ESPN's Women's Basketball...Way-Too-Early Top 25 (2020-21 season)

Miss. State ranked #3 for next season according ESPN. They have South Carolina at #1, Stanford #2, and Miss. State at #3

Rickea Jackson can play heads up against any team in the nation. Same with fellow freshmen Aliyah Matharu and JaMya Mingo-Young. All 3 have shown flashes of this during this past season. Coach Schaefer looked to a 4th freshman, Jayla Hemingway at crucial times last season as well. Need players like Myah Taylor and Jessika Carter to stepup, and be more consistent against the better teams, and the better players. (Note) Both have shown tendency to fade in games against the tougher opposition..not always but a tendency. Miss. State adds very talented Michigan State transfer, former McDonald's All-American Sidney Cooks. A 3rd McDonald's All-American.....in coming freshman Madison Hayes. Also, keep an eye on 6-6 center Yemiyah Morris, a big improvement this off season, and she may log heavy minutes at center. Chloe Bibby, Xaria Wiggins, and A. Espinoza-Hunter expected back. Another incoming freshman...DeYona Gaston expected to arrive as well..

Coach Schaefer is possibly fielding his most talented team since arriving at Miss. State (on paper). Additionally, the coaching staff may add at least one additional player for next season. Wouldn't count out them adding a sit out transfer (similar to the Cooks situation) as well.

Need strong off-seasons, big improvements out of everyone, but definitely....national championship run capability, potential.


(Note) Miss. State picked ahead of Baylor, UConn, and Oregon....getting much respect in the early rankings.

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Gonna be hard for anyone to match our quality of depth

The talent is sure gathering in Starkvegas. We gonna be a tough out. Sucks that SC is peaking now too.

They are still losing their experienced guard Harris and versatile wing/ forward Herbert Harrigan.

Surely SC will be returning to Starkville next year. Should be a top 5 matchup. Possibly 1 vs 2.

Rickea Jackson's former teammate at Detroit Edison, Damiya Hagemann (class 2021, point guard) is a dazzling playmaker at the point guard position. Ultra- crafty passer. Very rarely find players with her level of crafty passing skills/ability. Anyone know of Miss. State's interest level in this kid? Also, Coach Schaefer went, and watched 2021 point guard Jada Walker play back in early February. Additionally, saw where they offered Houston TX point guard Rori Harmon earlier this year.

Damiya Hagemann and Jada Walker are both former teammates of Rickea. Hagemann (Edison HS, Detroit) and Walker (USA Basketball). Rori Harmon is from Houston TX (Coach Schaefer's hometown).

Nice!

Also.......
Miss. State offered a 5-9 point guard
named Raven Johnson (class 2021, Westlake HS, GA).....back in May of last year (2019). She's a former AAU teammate of Miss. State women's basketball signee Madison Hayes. Also, she played on the 3x3 National Championship Team (USA) with M. Hayes. Raven Johnson is really good. Interesting to see she and D. Hagemann in a matchup...or she and Walker or Rori Harmon.

(Note)
Raven Johnson played high school basketball at Westlake HS in Georgia, the same school that Anriel Howard came out of.

Wouldn't be surprised if Miss. State came away with at least 1 point guard out of this group (class 2021).....
- Raven Johnson
- Rori Harmon
- Jada Walker
- (Wildcard...like Hagemann from Detroit Edison or other)

Also, coaching staff could always move Aliyah Matharu back to the point guard position if need be. Myah Taylor and J.Mingo-Young...currently holding things down. Still, expecting the coaching staff to eventually add a younger point guard....start teaching her the system, getting her ready.

This was considered a "down" "rebuilding" year and they went 27-6/13-3, 2nd in the SEC, played in the SEC Tournament Final, probably would have been a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and I think a Sweet Sixteen appearance would have been a lock. MSU is a powerhouse program.

Are the seniors going to get an extra year?

The last report stated the winter sports would not get an extra year. In my opinion that is the correct call. I hate it for T Carter, J Danberry, and the other seniors that didn?t get a chance to play for a national championship or even a conference tournament championship. However there were a large group of senior players such B Tyree from UM that were already done.

Amazing

Let’s win the whole damn thing

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RLM38654

This was considered a "down" "rebuilding" year and they went 27-6/13-3, 2nd in the SEC, played in the SEC Tournament Final, probably would have been a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and I think a Sweet Sixteen appearance would have been a lock. MSU is a powerhouse program.

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Yep. From an experience standpoint, it will be rare to have less than we had coming into this year. If we still had the kind of year we had in a year like this, then we can basically count on our women's basketball team to be elite every year going forward.

Being reported.....
Jayla Hemingway transferring

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jdelta02

Being reported.....
Jayla Hemingway transferring

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Yeah heard the same...too bad good player just not enough minutes to go around. I call it now we win SEC next year. SC will be good but they lost that senior leadership especially that point guard. Without her they lose 4-5 games one to us.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jdelta02

Being reported.....
Jayla Hemingway transferring

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Bound to happen where we lose good bench players to lower level teams. I'm OK with that, just don't lose upper level players which we aren't. It is a sign we are still a program on the rise.