NOTES 2022-23 PRESEASON NOTES Sam Purcell Named Head Coach
• On March 12, 2022, Sam Purcell was named the ninth head coach in program history. • Purcell, a native of Dalton, Ga., came to Mississippi State with 19 years of coaching expereince under his belt, including the last nine as an assistant and associate coach at Louisville. • Purcell has a long line of elite coaching mentors: Jeff Walz (Louisville head coach), Nell Fortner (Georgia Tech head coach) and Joe Ciampi (former Auburn head coach and 2005 Hall of Fame inductee). • Known as an elite recruiter, all nine of the recruiting classes that Purcell assisted with ranked in the top 15 by ESPN. Twice he has landed the nations top recruit, once while at Louisville (Dana Evans) and once at Georgia Tech (Kaela Davis). • He helped Louisville reach two Final Fours, win five ACC Championships and post a combined 9-year record of 262-47 (.847).
Sam Purcell Hires Elite Coaching Staff
• After being hired, and while still coaching Louisville during their Final Four run, new head coach Sam Purcell put together an elite coaching staff. • Gabe Lazo, a native of Miami, Fla., was the first assistant coach added to Purcell’s staff on March 25. Lazo came to Mississippi State after spending the last three seasons with Carolina McCombs at George Washington and Stony Brook. • Joi Williams, named Assistant AD for Women’s Basketball on April 5, will lead the business efforts for Purcell’s staff. She will be a resource for the student-athletes and coaching staff with 13 years as a Division I head coach. • Corry Irvin was named an assistant coach on April 6 after spending last season on the staff at Illinois. A native of Elgin, Ill., Irvin spent two seasons at the head coach at Saint Xavier University in Chicago and 18 seasons (2001-19) at the head coach at Chicago’s Whitney Young High School. • Murriel Page joined Coach Purcell on April 8 after spending the previous two seasons at Georgia Tech. A native of Bay Springs, Miss., Page spent 11 seasons in the WNBA and was inducted into the inagural Hall of Fame class of the Washington Mystics. Page has been in the coaching ranks since 2010 when she joined the staff at Florida, her alma mater, before moving on to Central Michigan for two years.
State Among Winningest Programs in Division I Since Start of 2016-17
• Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Mississippi State owns 156 wins, which is the 11th most victories in all of Division I. • During that stretch, State has appeared in two national title games, made three-consecutive Elite Eights and won three SEC championships. • After posting 34 wins in 2016-17, the Bulldogs recorded a program-record 37 victories during the 2017-18 campaign. State followed that season up with 33 wins in 2018-19 and 27 in 2019-20. Rank 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Team UConn Baylor Louisville South Carolina Stanford Florida Gulf Coast Maryland Gonzaga NC State
Total Wins 194 187 180 178 177 171 164 160 159
10. 11. 12. T13.
South Dakota Mississippi State Oregon South Dakota State Stephen F. Austin Belmont * wins as of June 1, 2022
158 156 155 150 150 150
Anastasia Hayes: SEC’s Top Returning Guard
• Annie averaged 20.6 points per game in 16 SEC games (18.6 ppg on the year). • Her 20.6 ppg in SEC play ranked second in the conference while her 18.6 ppg in all games ranked third in the SEC. • Annie surpassed the 20-point mark in 10 SEC games including 7 of the final 10 SEC games. • She enters the 2022-23 season season as the SEC’s leading returning scorer.
