Men's Basketball HC Ben Howland Needs Statement Win on Saturday Against Texas Tech
Mississippi State men's basketball head coach Ben Howland has led the Bulldogs for seven seasons, but he has failed to take the team to new heights despite his storied history.
It's a hard pill to swallow for Mississippi State fans, but it's true: Howland has had the same coaching issues nearly every season. He led his Bulldogs to the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and appeared in the NIT in both 2020 and 2021. His 2021 squad even finished as the runner-up in the postseason invitational tournament. Still, one appearance in the NCAA Tournament-- that quickly ended with a loss-- isn't enough for a team that has brought in some incredible talent.
Simply put, Howland has been nothing more than average during his years coaching the maroon and white. Is it bad to be average? Howland inherited former head coach Rick Ray's dumpster fire of a program and managed to eventually form a competitive team. Being average during that time was good, even great. However, despite seven years to grow and change, Howland has plateaued. Despite having talented players such as Quinndary Weatherspoon, Robert Woodard II and Reggie Perry, his Bulldogs have never been above mediocre. Eventually, one might think that Howland would try new things to get his team ahead, but he hasn't so far.
This might be Howland's most important season as Mississippi State's head coach. In the offseason, he recruited a handful of special transfers-- Garrison Brooks, Shakeel Moore, Rocket Watts and DJ Jeffries-- to add to his already-talented roster. The team looked so good at the beginning of the year that it seemed possible that they could be serious Final Four contenders. Now, more than halfway through the season, the Bulldogs sit at 13-6 overall and 4-3 in the SEC. The team has had some great wins and some downright awful losses, but they are winning and losing to the same old teams. Howland has taken a lot of criticism for wasting the most talented group of players that the program has had in years, and rightfully so. After all, many of the team's problems stem directly from Howland's coaching decisions.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs will face one of their biggest challenges of the season. They will go up against the No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock for an SEC showdown against the Big 12 conference. If Mississippi State can pull off an upset, then it will be one of the greatest wins of Howland's time in Starkville. Not only that, a big win against a ranked opponent is vital in boosting MSU's resume with March Madness looming in the near future. The Bulldogs are currently among the first four out, according to Joe Lunardi's bracket projections.
It will be hard to criticize Howland or the team if they play a close, hard-fought game. However, another blowout loss might put Howland on the hot seat for good. Fans have already expressed that they are tired of his mediocrity and are beginning to grow impatient. Howland is going to have to turn things around quickly to prove that he still has what it takes to coach college basketball.