Pete Wickham Grind City M

MEMPHIS – It was just two random moments on the FedExForum court that Ivan Rabb wants to make his permanent home. Moments that, when they started, seemed like sensationally creative ideas.

Each time, Rabb was in midair for an alley-oop pass that was off target. But while they didn’t result in thundering dunks for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle, Rabb deftly controlled the errant passes, made the necessary midcourse adjustments and cradled the ball home for a couple of buckets.

“If I can catch it,” Rabb said with quiet assurance, “I know I can finish.”

No oohs or ahhs from the crowd watching the Hustle, who were house-sitting during a Thanksgiving weekend night when the parent Grizzlies were out of town. But in the bigger context, the plays added to a growing catalogue of “Oh, my!” moments as fans, coaches and teammates watch the 20-year-old Californian’s surprisingly polished skill set.

“I think everyone knows he’s as skilled as any big man in the G League now,” Hustle coach Glynn Cyprien said. “He has all the tools for a guy his size, a high basketball IQ and he’s been phenomenal, not just in his individual play, but his ability to know how to get guys into the right position and into our sets.”

That increasingly busy development process for Rabb continues Wednesday night, when the No. 35 overall pick in last June’s draft suits up again for the Hustle at Landers Center against Iowa.

Rabb contributes 16 points and 12 rebounds to the Hustle win over Stars.

Cyprien said he recruited the former McDonald’s All-American out of Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, and followed his development in two seasons at Cal-Berkeley, where Rabb earned All-Pac 12 honors, including a first-team selection last spring.

Rabb was part of a Pac-12 infusion the Grizzlies added with a pair of draft night trades that netted Rabb and conference Player of the Year Dillion Brooks of Oregon as second-round picks. Brooks has stepped into a starting wing spot with the Grizzlies. Rabb, who signed a three-year NBA rookie contract, has played just three regular season minutes in two appearances with the Grizzlies.

But nobody is unhappy with where he is in his progress, and that includes Rabb.

“I’m always happy for Dillon, or any of my teammates who do well and show they’re ready (and) he was,” Rabb said. “I’m just putting in the work I need now. I know my time will come.”

Through the Hustle’s first 14 games, Rabb was nearly averaging a double-double at 15.9 points and a team-leading 9.0 rebounds.

“When he’s on the court (with the Hustle), he’s the best player out there,” said Jon Roser, analyst on the Hustle’s Facebook Live streaming video broadcasts. “He is a stud.”

Rabb shoots 56 percent from the field and adds nearly two assists and blocks a game. His plus/minus average of 4.4 is also tops on the G League squad.

“He can get open jumpers and hit from 15-to-17 feet in,” Cyprien said of Rabb’s versatility at 6-10 and 220 pounds. “He’s a good passer, a great screener and moves well without the ball. He has to get more consistent with the perimeter shots, and adjust to the physicality of the game, especially his post defense. He’s fine at this level, but it’s a whole different deal in the NBA … but it’s more a case of letting Mother Nature work. He’s got the frame to fill out in time. … and with the situation the Grizzlies have at his position, this is a player they took looking at the long-term. And that hasn’t changed.”

Rabb missed the NBA Las Vegas Summer League because of an ankle sprain, but got into four Grizzlies preseason games and said, “that gave me a good idea of what to expect and what to work on.”

That the Grizzlies’ minor league team now shares the FedExForum practice facility and plays just down the road at Landers Center has been a decided advantage to someone like Rabb. He can soak up basketball knowledge with ease. And regularity.

Grizzlies rookie forward Ivan Rabb is averaging nearly 16 points and nine rebounds through 14 games with the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League Photo Credit: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Just consider his schedule from a recent weekend, when he bounced between the active rosters of the Grizzlies and Hustle for a combined five games over a span of four days.

“I’ve been paying particular attention to Marc Gasol and JaMychal Green,” Rabb said of his Grizzlies’ mates at the center and power forward positions. “They do things differently but are outstanding at what they do. I want to take certain aspects of each of their games and incorporate it into what I do.”

Cyprien said the chance to work and practice with the Hustle’s other rookie big men in Austin Nichols and Chance Comanche has paid dividends across the board.

“Austin plays a physical game and Chance has a long wingspan, so that provides Ivan with a good challenge every time we work out,” Cyprien said.

