Former MSU star Hood is playing well for Duke...

[fishwater99]

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400498472

18 pts on 6-8 shooting.. 3-4 from 3pt land.

On the season 19.8 ppg, .70. fg%, .667 3pt %

I am glad he is doing well and has a chance to play in and win the NCAAT, but it would have been nice to see him in Maroon.
He should be a 1st round draft pick and I hope he does well in the NBA...

Here are some of our other former players giving it a go in The NBA...

Moultrie is out with an ankle injury for the 76'ers and should be back in January.

Romero Osby was cut by the Magic and is playing for Maine Red Claws in the D-League.

Dee Bost is playing for the Idaho Stampede.

SWAT is playing for the Iowa Energy...

http://www.nba.com/dleague/

[smootness]

It was hilarious to me to see all of the State fans wondering about whether he'd play much at Duke. The kid is a phenomenal talent, that much was evident in his one year here.

[C222]

It was hilarious to me to see all of the State fans wondering about whether he'd play much at Duke. The kid is a phenomenal talent, that much was evident in his one year here.

Are we going to do this all year? It's time to let it go.

ETA: meant to reply to the OP, not you smootness.

[hdc]

Hood is a great player and really hated to see him leave MSU. However, given what was going on at MSU when he left, I can't really blame him.

[fishwater99]

No, but I haven't seen a thread on Hood...

I also talked about some of our other former players and let you know where to follow them..

[dickiedawg]

Dead to me.

[Madkinmecrazy]

Can't blame him for leaving.

The program was in terrible shape and he wanted to do what was best for him.

Sure, I would have liked him to stay - but I can't be mad at a 20 year old who wants to go play for one of the greatest coach in NCAAB history, especially given the fact that the coach that recruited him to Starkville was forced out.

[coastdoglover]

pretty much nails it. He will be a star at Duke.



Can't blame him for leaving.

The program was in terrible shape and he wanted to do what was best for him.

Sure, I would have liked him to stay - but I can't be mad at a 20 year old who wants to go play for one of the greatest coach in NCAAB history, especially given the fact that the coach that recruited him to Starkville was forced out.

[C222]

No, but I haven't seen a thread on Hood...

I also talked about some of our other former players and let you know where to follow them..

There has been one after every game he has played this year. Plus, MSU media guys tweeting and RT'ing his stats. It gets old. He's a stud, no doubt. Wish we still had him.

[Ronny]

...allegiance to MSU exclusively & quit worring about what some showboating turncoat is doing at another school.

I don't give a damn about Rodney Hood anymore than I give a shit about Julius Randle at UK.

If MSU plays Duke this season in post season play, I'll grow interested in Rodney Hood.

Otherwise Rodney Hood can kiss my ass.

[Dawg61]

We freed up a spot for Travis Daniels. Duh

[fishwater99]

pretty much nails it. He will be a star at Duke.

Yep, He dropped in 30 tonight. Damn...

[Madkinmecrazy]

...allegiance to MSU exclusively & quit worring about what some showboating turncoat is doing at another school.

I don't give a damn about Rodney Hood anymore than I give a shit about Julius Randle at UK.

If MSU plays Duke this season in post season play, I'll grow interested in Rodney Hood.

Otherwise Rodney Hood can kiss my ass.

If I could call Rodney Hood a "showboating turncoat" with a straight face, I'd probably hate him too.

Who can blame him for leaving? The fan base turned on the coach that recruited him and forced him out in a pretty messy way and there was essentially nothing left of the program that he committed to.

[TheRef]

If I could call Rodney Hood a "showboating turncoat" with a straight face, I'd probably hate him too.

Who can blame him for leaving? The fan base turned on the coach that recruited him and forced him out in a pretty messy way and there was essentially nothing left of the program that he committed to.