Denae Carter Didn’t Look Like A Freshman
• Denae Carter’s season came to an end on Jan. 31 due to an ACL tear. Prior to the injury, she was the best freshman in the SEC. • Led the team with 40 blocked shots. • Finished seven blocks shy of 47 blocks in her freshman season which would have passed Teaira McCowan (15-16) for the 2nd most blocks by a freshman. • Carter recorded her 100th career rebound against South Carolina State. • At the time of her injury, Denae led all SEC freshmen in every blocked shot and Rebounding category. • She ranked 27th nationally in blockes per game (2.1) ... 4th most blocks amongst all SEC players, 2nd most amongst all freshman nationally and the most by any SEC freshman. • She ranked 29th nationally in total blocks (40) ... Ranked 5th amongst all SEC players ... Ranked 4th amongst all freshman accross the country ... She was the ONLY SEC freshman ranked in the top 150 nationally for total blocks. • Ranked 95th nationally in total rebounds (154) ... Ranked 9th amongst all SEC players ... Earned the 3rd most rebounds amongst all freshman in the nation ... Was the ONLY SEC freshman ranked in the top 150 for total rebounds. • Ranked 109th nationally in rebounds per game (8.1) ... Ranked 6th amongst all SEC players ... Ranked 3rd amongst all freshman in the country ... Only freshman in the SEC ranked in the top 250 nationally in rpg. • One of just five players in the SEC, 1 of 28 in America, to average at least 2 blocks per game. • Ranked 14th in the SEC in defensive rebounds per game (4.4). • Leads the SEC in offensive rebounds per game (3.7)
New Roster Additions for 2022-23
• The 2022-23 Mississippi State women’s basketball roster features seven new faces, two of which are true freshmen. • Joining the Bulldog squad as grad transfers are Ahlana Smith (Louisville), Kourtney Weber (Florida State) and Asianae Johnson (St. Bonaventure). All three will have one year of eigibility remaining. • Ramani Parker (Louisville) and Nyayongah Gony (Miami) came to Starkville as trasfers with multiple years of eligibilty remaining. Parker, who is listed as a junior will have three years of eligibility left due to redshirting during the 2019-20 season and for the free covid year from the 2020-21 season. Gony, will have four years remaining on her eligibity due to the free covid year in 2020-21 and for sitting out last season and earning a redshirt year.
• Debreasha Powe and Aniya Palmer are two true freshmen for Mississippi State. Powe, the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, comes to StarkVegas as a four star recruit.
Milestones To Watch
• Anastasia Hayes enters the 2022-23 season just 24 points shy of 2,000 for her career. She has currently scored 1,976 career points, 464 points scored at Mississippi State. • Nearing 1,000 Career Points: Jessika Carter (815), JerKaila Jordan (845), Aislynn Hayes (837). • Anastasia Hayes has 446 career assists, 77 at MSU, and enters the new year just 54 assists shy of 500 for her career • Denae Carter sits just 10 blocked shots shy of 50 for her career and 46 rebounds shy of 200 career boards.
Strong Attendance Numbers Once Again
• Mississippi State averaged 4,691 fans inside the Humphrey Coliseum during the 2021-22 season, ranking as the 17th best attendance average in the country and the fourth best mark in the SEC. • In each of the last seven seasons, Mississippi State has ranked inside the top 17 in average attendance per game. • Mississippi State is one of just five programs in the country that has had an average attendence rank inside the top 17 each of the last seven season. They are joined by South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisville and Baylor. • Only Mississippi State, Tennessee and South Carolina have earned a top 4 attendence ranking since the 2015-16 season. Mississippi State earned the 4th best attendence per game average during the 2018-19 season (8,446 fans per game).
Stats Returning In 2022-23
• Despite playing with just six and seven players for the majority of the 2021-22 season, Mississippi State still managed to finish 5th in the SEC in points per game (71.1 ppg). • Of those 71.1 ppg, The Bulldogs return 57% of the scoring (1,167 total points). • Mississippi State also returns 58% of its games started, 56% of its made field goals, 57% of its rebounds, 53% of its steals and 64% of its blocked shots.
SEC Preseason Info
• Anastasia Hayes and Jessika Carter were named to the Media’s Preseason All-SEC Second Team • Hayes was named to the preseason All-SEC First Team by the Leagues head coaches while Carter earned Second Team honors. Preseason Coaches Poll 1. South Carolina 2. Tennessee 3. LSU 4. Alabama T5. Arkansas T5. Mississippi State 7. Florida 8. Ole Miss 9. Georgia 10. Kentucky 11. Texas A&M 12. Missouri 13. Auburn 14. Vanderbilt
2022-23 MISSISSIPPI STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK
Preseason Media Poll 1. South Carolina 2. Tennessee 3. LSU 4. Arkansas 5. Ole Miss 6. Florida 7. Kentucky 8. Mississippi State 9. Georgia 10. Alabama 11. Texas A&M 12. Missouri 13. Auburn 14. Vanderbilt
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