Perhaps Rabb’s most memorable performance so far came in the Hustle’s first road game on Nov. 15 against the Canton Charge. Rabb battled against longtime NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins, who is looking to make it back to the NBA after two seasons away from the game. Rabb more than held his own, scoring 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting and adding 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.

“He gained a ton of confidence,” Cyprien said.

But Rabb’s least memorable moment involved spending 10 days in the NBA’s concussion protocol after taking a blow to the back of the head during a game.

“I don’t know who got me,” Rabb said. “All I know is that I was out cold.”

Since coming back from a two-game absence, Rabb’s scoring has dipped slightly and he’s faced constant double-teams from opposing defenses. Cyprien said Rabb is now learning how to adjust to commanding more attention and fewer one-on-one matchups. Rabb is also trying to regain his rhythm and timing.

“It’s going to take time for him to get back in condition,” Cyprien said. “He could do nothing in terms of workouts or activity the full 10 days, and that puts you back. He’s working hard to get back. It’s coming.”

“I just have to work hard and keep getting reps,” Rabb said.

Cyprien said the enthusiasm for his current situation will serve Rabb well.

“Often you get guys on NBA contracts who are playing at this level, and they don’t try to bond with their teammates or embrace the good things, and bad things about this league, like the early-morning flights or helping with bags, the hotels and such,” Cyprien explained. “But Ivan has worked to fit in, worked to encourage and help his teammates get better. … He knows his time will come.”

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by ete Wickham are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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Hustle Focus: Versatile rookie forward Ivan Rabb staying busy on Grizzlies-Hustle development track

The “Mea Culpas” and “Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas” have all been said.

Austin Nichols insists he has made peace with himself, and the game his 6-10 frame always seemed destined to play – and dominate. Now, it’s strictly about what Nichols can do with a basketball in his hands back on his home turf as a member of the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ NBA G League team.

“I was a little burned out on ball, but I’ve fallen back in love with it,” Nichols said of rededicating himself to the sport. “I’ve matured on and off the court, trying to figure out who I wanted to be, and trying to mature as a person. I wanted to stay in the States, and when this option became available, it was great to be back home playing for the city.”

Nichols’ emotional journey comes full circle on Friday, when he plays in a game at FedExForum for the first time since he acrimoniously transferred from the University of Memphis two years ago. The Hustle will face Salt Lake City on Friday as Memphis’ expansion NBA G League franchise uses the Thanksgiving holiday break to play their lone game of the season at their NBA affiliate’s arena.

It’s also a showcase moment for Nichols, who is coming off the best performance of the season as the former five-star prep recruit and ex-Tigers standout gets reacquainted with a familiar fan base. Nichols made his first start on Tuesday and finished with season highs of 15 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in 30 minutes during a road loss to Rio Grande Valley.

That was a breakout effort for Nichols, but it’s also part of the gradual building process for the player and team. There is one big difference this time around, according to Hustle Head Coach Glynn Cyprien – who helped recruit Nichols to the University of Memphis during his stint as an assistant to Josh Pastner.

Everywhere the 23-year-old has gone – from being a Prep All-American at Briarcrest through two tumultuous years with the Tigers and then a one-game “team rules” flameout with the University of Virginia – Nichols was expected to carry his team until the NBA called his name on draft night.

This time around, Cyprien said, the bar starts low, and expectations will build gradually.

“We’re going to take it slow with him,” Cyprien said of Nichols. “It’s not for me to tell Austin that he’s going to get double-doubles every night. It’s a developmental league, and he’s going to have to learn how to play at the NBA level. There are strong, tough guys out there, and he’s going to realize this league is a lot more competitive than you think. The way he’s worked the last couple of months has been phenomenal. But our only expectation of him now is to come in and work hard every day.”

An eye injury kept Nichols out of the Hustle’s first two games, but there have been some encouraging moments since then. In a win at Canton, he logged 17 minutes and scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including his first trey. He also blocked two shots and got five rebounds but had three fouls and four turnovers. Entering Friday’s game, Nichols is averaging 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

Nichols said he’s leaned more on Jarell Martin, a first-round pick three years ago who has been fighting each year to secure an opportunity in the Grizzlies’ rotation.

“(Martin is) my age and has had to fight for his spot and develop his game,” Nichols said. “I’m my biggest critic, and sometimes I put way too much pressure on things. But Cyp kept relaying the message ‘One day at a time. One step at a time.’”

