Purcell tests new team with Memphis matchup on Thursday
A new season is here for Mississippi State women’s basketball.
Sam Purcell enters year three with the Bulldogs having already experienced success and disappointment. There was the NCAA Tournament berth in year one and subsequent two wins in the “Big Dance”. That was followed by State making a splash in the middle of the SEC schedule last season with a triumphant win over defending National Champions LSU only to falter late in the year and take a bid to the WBIT.
The common theme from the first two squads, however, was the team’s ability to hit 20 wins. Putting together a third 20-win season and getting back to the NCAA Tournament is now the challenge for season number three. Cleaning up mistakes to get there is the key.
“I’ve got a team that’s got a lot of pieces. We’ve got a lot of lineups we can put out there on the floor – we can go big, we can go small. I’m excited because I need to see it,” Purcell said. “Closed doors is one thing, but when the lights come on that’s a whole different thing. We’re ready and prepped for it, but let’s get this first one under our belt and go from there.
“This year reminds me of year one where there’s a lot of wow factor, but most importantly I’ve got to bring that wow together as one team.”
State puts new team on the floor Thursday
Purcell enters night one against Memphis (Thursday, 6:30 p.m. SEC Network+) with a much different team than the one that last played for him. The similarities from his first team begin with the changeover in the roster.
The NCAA Tournament team from two seasons ago had seven newcomers on it while this year’s squad has 10. Two starters return in Jerkaila Jordan and Debreasha Powe with sophomore Quanirah Montague set for a big jump.
The return of Jordan was the biggest recruitment by Purcell in the offseason. The State star has been one of the most underrated players in the league for the last few years and is closing things out this year with new faces she believes will carry on the tradition in Starkville.
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“Honestly, I feel like the players he’s brought in really help us a lot. They bring the pressure off of me because there’s so many threats on the court,” Jordan said. “Eniya Russell is very versatile and can get down hill and once she gets down the lane there’s no stopping her. Chandler Prather is very tough. She’s our glue player. She’s not scared of me but I always love the competition.”
The Memphis Tigers come into the Hump on Thursday night without any fear. Alex Simmons leads a squad in her second year that made strides in year one like taking Tennessee to overtime in a loss and hanging in with the Bulldogs in their own non-conference matchup.
After losing 106-63 to defending national champions South Carolina last week, the Tigers knocked off Mississippi Valley State 89-78 in game one Monday night. Purcell believes it will be a battel from the start.
“We’ve got to come ready to go. They’ve played South Carolina and we all watched that. There’s not going to be a scare factor,” Purcell said. “(Simmons) did a great job of playing a preseason game that’s going to put them in position. We’re competitors. I know (Jordan) is especially. She lives for these moments. She came back for another year because she loves what Mississippi State is about. To be opening up this week, I think we’re tired of practice. We’re ready to play somebody else.”
