2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs Basketball Recruiting Class

Many think that Coach Rick Stansbury might be on the verge of switching his game plan from the 4 guard system that he employed last year to a more conventional style offense. Especially when you look at what he did with his 2009 NCAA  men’s basketball recruiting class. In other words, he went for size. Even though many consider that the Bulldog season was a success with a 23-13 record, there is no doubt that the conference will be even tougher in the upcoming campaign and Stansbury is bringing in lots of big bodies in order to combat the situation.

2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs Recruits

#1 2009 Mississippi State Recruit – PF- Renardo Sidney

Ht: 6’9”       

Wt: 265lbs

ESPN Ranking: #7

Renardo Sidney at times looked to be a man playing amongst boys. Yes, he was that dominant at his position. Needless to say, score one for Coach Rick Stansbury and his staff for the signing of this talented big man. Sidney has the body and the attitude to rule in the paint if he so desires. Although he still lacks a good assortment of post moves, his face up game is incredibly potent. He shows a nice outside shooting touch for a man his size and has the range out to the 3 point stripe. His ball handling skills in the open court are above average and he has shown passing skills that leave many opponents in awe. If he can develop the discipline to keep his weight under control, this is a young man who will become a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.

#2 2009 Mississippi State Recruit – C – John Riek

Ht: 7’2’

Wt: 260lbs

ESPN Rank: n/a

As the old saying goes, you can’t teach height.  And right now, Riek is a project for Coach Stansbury. Although he is an exceptional shot blocker with a wingspan of 7feet 7 inches, he lacks the upper body strength to be effective in the low post. To put it bluntly, he needs to get beefed up especially in the lower body where many feel his legs are way to thin. This will also help him in maintaining position when he sets up in the post. With that said, he still shows surprising tenacity as a rebounder on both ends of the floor. His offensive game at this point consists mainly of put backs and transition baskets, so this is an area that will have to be improved upon in order for him to get some playing time at the collegiate level.  

#3 2009 Mississippi State Recruit – SG – Shaunessy Smith

Ht: 6’6”

Wt: 200lbs

ESPN Ranking: n/a

Many feel that signing Smith was a stroke of genius on Coach Stansbury’s part. The reason Smith was not rated higher, at least to most observers, is that he played his whole junior season with a torn hip ligament and didn’t participate in the usual summer activities that his peers did. Many feel that this is a young man who will excel at the collegiate level just due to his attitude and his work ethic. Oh, add to that he was a 30 point per game scorer even while he played injured. Although Smith can play both guard positions, look for him to be primarily a shooting guard in college just due to the fact that his excellent size will give many opposing coaches match-up problems.

#4 Mississippi State Recruit – C – Wendell Lewis

Ht: 6’8”

Wt: 220lbs

ESPN Ranking: n/a

Lewis is big, Lewis is strong, but Lewis is also unpolished. He will also need to add more upper body strength in order to compete with the more physical players of the SEC. Although he shows a good deal of athleticism, he still needs to develop a better offensive game around the basket. Don’t look for a lot of contribution from Lewis in his first year as a Bulldog as he most likely will be considered a project by Coach Stansbury and his staff.

Refs:

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/school?season=2009&schoolId=344&page=commits&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fschool%3fseason%3d2009%26schoolId%3d344%26page%3dcommits

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=teamreports-2009-ncaab-mbg&prov=sportsxchange&type=team_report

http://www.mstateathletics.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=90865&SPID=10994&DB_OEM_ID=16800

Post from: College Hoops Video

2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs Basketball Recruiting Class

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