Folks invited to Mississippi State

Published 5:00 am Monday, October 17, 2005

“Come and see us at Mississippi State.”

That warm invitation was echoed by many maroon-clad individualsThursday night. Friends and alumni of Mississippi State Universitygathered at the Brookhaven Country Club for an evening meal andsouthwest Mississippi alumni meeting.

MSU women’s basketball coach Sharon Fanning began inviting folksto the Starkville campus yesterday afternoon, prior to the start ofthe Sixth Annual George C. Brown Memorial Bulldog Golf Tournament.As a group of Copiah-Lincoln Community College golf team memberseagerly anticipated the event, Fanning mingled. She asked abouttheir major in school and future plans. Yes, she would be happy tosee them on MSU’s campus next year.

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Fanning was the featured speaker last night and she entertainedthe audience with her enthusiasm for women’s basketball and MSU ingeneral. “Go Dogs!”

In 11 years at MSU, Fanning has elevated the women’s basketballprogram to the upper echelon of the Southeastern Conference. TheLady Bulldogs have been powered by Latoya Thomas and Tan White, twoAll-SEC and All-American standouts.

With Thomas and White now playing in the WNBA, the game plan haschanged tremendously. Fanning believes she can put five players onthe floor who can all score in double figures.

“We have versatile players coming in,” said Fanning. “The threeseniors who are back have been to the NCAA tournament.”

For the record, the Lady Bulldogs have been to the NCAAtournament 7 of the last 8 seasons. Among the seniors who graduatedwas guard Tiania Burns who earned All-American honors atCopiah-Lincoln Community College for two years.

Burns is currently finishing the requirements for a degree incriminal justice.

Practice officially begins Saturday and Fanning said she waslooking forward to the season. Her team will host exhibition gameson Nov. 4 and Nov. 11. Her Bulldogs are scheduled to be ontelevision three times this season.

She extended an invitation to the 80-plus folks to come to MSU’SChristmas tourney. Purdue, a projected Top Ten team, isentered.

Fanning said she and her staff would be making many trips toBrookhaven to watch the Lady Panthers play basketball. Twosophomore standouts, 6-footers Swayze Black and Nikki Byrd, areconsidered to be among the best high school post players inMississippi.

Brookhaven resident Gary Blair. immediate past president ofMSU’s National Alumni Association served as master of ceremoniesand introduced Rockey Felker, MSU’s Director of FootballOperations. Felker will always be remembered as the quarterback wholed the Bulldogs to victory in the 1974 Sun Bowl.

“To me, Rockey Felker is Mississippi State,” said Blair.

Felker fondly recalled a visit to Brookhaven some 30 years agowhen he attended an MSU alumni function. He was presented with asmoker, used for cooking outdoors. “That smoker followed my familyto a lot of places, including Texas Tech and Tulsa.”

Felker said the MSU football program is in good shape, despitethe 2-4 record. “We have a great leader in Sylvester Croom.”

There was harsh reality in Felker’s next statement. “It is hardto rebuild a program in the SEC. “It requires good, hard recruitingyears.”

Archrival Ole Miss would echo that statement, especially whensome of the state’s best prospects prefer more successful programslike LSU, Tennessee and Alabama. Just ask Jimmy Johns. He wants towin a national championship with the Crimson Tide.

On the bright side, Felker said MSU’s freshman class of recruitsis outstanding. “We have quality players coming in. Coach Croomwants to build the program the right way.”

Felker pointed out that Croom inherited a football program lastyear that had staggered through “the worst three years in ourhistory.”

The final nail in the coffin was the NCAA’s probationpenalty.

Looking ahead, Felker said the athletic department was enjoyingthe new weight room and dressing room facilities. There’s also aplayer’s lounge outside the dressing room where they can relax andsocialize, either before or after practice.

It also serves as a great recruiting tool.

Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O.BOX 551, Brookhaven, MS 39601 or e-mailsports@dailyleader.com