Behind Enemy Lines: SFA at Mississippi State Q&A with FWTCT

After a couple weeks of cupcakes, the Stephen F. Austin men's basketball season is entering challenging territory. The first of three games against SEC foes this season begins on Wednesday as the Lumberjacks take on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State in Starkville. 

As we prepare for the bout, we caught up with Ethan Lee, editor of For Whom the Cowbell Tolls, an SB Nation affiliate for fans of Mississippi State. In our second "Behind Enemy Lines" edition of the season, let's head out to to Starkville and see what's happening in Bulldog territory:

Abdul Ado made an impressive debut this weekend and looks like a mismatch for SFA on the interior. What is his ceiling as a redshirt freshman this season and how much is Mississippi State counting on him to be competitive in the SEC?

Ethan: Abdul Ado was certainly missing a year ago. State struggled to have a presence down low that could really contend against sturdier power forwards and centers, and the Bulldogs have lost a lot of matchups because of that. Enter Ado and those problems, more or less, can disappear to an extent. His physical prowess will give a lot of teams fits, and the speed that he moves at that position can be a difference maker for the Bulldogs. I'm not quite sure what to make of his ceiling yet, but Ben Howland certainly wants him to be an impact player.

With so much returning talent and a third season under Ben Howland, is this the year the Bulldogs take a step forward into an NCAA Tournament berth or does that kind of talk remain premature?

Ethan: Historically, the third year is when things come together for Ben Howland rebuild projects. And there's a lot of cautious optimism amongst Mississippi State fans. Given that, as a student, I never saw a winning season, I'm hesitant to say that it will happen. All that said, it is more than possible that State can sneak into the tournament given how talented this roster is. Will it happen remains to be seen.

What is the best way for the Bulldogs to attack offensively in this matchup?

Ethan: As someone who casually watches basketball and is certainly no expert, I'm going to want you take what I say here with a bit of a grain of salt. It feels like the best way for State to attack is to utilize Quinndary Weatherspoon, Lamar Peters, and Aric Holman to spread the Lumberjacks out and allow Ado to snag any misses and put them back up.

What kind of outcome do you need to see to be content if you're a Mississippi State fan? What players need to show up in this matchup?

Ethan: For me to personally be content, given the lack of success over the past few years, I just want a win. MSU certainly has the talent and the athletes to do this, but the Lumberjacks have surprised some teams in recent years. I'd be content with a win, disappointed with a loss, and ecstatic if the win is by double digits.

What aspect of SFA's team presents the biggest threat to Mississippi State in this matchup?

Ethan: I don't know if there's a specific aspect that is a huge threat, but the fact that Kevon Harris, Shannon Bogues, and TJ Holyfield are all essentially averaging 20 points per game with Harris and Holyfield also averaging over 8 rebounds per game certainly grabs my attention and concerns me a bit. Add that in to the fact that it hasn't been that long since the Lumberjacks were in the midst of the NCAA tournament, I'm not going to dismiss anything about this team.

Realizing this is the week of a rivalry game in football, what kind of attention does basketball get in Starkville during November?

Ethan: I think it's important to remember that this is the day right before the Battle for the Golden Egg, Thanksgiving, and Mississippi State men's basketball hasn't had a winning season in half a decade, so fans have been a bit weary to have their hearts broken. Add in the fact that the matchup with Stephen F. Austin is probably going to go unnoticed by most casual fans, and this game probably won't get as much attention as it deserves. Right or wrong, that's unfortunately how it is. I will say that I believe that there is a growing interest in what this team might be able to accomplish.

All of that said, the women's basketball team beat UConn last season ending a historic winning streak and played for a national title. And they're getting a ton of attention, which they certainly deserve.

That had no real bearing on this conversation, but MSU women's basketball team deserves recognition. And the men's basketball team has hurt me too many times.

What is your prediction?

Ethan: I do think the Bulldogs will win this one. Largely because of Abdul Ado. He's growing up right before our eyes, registering his first career double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes against Green Bay, his second career game.

Give me the Bulldogs, 75-72