Quick facts: Mississippi State

Coach: Rick Stansbury (12th year) Last season's record: 23-13 Spotlight player They didn't start counting blocked shots in college in time to get Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain included, which is one reason Louisiana-Monroe's Wojciech Mydra stands as the NCAA's all-time sultan of swat. But not for long. The best pure shot-blocker in recent college history is Jarvis Varnado, and he will make that official sometime in early March if his form holds and he remains healthy. He averaged just short of 5 blocks per game each of the past two seasons. Although Hasheem Thabeet was a half-foot taller, he couldn't match Varnado's shot-block numbers. Varnado never is going to be a great offensive player. That he was the team's leading scorer last season is evidence of how much the Bulldogs struggled to find an offensive identity. But he doesn't take shots he can't make and he doesn't give up the ball easily, which is why he can be trusted with i...