Stansbury Admits Motivation Will Be An Issue For MSU

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Rick Stansbury knows that UMass will provide a challenge for his Mississippi State team when they visit for a #4 versus #5 NIT matchup tonight.  He’s also aware of the fact that an even bigger task might be just getting his team up for the game:


“It’ll be a huge challenge for us, but there is no one to blame but us.  We had our opportunities.  Most of the time this time of the year you’re trying to play your way in (to the NCAA Tournament) and we basically played our way out.”


Indeed.  State comes in having lost six of its last eight games.  The Bulldogs — a dysfunctional bunch to begin with — fell short of preseason expectations that had them ticketed for the Big Dance.  Effort and team unity issues came to light late in the season.

Toss in the fact that some Bulldogs might just want the season to be over and it’s easy to see why Stansbury is worried about his team’s attitude.