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Mississippi State basketball coach Rick Ray shouts at his players in the second half of their NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina in Starkville, Miss., Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. Mississippi State won 56-54. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
The Bulldogs are 2-0 in SEC play for the first time in three years, and it’s a perfect start for a young team that’s been beset by injuries and suffered some bad losses. First-year coach Rick Ray has gotten his team to believe in his approach, even if it means winning ugly.
Looking ahead
MSU returns home Wednesday to take on Highway 82 rival Alabama (9-6, 1-1), with tipoff at 8 p.m. on CSS. Then it’s off to Knoxville on Saturday to battle Tennessee (3 p.m., SEC Network).
Who’s hot
Sword has raised his level of play the last two games. He’s scored 34 points, including a career-high 18 against South Carolina. Sword has made 12 of 21 shots and 8 of 14 from the free throw line. But he’s also committed 10 turnovers.
Who’s not
Freshman center Gavin Ware has played well this season, but he’s been quiet the last couple of games. He’s recorded six points on 3-of-8 shooting with 10 rebounds.
RPI watch
MSU’s RPI has gotten a big boost the past week, but it’s still only 238. A strength-of-schedule rank of 264 has something to do with that; South Carolina and Georgia are two of the conference’s weaker teams.
Bottom line
Conventional wisdom says MSU will suffer a lot of losses during SEC play, and making the NCAA tournament remains a long shot. But for a team so inexperienced, a 2-0 SEC start could pay dividends down the line and lead to an upset or two. The overall effort, especially on defense, has become a major character trait of this team.