October 22, 2009

David Fox

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury seemed to raise his voice slightly Thursday at SEC basketball media day when he talked about star center Jarvis Varnado.

When referring to the career record Varnado could break this season, Stansbury wanted his words to resonate. He spoke a bit louder, a little slower and was more deliberate.

"He has a chance to do something no one else has done," Stansbury said - twice in the span of a few minutes, just to make sure everyone was aware.

Varnado is 19 blocks shy of the SEC career record and 142 shy of the Division I record. He should clear the conference record before playing a league game. The 142 he needs to pass Wojciech Mydra of Louisiana-Monroe is within his sights, too: He topped 150 blocks in each of the past two seasons.

A career year of 183 blocks would give him the all-division NCAA record of 576, held by Ira Nicholson of Division III Mount St. Vincent.

Not bad for Varnado, who was "a 180-pound freshman, played eight minutes a game and fouled out," Stansbury said.

As a sophomore, though, Varnado blocked 157 shots. Last season, as a junior, he blocked 170, including 22 in a four-game stretch on the way to becoming the SEC tournament MVP.

Varnado decided to stay in school for his senior season, saying he wasn't physically ready for the pros just yet.

While Varnado has developed into one of the best defensive players in the country, his offense has lagged behind. Varnado has been defense-minded since high school, looking up to players such as Bill Russell and Moses Malone.

Eligibility concerns

John Wall's eligibility was questioned in an ESPN.com report.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - SEC officials Thursday declined to comment on a report that Kentucky freshman guard John Wall is facing eligibility issues.

"We are not able to confirm it," SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom said. "What's out there is out there."

ESPN.com reported that SEC commissioner Mike Slive said Wall's eligibility has been an issue for months. ESPN.com's report said his eligibility is being investigated because his former AAU coach is a former agent.

Slive was at SEC basketball media day in Birmingham earlier in the day, but had left by the time ESPN released the report.

Meanwhile, Slive also said Mississippi State freshman forward Renardo Sidney's eligibility is being questioned. Sidney's amateurism has been in question since before he signed with the Bulldogs. The NCAA reportedly is investigating how the Sidney family paid for housing in Los Angeles after moving from Jackson, Miss. Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury told media members in Birmingham that while Sidney was practicing with the team, the Bulldogs are preparing as if Sidney won't play this season.

- DAVID FOX

While Varnado is 6 feet 9, he weighs only 218 pounds. He gets his blocks because of instincts and his athleticism. His 7-foot-4 wingspan doesn't hurt, either.

Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson said he has been on the wrong end of about 20 Varnado blocks in the past two seasons. He expects something similar this season, though he doesn't want to be the guy whose shot is blocked when the Division I record is set.

"I hope I'm not on the other side of that," said Patterson, who also emphatically said Varnado "will get" the record.

Varnado's defense has little room for development. It's on offense that Varnado has room to grow into a complete player. After failing to average in double digits in his first two seasons, Varnado averaged 13.1 points per game in SEC play last season, a sign he could turn into the offensive threat Stansbury envisioned.

"We thought offensively he was pretty good," Stansbury said. "He could catch and move. He wasn't going to beat people with strength in the post, but he could beat them with finesse."

During the offseason, Varnado focused on bulking up, but he was sidetracked by a trip to Serbia for the World University Games. Varnado started preparations for the trip at 225 pounds, a gain of 15 from last season. But Varnado wasn't a fan of the food overseas and dropped to 218 despite seeking out all the American fast food he could find.

While he hasn't been able to add back those seven lost pounds, he has continued to work on his low-post moves and on developing a 15-foot jumper.

"I worked on it every day of the offseason when I got back from Serbia," Varnado said of his jumper. "I think it's going to be good. "

The personnel surrounding Varnado should help lift his offensive game. He will benefit from the development of sophomore point guard Dee Bost, who was better than expected as a freshman. The Bulldogs also brought in two freshman big men in Renardo Sidney and John Riek, who will - conceivably, at least - force opponents to pay less attention to Varnado.

Riek is a 7-1 center from the Sudan who played sparingly at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., last season because of injuries. Riek also has had difficulty with the language barrier. The 6-10 Sidney was a five-star signee, but the NCAA still is investigating his amateur status. Stansbury said that while Sidney is practicing with the team, Mississippi State is preparing for the season as if Sidney will not play.

"I don't think about things I don't have," Stansbury said.

What Stansbury does have is Varnado, whose return is one of the major reasons Mississippi State is favored to win the SEC West.

Varnado's game might not be complete yet, but Stansbury wouldn't mind a few more like him.

"I wish more guys would pound their chest on a defensive stop versus when they dunk," Stansbury said. "I like when people take personal pride in getting defensive stops. I wish we had more guys like that."

David Fox is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at dfox@rivals.com.