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Arnett Moultrie on Miss St. turning the year around: ‘Probably not’

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Mississippi State is a team in utter shambles right now.

They’ve lost five games in a row, and other than one stirring performance in the first half against Kentucky, this last three weeks have been an utter disaster for the Bulldogs. If blowing a 13 point lead to Kentucky wasn’t bad enough, MSU has also lost to LSU, Georgia and Auburn before Saturday’s 17 point defeat at Alabama, a team playing without Tony Mitchell.

Mississippi State’s problems have nothing to do with talent. This team has plenty of that. Their issues stem from, well, everything else -- team unity, cohesiveness on the court, effort level (looking at you, Renardo), coaching.

The question now: will this team be able to turn things around before the season’s over?

“Maybe not. Probably not.” That’s how Arnett Moultrie, a potential first-team all-SEC big man, answered that very question when MSU beat writer Brad Locke asked.
He was just getting started:

Moultrie, who transferred from UTEP last year, essentially said that the Bulldogs lack team unity and are wasting their talent.

“A five-game losing streak is unheard of at any level of basketball – especially when you’ve got all this talent,” he said.

Moultrie said there isn’t anyone he turns to on the team for leadership. Why?

“Everybody’s got their own agendas.”

He said what some teammates are saying about wanting to do big things isn’t being backed up by their work ethic.


Moultrie certainly isn’t the only Mississippi State player concerned about leadership on this team. When asked about issues he has, Bost replied “I say what I say. It might go in one ear and out the other. We’re grown men.”

Perhaps the most damning quote of all came from Mississippi State’s head coach Rick Stansbury. When asked about issues in the locker room, he said, “We’ve been good. We’ve had no problems there.”

Right. I’m all for honestly and full disclosure, but once players start venting to the media, its pretty clear that there are issues.

(A major h/t to Brad Locke for tweeting out those quotes. He covers MSU for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.)

UPDATE: Here’s the audio of Moultrie’s presser from Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger:

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.