While he puts his game back together with the Hustle, Nichols is also going about the business of putting his life back together. He was the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and made first-team all-AAC as a sophomore. But Nichols then announced he was leaving the Tigers in July 2014, one of a parade of high-level recruits whose departure eventually led to Pastner’s leaving for Georgia Tech.

As a “hometown hero” Nichols’ exit left many Tigers fans angry and hurt.

“If I could go back and change the past, I would,” Nichols said, adding that the timing and method of his departure were all wrong. “I did it the wrong way.”

During the year’s wait after the transfer, he found the expectations didn’t let up in Charlottesville. Nichols said a lot of people kept expecting him to be an All-American from Day One, and that it “got all in my head” and piled up inside.

“Instead of talking to somebody,” Nichols said, “I self-medicated.”

That led to his dismissal from the Virginia program after playing just one game in 2016-17. That was the “slap in the face moment” that led Nichols – who is 20 hours from his degree in drama – to start sorting out what he wanted and needed to do with his life.

“You really don’t know what you have sometimes until it’s lost … until it’s snatched from you,” Nichols admitted. “One of the toughest things was figuring out what my options were if basketball was out. I’d have to finish school, and even now that’s part of the equation. But really the major thing I asked myself was what I wanted to do if I didn’t have basketball.”

He said the burnout started to fade during the NCAA tournament last spring. Nichols had workouts with Boston and Toronto, but got injured during the Raptors’ workout and was sidelined for a couple of months. The Grizzlies moved their G-League team from Iowa to the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., and the dance with Nichols began.

“(Grizzlies General Manager) Chris Wallace and I both had a couple of dinners with Austin to see where his head was at,” Cyprien said. “We’d heard the rumors that Austin really didn’t like basketball. But I’ve dealt with a lot of second-chance kids as a college coach. Sometimes, when a player goes through something like that, you can see in his eyes how the experience has matured him. In the back of our minds, we still think he’s an NBA talent.”

Nichols said all he had to do was look at his frame and embrace a fresh outlook.

“I don’t think I was meant to work 8-to-5 behind a desk,” Nichols joked. “With these long arms and height, might as well try to play ball.”

Cyprien said Nichols realizes that in terms of chances, “this is it” but adds “he’s got a really good support system here … there’s a lot of people pulling for him.”

It starts with the Grizzlies-Hustle coaches and trainers, and his family in Collierville. Nichols insists he’s learned from mistakes in the past and is focused on rebuilding his basketball career with the Hustle.

“One of the biggest things I learned is I realize I’m stronger than what I tell myself,” he said. “Because I had a setback, it wasn’t the end of the world. If you keep dwelling on the past, you can’t move forward.”

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Pete Wickam are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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Hustle Focus: Maturity and Memphis’ NBA G League squad offer Nichols redemptive shot at hoops under FedExForum spotlight

MEMPHIS – It’s fodder for a fairytale coaching story.

Consider the details: a guy waits a lifetime for a head coaching gig – then gets all of 30 minutes to let it sink in. Meet Glynn Cyprien, who can only smile about the … uh, timeline … that led to his being put in charge of the Memphis Grizzlies’ NBA G-League Iowa affiliate last January.

When he talks about it now, the smile is big enough to tie a bow around the back of his head.

“I thought my coaching days were over,” said Cyprien, a longtime college assistant who had spent four years scouting for the Memphis Grizzlies.

He retains that front-office title, but this season remains on the bench of the G League farm club. The newly-minted Memphis Hustle make their home in the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. – just 20 minutes down Interstate-55 from FedEx Forum.

The expansion Hustle open their inaugural regular season with a two-game home set over this weekend against Sioux Falls on Saturday and Salt Lake City on Sunday. It represents a new beginning for players and a revival of sorts for the first head coach in Hustle history.

“I told all the players and staff it’s like you’re auditioning every day,” Cyprien explained. “But being here, where you have access to the Grizzlies coaches and players, you use the same practice facility and weight room, it’s a huge advantage. You also get to sleep in your own bed.”

That’s a far cry from last January, when Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace dispatched Cyprien to evaluate an Iowa team that was sputtering through a 17-game losing streak and a 2-19 start.

“I get up there to take a look around,” Cyprien recalled. “And I get a call from Chris, who said, ‘We’re going to name you the coach in 30 minutes.’”

