WKU Basketball: Missouri State Q&A With The Standard’s Alec McChesney
WKU opens their regular season on the hardwood tomorrow against a very highly-tougthed Missouri State side. In order to get a better…
WKU opens their regular season on the hardwood tomorrow against a very highly-tougthed Missouri State side. In order to get a better perspective on the matchup, we reached out to The Standard’s sports editor and Missouri State student, Alec McChesney, to ask him everything there was to ask him about the Bears.
The Towel Rack: The Bears went 17–16 last year, including a 7–11 clip in conference play, and lost in the second round of the MVC Tournament. This is a long way of asking how in the world did the Bears become the preseason conference favorites?
Alec McChesney: I think it’s a combination of the fact Wichita State departed for the AAC, Illinois State lost a ton of key players and the fact that the Bears are returning so much talent. Senior point forward Alize Johnson is one of the best players in the whole country and if he’s healthy, he will win the MVC Player of the Year Award and will compete for national awards. He’s that good.
Other than Alize, the Bears bring back four of the five starters from last year’s team, including senior point guard Ronnie Rousseau III. Ronnie left the team last January due to personal reasons, and his absence really hurt the Bears. With him back in the fold, MSU has a true point guard to push the tempo in the position-less basketball scheme.
TTR: Beyond just “they’ve been picked to win the conference,” what is the season outlook for the Bears as the regular season approaches?
AM: As the regular season approaches, it all depends on the health of Alize Johnson. I’ll be completely honest; If Alize sat out the entire year, I still believe this is a team that could win the Missouri Valley Conference. But, if Alize plays, and plays to his level, I believe the Bears have an opportunity to win 26–27 games, win the Valley and make the NCAA Tournament as a 6 or 7 seed. That’s really how high the ceiling and frankly, the expectations are this season.
TTR: What must-know names are back from last year’s squad?
AM: Alize Johnson is a double-double machine and he’s the most prominent player on the roster. But, the Hilltoppers’ fanbase may catch a break as Johnson is questionable entering Friday’s contest.
Other than Alize, the two best players on the squad are the Jarreds. Well, one is Jarred and one is Jarrid. Jarrid Rhodes is a senior who I am personally expecting to break out this season. He started the majority of the games in 2016–17 but has looked like a different, more confident player this preseason.
Jarred Dixon is a 6'4" combo guard who has played quality minutes since his freshman year at MSU, and now as a junior, he is primed to take a huge leap in scoring production and use.
TTR: Have there been any transfers or newcomers to this year’s squad who are expected to become an immediate impact player for the Bears?
AM: A few transfers came into the fold and will likely see time against Western Kentucky. Reggie Scurry is a junior college transfer who will start in place from Alize, if he does not go. He’s a 6'5" small forward who will out work you, no matter the cost. He’s not an efficient player yet, but his motor is extremely high.
J.T. Miller graduated at Howard University and transferred to the Bears last spring. He’s a guard who provides some reliability and stability off the bench, with a hint of supreme athleticism.
Lastly, Tanveer Bhullar is a 7'2" center from New Mexico State University. He’s capable of getting 10 rebounds without jumping, which is fun.
TTR: I love to learn, so allow me a non-basketball question: In three or four sentences, tell me about Missouri State.
AM: Baseball and basketball are king in Springfield. Though, the volleyball team is absolutely killer.
Hurts donuts might provide the greatest variety of donuts there is.
Springfield loves their Springfield Cardinals, but as for the MLB, the town seems to be split between the Kansas City Royals and the Saint Louis Cardinals. Missouri State’s newest school building, Glass Hall, is named after David Glass, who owns the Royals. So, there’s that.
TTR: Finally, a prediction — how do you expect things to go down on Friday in Diddle Arena?
AM: If Alize Johnson plays, I believe the Bears win 83–72. Without Alize, I still believe the Bears pull this out, taking down the Hilltoppers 71–68.
I’d like to thank Alec for taking time to answer our questions, and he’s a dude who knows his stuff. He interned with the Kansas City star this past summer and is set to graduate from MSU this coming May. I’d like to wish him the best of luck as his graduation approaches and I look forward to seeing where he’ll land in the business.
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