I preface this statement by saying that I was a fairly loyal Stans supporter, until I heard some news from the locker room. Stans for the last few years had absolutely no control over the locker room or the team. It was evident as someone who rode on the plane with the team to Gainesville for the UF game in 2011 told me that he heard the whole team cursing on the plane with Rick and his whole family (with young children) about 3 rows ahead of them. He also said that the players routinely referred to Stans as Rick. Just Rick. Not Coach. Coach Stansbury. Nothing like that...just Rick. Stansbury was one hell of a recruiter, but not a very good coach. Also, I've heard multiple reports from multiple reliable sources that some players (mostly starters) would routinely smoke a bowl before games. So I guess they played better high than sober, which is a sad fact for our team. But needless to say, a change was needed and Stricklin brought in a disciplinarian coach and it has done wonders for our team. Rick Ray doesn't take crap from the players and isn't afraid to sit someone if they get out of line, which is truthfully what we need after Stans. Stansbury had all the talent in the world to go far in the NCAA tournament, but didn't have the coaching to lead them to the promised land. That's just my two cents, take it as you wish.

[smootness]

The 'showboating' adjective was my favorite. Yeah, if there's any word I could think of to describe Rodney Hood, it would undoubtedly be 'showboating'. The guy goes nuts when he's on the court, is clearly just all about himself.

[Madkinmecrazy]

I preface this statement by saying that I was a fairly loyal Stans supporter, until I heard some news from the locker room. Stans for the last few years had absolutely no control over the locker room or the team. It was evident as someone who rode on the plane with the team to Gainesville for the UF game in 2011 told me that he heard the whole team cursing on the plane with Rick and his whole family (with young children) about 3 rows ahead of them. He also said that the players routinely referred to Stans as Rick. Just Rick. Not Coach. Coach Stansbury. Nothing like that...just Rick. Stansbury was one hell of a recruiter, but not a very good coach. Also, I've heard multiple reports from multiple reliable sources that some players (mostly starters) would routinely smoke a bowl before games. So I guess they played better high than sober, which is a sad fact for our team. But needless to say, a change was needed and Stricklin brought in a disciplinarian coach and it has done wonders for our team. Rick Ray doesn't take crap from the players and isn't afraid to sit someone if they get out of line, which is truthfully what we need after Stans. Stansbury had all the talent in the world to go far in the NCAA tournament, but didn't have the coaching to lead them to the promised land. That's just my two cents, take it as you wish.

Agreed. I've heard stories about Stans completely losing control/respect of his players. He needed to go.

But I still can't blame a kid for transferring when a coach leaves. Recruits commit to a school, but they are really committing to the coach that recruited them. The coach will sell them on the future and that is what makes kids want to come play at any school. When that future changes, I can't fault a kid for leaving.

[smootness]

Agreed. I've heard stories about Stans completely losing control/respect of his players. He needed to go.

But I still can't blame a kid for transferring when a coach leaves. Recruits commit to a school, but they are really committing to the coach that recruited them. The coach will sell them on the future and that is what makes kids want to come play at any school. When that future changes, I can't fault a kid for leaving.

It's funny, too, that we have some fans that point out the fact that scholarships are only on a one-year basis, so coaches should move players along who can't cut it...but then when a player takes advantage of that, they're a turncoat and a bad person.

Yeah, as though college athletics isn't already far more favorable to coaches than players.

[Political Hack]

I hope he has a great year. Will be pulling for him all season unless we play them (highly unlikely).

If he had stayed at State, he'd be gone this year anyway.

[MarketingBully01]

You probably are referring to the 2011-2012 season because we played Florida in Starkville in 2011. Just semantics I know but still.

Personally, I don't wish any ill will towards Hood but I don't wish him well. I think he had the best opportunity to go down as one of the greatest basketball players to play at State and be a fan favorite if he stayed. Since he left, it was looked at as selfish and rightfully so. He could already be in the NBA right now if he stayed with Coach Ray. Shit, if we had hired a name as a head coach we probably keep the kid.

[smootness]

Shit, if we had hired a name as a head coach we probably keep the kid.

I highly doubt that. He didn't leave because of the coach. He left because he knew what we were going to be last year; there wasn't much that was going to change that. And regardless, there isn't a coach in the country with a bigger name than Coach K; he had an opportunity to play for him, and I may have taken it, too.