In that instant, Cyprien thought about how, after nearly two decades as a college assistant, he recently started to settle into a comfort zone in the role he had with the Grizzlies since 2014. In fact, Cyprien admits he turned down jobs the past few years to go all-in on his front-office position.

“I didn’t think I wanted it anymore,” Cyprien said of initially mulling Wallace’s offer to return to the bench. “I wanted to spend time with my kids. I thought I was done with the whistle, and I fought it for a couple of minutes. But I knew … this is my calling.”

That’s not to say he didn’t have some trepidations about it.

“First time in Iowa I get into a game, the players are looking for me to draw up a play,” Cyprien said. “And when you haven’t done that in two years … you’ve just got to be ready to roll.”

The team would only win 10 games under Cyprien, but he points to the fact that the Grizzlies signed Wayne Selden (who had been a camp signee with Memphis), and that former Grizz Troy Williams was picked up by Houston. Both are still on NBA rosters. Jarell Martin, now the Grizzlies’ starting power forward, and Deyonta Davis also spent considerable time in Iowa working with Cyprien last year.

“We had players on that team that were only looking for their own stats,” Cyprien said. “But I was telling them that there are certain things you have to bring to an NBA team, and they’re not just numbers. They want to see if you will defend, play the right way offensively, play together and play for each other. Troy and Wayne did that, and I can point that out to the guys now.”

Cyprien’s path as a recruiter, player development coach and basketball executive has carried him through positions at Kentucky, Texas A&amp;M and two seasons with the University of Memphis (2009-10).

During a stint under Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State, he helped groom Tony Allen, a player still near and dear to the hearts of Grizz fans, and whose jersey will be retired at FedExForum when he retires.

“Glynn brings a passion for player development and played a pivotal role in the growth of our young players at Iowa last season,” said Wallace, who adds that Cyprien and Hustle GM Chris Makris “understand the strong culture within our franchise.”

Cyprien also impressed during his stint as the coach for the Grizzlies’ NBA Summer League team, which reached the semifinals in Las Vegas last July.

A 51-year-old New Orleans native who played two years at Southern University at New Orleans, Cyprien said he’s going to approach the Hustle job as if he were a college coach because many players who pass through the roster will likely be the age of a college student.

“Most of the players are still young enough and impressionable enough, you can get on them and teach them,” Cyprien believed. “Not just basketball, but the growth part of it as well … how to travel, how to look in hotels and treat people.”

Over the summer, as the Hustle began their marketing campaign, Cyprien was literally the face of the franchise at several events. That will continue. With a personable style and an ever-ready, boisterous laugh, he’s a good focal point.

“The reception has been phenomenal as we’ve worked to sell season tickets and get the word out,” Cyprien said. “We plan on doing a lot of charity stuff in the area, and getting the message to (DeSoto) County that this is their team.”

Falling in line with a number of NBA teams that moved their G League affiliate into close proximity, the Grizzlies will be interacting with Hustle players and coaches on almost a daily basis. The advantages go far beyond not having to shell out thousands of dollars for plane tickets to move players back and forth.

“Our guys get a chance to watch, learn and work with Grizzlies’ players and coaches,” Cyprien said of the learning opportunities extend to his office as well. “My staff and I are down the hall from Grizzlies coach (David) Fizdale and his staff. There isn’t a day I’m not asking a question of Coach Fiz or his assistants.”

Cyprien also knows his job is not just developing players but also helping the parent club development improved strategies.

“We’re the guinea pigs,” Cyprien pointed out. “If Coach Fiz wants to try something out to see how it might work with his team, he’ll ask us to try it at the G League level and suggest tweaks that we see to make things better. That’s exciting.”

Above everything else, coaching at this level has taught Cyprien the virtue of flexibility.

“You can go through shootaround on the morning of a game, get a call and suddenly have two or three players catching a plane for Memphis, or wherever the Grizzlies are playing,” Cyprien said. “And you adapt, because it’s just part of the job.”

And it’s that ability to adapt that had Cyprien hustling to accept this unique opportunity to coach again.

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace and/or Pete Wickham are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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Hustle Focus: Head Hustler Glynn Cyprien eager to get Memphis NBA G League squad moving on opening weekend

MEMPHIS – D.J. Palmore remembers the totally eerie, but wonderfully satisfying feeling, about coming home to Memphis and helping the Naval Academy sink the hometown Tigers’ parade.

