Good coverage about State by SI in the South Regional

[msubullie4life]

SI.com

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Underrated: Mississippi State. Forget what happened in the SEC tournament; by the end of the regular season it was clear the Bulldogs were the second-best team in the SEC behind Tennessee. Jarvis Varnado is a shot-blocking menace (see below), and the inside-outside combination of explosive guard Jamont Gordon and imposing forward Charles Rhodes means Rick Stansbury's team can beat you in different ways. Gordon in particular could be primed for scoring heroics in the tournament.</p>

Overrated: Oregon. I'm not quite sure how the Ducks grabbed a No. 9 seed when they seemed on the fence for even getting a bid. Don't get me wrong: Ernie Kent's bunch can rev up its offense, but the Ducks' defense has been abysmal for most of the season. I view the 8-9 first-round game between Mississippi State and Oregon as more like a 6-11 game.</p>

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Best Player You've Never Heard Of: Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State). If you haven't seen Varnado, the nation's leading shot-blocker (4.8 per game), then you're in for a treat. He simply has amazing instincts for rejecting shots, which means any Memphis player who'll want to drive the lane in round 2 had better think twice.</p>

Of course...this sets us up for the cream theory

 

[Cohendawg]

SWAT's freakishly long arms. They hang down almost to his knees.

 

[AccountingDawg]

When you're 6'9" and have a 7'4" wing span...

 

[saltybulldog]

this is closest thing MSU will ever get to the real "SI curse"

 

[thunderclap]

of their shots. With that, we can hang with anyone because of Gordon, Rhodes, Varnado, and our defense. Without them being able to throw it in the Gulf, we're screwed.

 

[jackbaddawg]

their own ice cream company.

 

[Todd4State]

and their signature flavor could be Rocky C-Rhodes. <rimshot>