Latest news with #Starkville
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
When are Mississippi State vs Ole Miss basketball games in 2025-26? SEC schedule released
Mississippi State and Ole Miss basketball will play each other Jan. 17 and Feb. 14 during the 2025-26 season. The first game will be at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, with the second game at SJB Pavilion in Oxford. Both of the games are on Saturdays. The full SEC schedules were announced on Aug. 6. The Rebels' first SEC game is Jan. 3 at Oklahoma, while the Bulldogs will travel to Texas on that same day. Start times and TV channels will be announced at a later date. Ole Miss' first home SEC game is against Arkansas on either Jan. 6 or 7. MSU will host Oklahoma on one of those two days. The Rebels get Florida, the defending national champions, at home on Feb. 21, while Mississippi State will play at Florida on either March 3 or 4 in the second-to-last game. Mississippi State hosts Auburn on either Feb. 17 or 18. KeShawn Murphy, MSU's second leading scorer last season, transferred to Auburn. MSU coach Chris Jans is 5-1 against Ole Miss in his three seasons as the coach with three straight wins. The Bulldogs were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season while the Rebels made their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2001. Mississippi State has announced its full season schedule while Ole Miss hasn't. Ole Miss basketball schedule 2025-26 These are the games that have been announced so far: Dec. 2: vs. Miami Jan. 3: at Oklahoma Jan. 6 or 7: vs. Arkansas Jan. 10: vs. Missouri Jan. 13 or 14: at Georgia Jan. 17: at Mississipi State Jan. 20 or 21: vs. Auburn Jan. 24: at Kentucky Jan. 31: vs. Vanderbilt Feb. 3 or 4: at Tennessee Feb. 7: at Texas Feb. 10 or 11: vs. Alabama Feb. 14: vs. Mississippi State Feb. 17 or 18: at Texas A&M Feb. 21: vs. Florida Feb. 24 or 25: vs. LSU Feb. 28: at Auburn March 3 or 4: at Vanderbilt March 7: vs. South Carolina MORE: When Mississippi State, Ole Miss women's basketball play each other in 2025-26 schedule Mississippi State basketball schedule 2025-26 Here's the full Mississippi State schedule: Nov. 5: vs. North Alabama Nov. 10: vs. Iowa State (in Sioux Falls, South Dakota) Nov. 15: vs. Southeastern Louisiana Nov. 20: vs. Kansas State (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri) Nov. 21: vs. Nebraska or New Mexico (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri) Nov. 24: vs. New Orleans Nov. 28: vs. SMU Dec. 3: at Georgia Tech Dec. 7: vs. San Francisco (in Tupelo) Dec. 13: at Utah Dec. 16: vs. Long Island Dec. 20: vs. Memphis Dec. 29: vs. Alabama State Jan. 1: at Texas Jan. 6 or 7: vs. Oklahoma Jan. 10: at Kentucky Jan. 13 or 14: vs. Alabama Jan. 17: vs. Ole Miss Jan. 20 or 21: at Texas A&M Jan. 24: vs. Vanderbilt Jan. 27 or 28: at LSU Jan. 31: at Missouri Feb. 7: vs. Arkansas Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee Feb. 14: at Ole Miss Feb. 17 or 18: vs. Auburn Feb. 21: at South Carolina Feb. 24 or 25: at Alabama Feb. 28: vs. Missouri March 3 or 4: at Florida March 7: vs. Georgia Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@ and follow him on X @sklarsam_. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss, Mississippi State basketball SEC schedules for 2025-26
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Jeff Lebby loved about Mississippi State football's first preseason scrimmage
STARKVILLE — No defensive players were left behind during Mississippi State football's walk from the practice facility to Davis Wade Stadium on Aug. 10. The unit made sure everyone was ready before trekking to the stadium together for the first scrimmage of MSU's preseason. The scrimmage was closed to the public, including reporters, but second-year coach Jeff Lebby said that connectedness was the start of what was an encouraging performance by the defense. 'What I loved was defensively finding ways to create turnovers and some negative plays,' he said afterward. 'That, for me, was a great thing to see from the defensive side of the ball. They got their hands on the ball, made plays, created some huge momentum plays in the scrimmage. That was good to see.' Lebby didn't single out any players except for one: Kelley Jones. The redshirt sophomore cornerback, according to Lebby, had a scoop-and-score touchdown of '50-60 yards.' Jones is expected to be a starter for the Bulldogs' defense, which allowed an SEC-worst 34.1 points per game in 2024. On the opposite end, that means the Bulldogs' offense didn't limit turnovers. 'Today, the frustrating thing offensively was not taking care of the ball,' Lebby said. 