Memphis came into the game 8-0, ranked 15th in the country – and got spanked 45-20 two years ago by the Midshipmen and All-America QB Keenan Reynolds. Last season, it was Will Worth running the Navy triple-option offense on the way to a 42-28 win in Annapolis.

Palmore, a former Christian Brothers High School star, is accustomed to success against Memphis.

Navy linebacker Jerry Thompson (No. 11) returns to his hometown of Memphis, where his family owns the historic Four Way Restaurant. - Photo Credit: Navy Athletics

“It was amazing that all my family could be there, and my high school friends – secretly cheering me on,” said Palmore, who leads No. 25-ranked Navy (5-0) into town for Saturday’s American Athletic Conference division showdown against Memphis (4-1) at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Navy’s players, as one might expect, have shown the discipline not to crow too much about their recent dominance in the series.

“We haven’t talked smack – but they know we’ve won the last couple of years,” said Palmore, a 6-3, 236-pound linebacker who is one of six Memphis-area products on the Midshipmen roster.

Three of them anchor the Navy defense – Palmore, junior free safety and Cordova native Sean Williams and senior linebacker Jerry Thompson, a White Station alum. Freshman defensive backs Kerrick Jones (Whitehaven) and Cameron Kinley (Lausanne) will see time on special teams while sophomore offensive tackle Jude Hydrick (Briarcrest) rounds out the Mid-South’s Midshipmen at Navy.

While Navy recruits nationally, the program is top-heavy in talent from Texas and Tennessee, which accounts for a total of 46 players on this season’s roster. And when Navy was assigned to the AAC West Division, it allowed coach Ken Niumatalolo and his staff to promise recruits in this talent-rich region that they would have the opportunity to come home and play at least twice in their college careers.

But making the commitment to Navy extends far beyond a focus on football.

And the Memphis products who return with the Midshipmen embrace every obligation that comes with playing for one of the most unique programs in all of college football.

“You sit in a locker room as a plebe in the service academies and you realize that these are the guys you’ll be with for the next four years,” said Palmore, now a senior co-captain at Navy. “No transferring or redshirting. This is the group, and you do everything together. It’s something you never want to trade. School is hard, you don’t go home a lot, so this is your family away from home.”

Navy co-captain and Christian Brothers High School alum D.J Palmore.

While seniors at most schools are hoping to be a first-round NFL draft choice, Palmore has already secured his pick for the next few years of his life after graduation. He wants to be a Marine. That choice comes at a time when global tensions in the Middle East and North Korea loom large, and threatening.

But Palmore is steadfast in his commitment to the service after football.

“It’s a decision I’ve made,” he said. “They’ll figure out assignments in a few weeks. Most people get first choice, though there’s a chance you might have to go where the service needs you.”

Thompson, the former White Station standout, has given his preference for Naval service duty, and is trying not to pay attention to the headlines for now.

“It’s just another serious job that has to be done,” Thompson said. “It’s definitely taught me life lessons I wouldn’t have received anywhere else. There are tough times every day, but you get through it and find a way to make things happen.”

Williams insists he’s benefitted from the discipline and structure that came with his transition from Cordova to Annapolis. The group of Memphis-area prospects have learned to lean on one another while away, yet also remain connected to all that makes home so special.

Thompson’s family owns the historic Four Way Restaurant, the oldest soul food establishment in Memphis and a place that has fed the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Historic, yes. Delicious, yes. Menu friendly to a football player’s training regimen? Well, not necessarily.

“Oh I miss it more times than not,” Thompson said. “Catfish, yams and macaroni … .”

For now, Navy hopes to feast on an opportunity to climb in the national polls.

The program’s primary goals are to repeat as AAC West champs, avenge a loss in last season’s conference title game, beat both Air Force (which Navy did last week) and Army, and ultimately take care of business in a bowl game.

Navy linebacker and White Station alum Jerry Thompson.

Still, the rankings add a bit of lore to Navy’s story. The Midshipmen have now been ranked in three consecutive seasons, which is the first time that has happened since a stretch from 1958 to 1960 when Heisman Trophy winner Joe Belino was running the offense.

“It’s an accomplishment,” Niumatalolo said. “But we have to just keep going.”

