Stansbury ready to see Varnado set blocks mark
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.
Rivals.com
10/24/9