'We did some really good things. We created a couple of explosives. We did some decent things in the run game, but turnovers were the storyline today. The ball is the program, and we've got to make sure we're doing a great job taking care of it. We've done a pretty good job of it throughout fall camp and doing that nine practices in.' Mississippi State doesn't have many injuries, says Jeff Lebby Lebby added that MSU is generally healthy as the first game of the season nears, at Southern Miss on Aug. 30 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN). Lots of eyes are on starting quarterback Blake Shapen, who missed the last eight games of 2024 with a fractured scapula. He has been a full participant since the start of spring practices. Sophomore defensive tackle Kai McClendon was the only player to miss the most recent practice that was open to the media, on Aug. 8, but he was already out with a torn ACL. Michigan State transfer wide receiver Jaron Glover was the only player in that practice wearing a non-contact jersey. 'We are healthy, so that's a great thing,' Lebby said. 'Really, as you look at it nine days into camp, I think our guys have taken it to the culture of recovery and finding time to make sure they're doing everything they possibly can to get themselves ready for the next day's practice. I think the growth in that has been fun to see and been really good.' Why Mississippi State is scrimmaging differently in Jeff Lebby's second season The Bulldogs have harped numerous times about their improved depth compared to last season. It has helped them be able to practice differently. That's translated into the scrimmages, too, Lebby said. He cautioned that the defense could be ahead of the offense now because seven of the 10 spring transfers play offense. MORE: When are Mississippi State vs Ole Miss basketball games in 2025-26? SEC schedule released 'I think the cool thing is that we are getting more guys getting more reps,' he said. 'There's more tape to watch, there's more film and there's more going on because we, from a roster standpoint, have been able to practice how we need to practice just to give ourselves a chance.' Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@ and follow him on X @sklarsam_. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football: Jeff Lebby loved this part of scrimmage
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How South Carolina impressed transfer Madina Okot even when Dawn Staley's team was losing
COLUMBIA — When South Carolina women's basketball faced Mississippi State in Starkville on Jan. 5, the Gamecocks found themselves down 22-13 after the opening quarter. At the time, Madina Okot, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-6 center, wasn't complaining. Advertisement South Carolina went on to recover and win 95-68, and what Okot, who has since transferred into coach Dawn Staley's program, remembers was her new team's ability to bounce back. "Very energic players," Okot recalls. "They play as a team. The general leadership on the court and how they handled pressure. We were up and they were able to control (the game)." Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson, who led the nation in 2024-25 with 25.2 points per game, was a huge get for Staley in the transfer portal. But Okot's presence in the post was something the Gamecocks really lacked last season. Okot played just one season at Mississippi State after spending two years playing for Zetech University in Kenya. As a junior, she started all 34 games and averaged 11.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Advertisement South Carolina's leading rebounder last season was Chloe Kitts at 7.7 per game. Though she only started playing basketball in 2020, she's been watching former South Carolina stars like A'ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston in an attempt to improve her own personal skills. That was a reason why Okot was attracted to Columbia, knowing how Staley produced both those two WNBA icons, and other quality post players. "That has truly been a motivating factor to me because I feel like this program can produce good forward and centers," Okot said. "I feel like I can be one of them." Having been part of the Bulldogs' season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Okot is familiar with the SEC but South Carolina is a better opportunity for more competition, she added. Advertisement Okot was spotted downtown Columbia with forwards Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda on April 19, three days before she announced on social media she had committed to the team. She said from the jump, everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming. A lot of what Staley does is basketball related but Okot said it's not just basketball that Staley is assisting with. She said Staley's kindness and guidance off the court has been huge. "She's a very, very good coach," Okot said. "I just feel so good being around her. She knows how to talk to the players when you're frustrated, when you have good days and bad days, she knows how to talk players