Palmore has played a key role in Navy’s upswing ever since he hit the starting lineup as a sophomore. A week ago, he had three tackles for a loss, a sack and recovered two fumbles that led to Navy touchdowns in the highest-scoring game in Navy-Air Force history.

Of his 122 career tackles, 23 have been for loss and 10.5 for sacks, including a team-high six last season. All this in spite of the fact Palmore deals with significant weight disadvantage every play, something he’s overcome since his days at Christian Brothers.

“In high school, I won a state heavyweight wrestling title at 228 pounds, so I’m used to the mismatch,” he said. “I’ve definitely gotten faster. I don’t cover a lot of ground, but they count on me to be solid.”

“He’s a complete football player, good against the run, our best pass rusher and great effort every play,” Niumatalolo said. “He’s definitely met all expectations when we got him and has had a fabulous career.”

Williams, who has already lettered twice, can play any of the secondary positions, but has found a home at free safety. He leads the team in tackles with 38, has broken up four passes and forced a fumble. Thompson was moved from the secondary to a hybrid rover position and despite being just 196 pounds, is finding a home. Of his 19 stops, 4.5 have been for a loss, with two sacks and a forced fumble.

“A lot of people may overlook us,” Thompson said of Navy’s defense. “But every week you go in knowing you’re quicker than most of the people trying to block you, and you use that to your advantage.”

Saturday features a matchup of two high-powered offenses. The Memphis passing game hit a crescendo last week as quarterback Riley Ferguson tied a school record with seven touchdown passes.

“You know the QB is NFL caliber,” Thompson said of Ferguson. “And while they don’t have that 6-4, 225-pound receiver who runs a 4.4, 40-yard dash, they have a bunch of quick guys with sure hands.”

Palmore knows all about top Memphis receiver Anthony Miller. The two were teammates at Christian Brothers. So what’s Palmore’s fantasy – to drill Miller when he’s looking the other way on a route over the middle at some point in Saturday’s showdown?

“He’ll probably see me before he gets into his route,” Palmore said of Miller. “But if it happens, it happens. And I’ll say something to him about it afterwards.”

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Grind City Football: Navy’s Mid-South Midshipmen eager for homecoming showdown against Memphis

STARKVILLE, Miss.– Search through all of the vital yet intricate details that may explain Mississippi State’s 3-0 start, national ranking in the polls and strengthening threat as a potential challenger to Alabama in the SEC West, and Donald Gray’s impact quickly emerges.

He just might be a quiet pillar of the Bulldogs’ surprising start.

Less than a month into the season, and on the heels of last week’s 37-7 home thrashing of then-No. 11 LSU, Mississippi State is back in the Top 25 for the first time since Dak Prescott’s days in Starkville. As the No. 17 Bulldogs (3-0) finalize preparations for Saturday’s huge road SEC game against No. 11 Georgia (3-0), MSU coach Dan Mullen counts Gray among the key contributors responsible for the early success.

Gray, a senior receiver and former standout at Memphis’ White Station High, has led by example on and off the field in his two seasons at MSU. Among the highlights from last Saturday’s breakthrough was one that came before the Bulldogs ever scored in their most lopsided win over LSU in the rivalry’s history.

It was on SEC Nation’s ‘Game Day’ set outside of Davis Wade Stadium where popular college football analyst and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow recognized Gray as his ‘Freak of the Week.’ Tebow passionately pointed out Gray’s weight room heroics, athleticism and ability to make difficult catches.

“I’m so hyped about this dude … he’s on the all-hands team,” said Tebow, who played on two of the Florida Gators’ national title teams. “Donald Gray has the strongest grip in the history of Mississippi State. By the way, he also runs a 4.4 40. And over the last two years, he’s only dropped three passes. When you can grip like that, you can snag the football however you want. That’s a grown man.”

MSU senior receiver Donald Gray leads the Bulldogs with 10 catches for 95 yards through three games this season (Credit: Mississippi State Athletics)

At 5-11 and 200 pounds, his most remarkable feat hasn’t come in the weight room nor on the football field, where Gray has 72 career receptions for 1,190 yards and eight touchdowns and has also caught at least one pass in 10 consecutive games. It’s his work in the classroom that sets Gray apart as a leader.

As the No. 2-rated prospect in Tennessee as a high school senior four years ago, Gray committed to Mississippi State but failed to qualify academically. Instead, he wound up at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and attacked his challenges both on and off the field.

