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Tolu Smith reveals factors that limited Mississippi State's offense

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph•03/12/23
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(Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire)

In their quarterfinal matchup in the SEC tournament against Alabama, Mississippi State had a horrendous showing. The Bulldogs were defeated soundly 72-49 as their offense failed to find any rhythm in the game. Afterward, in the postgame press conference, star forward Tolu Smith addressed Mississippi State’s offensive struggles against Alabama.

“It was a lot,” said Smith. “They got out early, got out fast. Punched us in the mouth, like coach said, early. We was just clawing back the whole game. I think we cut it to like 11 at one point. We just couldn’t convert, so…”

Alabama led from wire to wire, dominating Mississippi State in the first half. The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 41-21 lead at halftime, looking to cruise to victory in the second half. And while the Bulldogs were able to press the Crimson Tide in the second half, the closest they would get would be a 14-point deficit with just under six minutes to go in the game.

Smith makes case for Mississippi State’s NCAA Tournament chances

Mississippi State forward Tolu Smith wants to play in the NCAA Tournament. He think his team deserves to be there.

The Bulldogs are right on the bubble as the clock ticks down towards the announcement of the bracket. ESPN Bracketology has Mississippi State has one of the last four teams in the tournament.

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The Bulldogs finished the season with a 21-12 record and 8-12 mark in conference play. Their best wins include victories over Texas A&M and TCU.

“I personally say for me I think we have a really good resume,” Smith said. “I think we have some really good wins early in the season, even late in the season. I think we had a well-rounded season.”

Smith is one of the best players in the SEC this season, finishing with a spot on the All-SEC first team. He is the lone player in double figure scoring on the season, averaging 15.8 points per game. The redshirt senior also averages 8.5 rebounds and 57.6% shooting from the field.

He also won the Howell Trophy, which is given to the best college basketball player in the state of Mississippi.