through that. For example me, I've been having issues maybe with communication because I'm from Africa and sometimes they'll be struggling to get my English. She has been making sure that they're getting that right." In terms of this season's starters, Staley could feel Okot is ready to start and have Kitts at the four with last year's leading scorer Joyce Edwards coming off the bench. Staley might also bring Okot off the bench and start Edwards with Kitts. Advertisement Tac is 6-5 but battled knee injuries her first two years with the program so bringing in Okot as a seasoned and traditional center is a huge gain for Staley. Last year, she scored in double figures 22 times out of 34 games. Her season rebounding average ranked fourth in the SEC, and that number rose to 10.1 per SEC game. After Ashlyn Watkins went down with an ACL tear, the Gamecocks suffered on the boards at times, something Okot can assist with until Watkins returns. THREE GAMECOCKS: What channel is FIBA AmeriCup today? Times, TV schedule, streaming to see Dawn Staley's players Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@ and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball: Madina Okot on Dawn Staley, transfer
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Arrest made for multiple Starkville burglaries and car theft
STARKVILLE – A Tupelo man is facing nine felony charges for a series of offenses at a Starkville mini storage complex. Starkville police responded to multiple burglary reports July 1 and 2 at the Moreland Storage Units on Louisville Street. The management of the business worked closely with investigators, quickly giving police access to the facility's security cameras. The investigation led to the identification of Di'Quavious Gray, 19, of Tupelo, as the suspect in a series of offenses occurring over the two-day period. Gray was taken into custody Thursday and transported to the Oktibbeha County Jail where he was charged with five counts of vehicle burglary, three counts of commercial burglary, and one count of motor vehicle theft. This incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Starkville Police Department at 662-323-4131 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mississippi's crops struggle with rainfall challenges
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WJTV) – Rainfall at well above normal accumulations is impacting the state's row crops, according to officials. Mike Brown, state climatologist with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Department of Geosciences, said many areas of the state have had one and a half times the typical amount of rain for this time of year. 'Annually, we generally see around 58 inches of rain in our coastal counties, 52 in our northern counties, and around 55 inches through the central portion of the state,' Brown said. 'Mid-August through mid-October tends to be our driest period. Many portions of the Delta began the year well above normal for precipitation, but those areas have seen a drier end of May and have remained at or just below average for June.' As of late June, officials said Starkville, Greenville, Tupelo and Southaven have about 50% more rain than usual since the planting and growing season began. Meridian and Greenwood are just above normal levels, while Jackson, Biloxi and McComb have seen about one-third more rain than normal. What is the impact of the blueberry industry in Mississippi? Dave Spencer, an Extension pivot irrigation specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said frequent rains limit farmers' ability to manage their crops. 'In many areas, fieldwork has been delayed, especially on clay-textured soils,' he said. Rice, cotton, soybeans and sweet potatoes all suffered from frequent rains that kept fields too wet to plant in the ideal planting windows. About half the rice crop was planted rapidly from mid- to late-April, but officials said crop progress was delayed as weeds began to crop up, levee construction was delayed and nitrogen applications were pushed back. Brian Pieralisi, Extension cotton specialist, said he will be surprised if Mississippi growers were able to plant more than half of the 360,000 acres they intended to plant in 2025. Soybeans have the advantage of a planting window that extends to early July, so as growers are forced to give up planting the intended crop such as cotton or rice, many have switched to late-planted soybeans. Sweet potatoes are mostly grown in a small area of north Mississippi around Calhoun County, and officials said this crop is about 30% behind schedule after challenges increased in early May. Mississippi growers planted 490,000 acres of corn in 2024, but experts anticipate that acreage is up significantly this year. Officials said the rains did not hamper corn planting as much as other crops. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
