Energized Bulldogs deliver own message....

[Greenhead22]

March 19, 2005

Energized Bulldogs deliver own message

By Rick Cleveland
rcleveland@clarionledger.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One week after Mississippi State bowed out of the SEC Tournament, playing without passion or precision, the Bulldogs stormed into the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night by playing inspired, smart basketball.

In fact, State played its most complete game of the 2004-05 season in blowing away Stanford 93-70 to advance to a Sunday matchup with the top-seeded Duke Blue s.

Know this: If Duke plays as it did in a shaky, 57-46 first-round victory over Delaware State — and State continues to play as the Bulldogs did against Stanford — State could be playing more March basketball than anyone expected.


Rick Cleveland
And wouldn't that be a heck of a note?

Three years ago, the Bulldogs came into the tournament as a No. 3 seed. Two years ago, they came in as a No. 5. Last season, they were a 2-seed. And none of those three much more accomplished teams lasted past the first weekend.

This time, the Bulldogs limped into the tournament with a No. 9 seed and with coach Rick Stansbury criticizing their passion and toughness. They fell 12 points behind Stanford in the first half. And then, well, then they turned into monsters. Over the last 25 minutes of the game, State outscored Stanford 66-31. That's right: 66 to 31.

The maroon and white uniforms were the same. The Bulldogs wore the same numbers. But they looked like a new team.

Nobody epitomized that more than senior center Marcus Campbell, a 7-foot-1 enigma who has always seemed to have so much potential, but had appeared to be playing out his college career without ever reaching it.

Here Friday night, Campbell played like a guy who could still play for a lot of money someday. Big Marcus made the most of his 18 minutes, scoring eight points, grabbing four rebounds, blocking four shots and altering several others. He even flicked one no-look, behind-the-head, Magic Johnson-type pass that led to an Ontario Harper layup and drew one of the biggest roars of the night from the crowd at Charlotte Coliseum.

"I don't know where that came from," Campbell said,when asked about the pass. "I just saw Harp going back door and got it to him any way I could. I didn't even think about it."

You almost had to ask yourself: Who is that guy wearing Marcus Campbell's skin?

"When Marcus Campbell plays like that, we're awful good," Stansbury said. "His size inside takes some of the defensive pressure off Lawrence (Roberts) and gets us more open looks from outside."

He's right. But then so many of the Dogs saved their best performances for when it counted most.

Little Gary Ervin, the often-out-of-control point guard, ran the show with smarts as well as his usual quickness, and he did it against Chris Hernandez, one of the nation's best point guards.

Winsome Frazier and Shane Power both found the 3-point touch that had abandoned them late in the season. Frazier hit 6 of 8 treys including several deep ones. Power hit 2 of 4.

And Lawrence Roberts played as well as he has played in his remarkable two State seasons since transferring from Baylor.

Most of all, State played as a team. The Bulldogs shared the basketball; they worked for open shots, and they hit them.

Said Roberts: "We've got a lot of seniors who aren't ready to quit playing. We don't want to go home."

Next up: mighty Duke.

"Duke's Duke, but if we come with energy, it will be a good game," Roberts said.

Said Stansbury: "It's a heckuva note, you beat Stanford and you got Duke staring at you."

If Duke watched late Friday night, the guess here is the Bulldogs got the Blue s' attention.

[Double R 2]

Great game, wish they'd played like that all year!