ers to their lowest single-game scoring total and worst shooting effort from the field (21.7%) in the school's history.

As a team defensively, the Bulldogs presently lead the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (33.8%) and three-point field goal percentage defense (23.7%) along with ranking second behind Vanderbilt in scoring defense (56.4 ppg). In contrast, State has struggled early on this season with offensive inconsistency and currently rates last in the league in seven statistical categories, including scoring offense (61.2 ppg), field-goal percentage (38.2%), three-point field goal percentage (21.7%), assists (8.00 apg), and assist/turnover ratio (0.42:1).



The Privateers of the University of New Orleans are 1-2 on the young season after falling to Louisiana Tech, 76-64, this past Saturday at their temporary home facility (Herrington Patriot Center) located in Tyler, Texas. Presently displaced by Hurricane Katrina, UNO has also knocked off Belhaven(103-69) in its season opener played in Tyler as well as having dropped a 77-66 decision to rival Tulane in a designated road game contested at Reed

Arena located on the Texas A&M campus in College Station.

Guided by fifth-year head coach and former North Carolina State standout guard Monte

Towe, the Privateers are sparked again by high-scoring junior guard Bo McCalebb, who is averaging 21.7 points per game this season after finishing the 2004-05 campaign ranked fifth nationally in scoring at 22.6 points per contest. Sophomore swingman James Parlow and junior guard Jamie McNeilly are also averaging in double figures at 13.7 and 12.7 points an outing, respectively.

Winding down a hectic season-opening slate of playing their first six games over a 12-day period (Nov. 19-30), the Bulldogs stay at home to welcome the Santa Clara Broncos this Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) in a contest slated to be televised regionally by Fox Sports Net South/Sunshine Network.

MSU then closes out its five-game homestand the following Saturday (Dec. 10) against

Sun Belt Conference newcomer Troy University.
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Stumbling Bulldogs try again to establish rhythm on court



STARKVILLE ? Lawrence Roberts is not walking through the Humphrey Coliseum doors.

He may be back to visit when the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies have a break in their season, but not in a Mississippi State uniform. Neither will the other four seniors from last season. And the next time former State guard Gary Ervin arrives, it will be in Arkansas apparel.

This season, with inexperienced starters and freshmen bench players, will be different from the last few. That reality became clear after MSU, a team that has qualified for the last four NCAA Tournaments, lost two straight non-conference homes games for the first time since 1985.

"At the end of the year, these games add up," said MSU senior center Wesley Morgan, after grabbing 21 rebounds in a loss to Southeastern Louisiana on Monday. "These losses add up. That's what the NCAA is looking at when tourney time comes around."

The problems for MSU ? which hosts New Orleans of the Sun Belt Conference at 7 tonight ? have been compounded by injuries or illness that left the Bulldogs with just eight players Monday. Starters Dietric Slater and Piotr Stelmach and sixth-man Charles Rhodes all missed the game. Rhodes should be back tonight.

For a team that already lost its top six scorers from last season, including the All-American Roberts, it has been difficult to handle.

"I don't know quite where to start with this team," said coach Rick Stansbury, before turning his attention to his team's psyche.

"It's been a challenge. There is a fine line between prodding kids, staying positive, and being patient. It's been hard to get a rhythm because of the makeup of this team."

Monday's starting five, for instance, featured a combined 6.7 points and 22.5 minutes from last season. Jamall Edmondson and Morgan were the only non-freshmen in the lineup.

Edmondson, who played 38 minutes because backup point guard Richard Delk is injured, can't afford to rest for long. He went 5-of-19 from the field on Monday.

And the offense is run mostly with players who've never played in it before. MSU had just three assists to 12 turnovers Monday.

"We have too many people who are one pass, one dribble and shots are going up," Stansbury said. "We can't execute enough as a team with everything going on our there right now."
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UNO road show hits bumps


Towe expects team to just keep moving in right direction

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

UNO is 0-2 against Division I opponents, and both losses were to teams the Privateers defeated last season.

Now for the really bad news.

During the next month, UNO plays six of its seven games away from its temporary home in Tyler, Texas, starting tonight at Mississippi State.

"It's not a situation conducive to us having a great month," UNO coach Monte Towe said. "But it's the hand we've been dealt, and we have to stay positive and live with it."

Pre-Katrina, the Privateers' schedule wasn't so daunting.

Tonight's game would have meant a five-hour bus drive to Starkville, then a drive back after the game.

Instead, UNO has an eight-hour drive from Tyler. The team won't be returning afterward, but will travel to Jackson, Miss., for two days of practice before Saturday's game at Southern Miss.

The detour to Jackson is necessary because there are no rooms available in Hattiesburg. The Southern Miss game originally was to have been played at Lakefront Arena.

It doesn't end there.

On Dec. 13, what would have been a 90-minute bus ride from New Orleans to LSU becomes a seven-hour ride from Tyler. A Dec. 29 home game against Norfolk State became a road game at Lawrence, Kan., against the Jayhawks.

The Privateers' other games during the stretch are at Purdue on Dec. 17 and at Vanderbilt on Dec. 20.

Also, last Saturday's game in Tyler against Louisiana Tech was originally scheduled for Lakefront Arena, and the trip to play Tulane last Tuesday went from a 30-minute ride to a three-hour one from Tyler to College Station, Texas.

Towe said the situation has made him readjust his thinking about his team's goals.

"I hate losing," he said. "And I know that, ultimately, we are judged on wins and losses.

"But this year, more than any other that I have been a coach, I am judging our team on the progress we're making, and I'm seeing that."

For example, Towe said he liked his team's more aggressive attitude, especially in rebounding, in the 76-64 loss to Louisiana Tech.

Forward Nate Parker, who had been largely ineffective in a loss to Tulane earlier in the week, had his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

"I felt like we didn't pay enough attention to him down the stretch," Towe said. "We're going to start doing that, because Nate has the ability to really help us."

On the other hand, guard Bo McCalebb had only 14 points after averaging 25.5 in the Privateers' first two games.

"Bo puts a lot of pressure on himself, and sometimes he feels like he's letting everybody down when things aren't going well," Towe said. "We've got to get some of the pressure off him."

Towe added he would do that by playing Jamie McNeilly more at point guard tonight.

Meanwhile, Mississippi State has been having problems of its own.

The Bulldogs, who have been to four straight NCAA Tournaments and have been ranked most of the time during that span, lost Saturday to Northwestern State, blowing a 21-point halftime lead, and on Monday to Southeastern Louisiana, 57-46.

The 46 points were the fewest scored by the team in the eight-year Rick Stansbury era, and it was the first time the Bulldogs have lost back-to-back non-conference games since 1985.

Two starters, Piotra Stelmach and Dietric Slater, missed the SLU game with injuries, and three others were out because of illness or injury, forcing the Bulldogs to start three freshmen.

The status of Stelmach and Slater for tonight is unknown.

"Well, obviously Mississippi State has some problems, but we can't let that affect us one way or the other," Towe said. "I would imagine they won't be in a very good mood."

Keeping his team in a good mood is a prime goal for Towe between now and the start of Sun Belt Conference play in January.

"In my heart, I feel like we would have beaten Louisiana Tech if that game had been at Lakefront Arena. But there's nothing we can do about it," he said. "We can't get bogged down in what we have or don't have.

"We'll keep moving forward, keep the attitudes up, see where we are by the time we start conference."

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