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On Mississippi State: ‘Our program is not in shambles’

Screen Shot 2012-03-29 at 10.09.41 AM

Times are tough in Starkville, Mississippi right now.

Two weeks after Rick Stansbury retired, leaving a coaching vacancy at Mississippi State, the Bulldogs are still without a coach and the man who was reportedly their top target, Murrary State’s Steve Prohm, signed an extension to stay with the Racers.

Valparaiso’s Bryce Drew was reportedly also interviewed the position, but he will be staying in his current position.

But reassuring words (if you’d like to call them that) are coming from a former Mississippi State player who also happens to be the father of a current Bulldog.

Ricky Hood played for Mississippi State from 1978-80 and is the father of Rodney Hood, a freshman who averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in his first season.

“Our program is not in shambles as some people make you believe,” the elder Hood told the Clarion-Ledger. “We’re going to have a difficult year, regardless, like most programs do. It’s going to be a different team.”

Arnett Moultrie is reportedly headed to the NBA draft, as is junior Renardo Sidney. Point guard Dee Bost is graduating. We’ll have to see how many of Stansbury’s five recruits for 2012 stick around. It’s difficult to put a bright spin on things until some variables are cleared up.

The Bulldogs lost seven of their last nine games in 2011-12, going from a team who won the 2K Sports Classic in New York City early in the year to a team that finished sixth in the SEC.

We may have to see who Mississippi State ends up hiring before sounding any alarms, but it’s clear that the Bulldogs have work to do.

Also in the Clarion-Ledger report is a word on Rodney Hood, saying that he will wait to see who is hired before deciding whether to leave or stay with the program.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_