Dee Bost News

18 Mississippi State to a 90-70 victory over Georgetown College on Saturday. The Bulldogs shot 56.6 percent from the floor and scored 24 points off Tiger turnovers to win their final preseason exhibition game.

Elvis is just as popular in Lexington. Part Three of our weeklong preview of the upcoming Tennessee Basketball season, which tips off Friday, November 13.

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 .

South Carolina's Devan Downey, left, and Mike Holmes, right, tie up Mississippi State guard Dee Bost during their game in the Southeastern Conference men's tournament, Friday March 13, 2009 in Tampa, Fla.

Coach: Rick Stansbury . Last season's record: 23-13 overall, 9-7 in SEC . Postseason: Lost in first round of NCAA tournament to Washington.

To begin the 2008-09 season, Mississippi State had to adjust to life without Ben Hansbrough, Charles Rhodes, and do-everything guard Jamont Gordon.

Mississippi State's second scrimmage of the preseason will take place today in Scott Field, and the site is no accident: Today's scrimmage might be more dress rehearsal than a full-fledged, depth chart-determining battle.

The matter-of-fact explanation for a no-show said more about Michael Sanchez than a left-handed hook shot.

The Bulldogs likely will challenge for the overall SEC title as well. With Varnado back, the Bulldogs have all five starters returning from the team that pulled off one of the season's biggest upsets in winning the conference tournament crown.

THE GOOD NEWS: Mississippi State returns all five of its starters, and it should return all but one of the guys who allowed it to essentially go 11-deep all the way into March.

THE GOOD NEWS: Mississippi State returns all five of its starters, and it should return all but one of the guys who allowed it to essentially go 11-deep all the way into March.

THE GOOD NEWS: Mississippi State returns all five of its starters, and it should return all but one of the guys who allowed it to essentially go 11-deep all the way into March.

At the College Basketball Roundtable each week, we ask each member of the coverage staff for his opinion about a topic in the sport.

LITTLE ROCK a ' Southeastern Conference basketball coaches spent much of a summer teleconference talking about how the league will be better.

Jarvis Varnado, the country's leading shot-blocker last season, has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and will return to Mississippi State.

By returning to Mississippi State for his senior season, Jarvis Varnado has the chance to become the NCAA's all-time leader in blocked shots.

Forget the big city lights of Los Angeles. Forget the big press conference and the Southern Cal cap.

Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado waited until the final few hours before declaring himself eligible for this year's NBA Draft.