It's pretty normal for State to stink it up in the non-conference season and then get their stuff together as soon as SEC play starts. It's happened the last two years and the Dogs won the SEC West both years (split with Ole Miss two years ago). We have to remember that State has lost a LOT of players the past few years, not due to graduation. It started back with Gary Ervin then Jerrell Houston, Walter Sharpe, Vernon Goodridge, the Delks, Bernard Rimmer, Ben Hansbrough, and Jamont Gordon going to the draft. There has been a lot of continuity issues but we always seem to pull it together when we start playing conference games. UK fans will know what I'm talking about.

That said, if we would've just taken care of business at home versus Charlotte and San Diego, we'd be 13-3 right now and not many people would be saying much. Anyway. Good start to the SEC season. We've got Bama and Vanderbilt coming to The Hump next and hopefully will win both to start off 3-0.

BTW, Dee Bost shut down Lil' Wayne last night and Jarvis is going to prove once again why he is the best defensive player in the country throughout the season. He's now added a little bit of offense to his game which is more impressive this year without a solid frontcourt teammate like Rhodes a year ago.

I'm not surprised at all. Coach S has run an awesome program down there for years. He doesn't even have to punch cab drivers either.

What really gets to me is there are fans who want Stansbury fired. I can only laugh at that. Mississippi State is not a known basketball powerhouse. Coaches aren't lining up to get this job. We have a good coach as it is, and even if we went 0-30 on the season, I am not sure we could convince anyone better than Stansbury to come here. Sure, he has his problems (not the best in-game coach, can't seem to keep players in the program), but they all have some problem or another. There is not a perfect coach in this world. I didn't expect a whole lot out of this team this season. It's a young ball club that I thought would start getting it together about SEC time. Keep this up, and by season's end Rick may be in the running for SEC COY. Or, they could just as easily go 5-11 and miss even the NIT. You never know with SEC basketball

Agreed, mrw. Stans is a good head coach -- both recruiting and player development.

Also the last 10 minutes or so of that game last night were beautiful. The guys responded very well to any kind of run Arkansas tried to make. I imagine there is a little bit of coaching involved.

MSU was a stone cold LOCK getting 6.5 points. Arky was primed for the let down game coming off their upset of #7 Texas...Just like Boston College losing to Harvard after they beat UNC.... watch these trends throughout the season sports gamblers

Arky has the sweet and sour, all new starters w/tremendous talent but again, all new starters so you have to deal w/the inconsistencies, the unexplainable highs that come with the unexplainable lows.............I'd be excited though if I were a hog fan

Stansbury is a helluva coach.....he just, every couple of years, deals w/a big transfer or a guy leaving early for the league or to academics........hontestly when you get the barely qualifiers you have to deal w/those exact dynamics, truth hurts but its called shit happens ....and you just deal with it and I think Stans has and well

Mugg I vomited when I saw your signature(then i got a chubby)

We have already made WWKD bracelets. Although the answer is always throw a bow, they are still selling like hotcakes.