Gray received his associate’s degree after one spectacular season on the field and 18 months in the classroom. He immediately enrolled at State two years ago, and last December his parents watched proudly as he received his bachelor’s degree in sociology. He’s taking a few additional courses this fall to help determine “what direction I might want to go (in grad school).”

Mullen appreciates what Gray adds as a player, but admires his turnaround as a student and mentor.

“These kids get an invitation to walk through the door, but their priorities have a lot to do with how they walk out the door after their career is over,” Mullen said. “Donald was a non-qualifier coming out, but he quickly understood this is more than just about the game. And he’s accomplished everything he can do in the classroom in a short period of time.”

Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, the SEC's offensive player of the week, says the Bulldogs remain hungry and focused after last Saturday's dominant win over LSU.

In his junior season at MSU, Gray showed flashes of the speed and power that made him such a recruiting prize out of White Station. He was second on the team with 42 receptions while finishing fourth in the SEC with a 17.7 yards-per-catch average. Among his five touchdowns were two that came on plays of 70 or more yards in a game against Samford. And Gray’s touchdown catch last November in the Egg Bowl gave the Bulldogs the lead for good against archrival Ole Miss.

Through his first three games this season, Gray has drawn more attention from defenses but still leads the team with 10 catches for 95 yards and one touchdown. His most effective work has come on special teams, where Gray ripped off a 52-yard kickoff return in the season opener against Charleston Southern and is averaging 24.5 yards on punt returns through three games.

The Bulldogs focused on running the ball to batter LSU’s defense, so Gray had just three catches. But one key grab for 11 yards came on a third-down conversion deep in LSU territory to set up a touchdown that allowed MSU to put the game away early in the fourth quarter.

The schedule only grows tougher with back-to-back games looming at Georgia and Auburn, but the Bulldogs will continue to turn to Gray to help get them through adversity on the road.

“He understands everybody’s looking up to him,” Mullen said of Gray. “He knows how to lead, has the right personality and work ethic. And he holds other guys up to a standard. But he still does it with a fun, kind of silly personality that keeps it (loose).”

Just don’t challenge him in the weight room.

Gray is considered the kingpin of the plate drill, which involves a player doing squats while holding a number of 45-pound weight plates with their fingertips. MSU receivers coach Billy Gonzales said Gray “has the strongest hands of any receiver” he’s ever been around.

“I think my record is 21 reps, or maybe 22,” said Gray, who turns 23 in December and has learned to take advantage of every opportunity he’s had at MSU. “I know my time here is short. I want to take in every day, every moment. We want to see how much we can accomplish playing to our full capability.”

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace and/or Pete Wickhamare solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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Grind City Football: Resilient Gray supplying leadership and big-play muscle to bolster Mississippi State’s strong start

It may not be for the faint of heart, or stomach. But one thing about Rhodes College’s football team in the Jim Ryan era – it has never been dull.

“I’m a defensive guy at heart, so you never truly enjoy it,” said Ryan, a longtime defensive coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis before relocating to Rhodes. “It’s good to know you can win a close game. You win those and it helps because a loss like that can crush your team.”

The affable Ryan recently uttered those words as his team was coming off a dramatic, 45-42 comeback win at Willamette (Ore.) two weeks ago. But last Saturday, it was crush time. The highs of that season-opening triumph on the other side of the country was replaced seven days later by the lows of squandering a 28-7 first-half lead at home as the Lynx collapsed in a 38-31 loss to Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.).

Indeed, stabilizing the program is Ryan’s biggest challenge in his second season at the NCAA Division-III program on the cozy and picturesque campus of 2,000 students in the heart of Midtown Memphis.

“It’s an exact flip,” Ryan said of the extremes to which his team played from one week to the next so far this season. “In Oregon, we looked so bad in the first half and turned it around. This time, we were really good coming out of the gate, but our second half was just like our first (two weeks ago). We still need to mature a bit. When we feel like we need to press, we’re not good. And we need to play better defense.”

But therein lies the ultimate attraction of tiny Rhodes College. It may be one of the hidden football gems in the Mid-South. Since 2012, the Lynx have gone 29-18 and they’ve averaged better than 34 points since Ryan and offensive coordinator Peter Jennings came to town.

In other words, Rhodes plays on one of the prettiest small campuses in America, especially in the fall, and torches the scoreboard by racking up video-game like numbers. And, oh by the way, admission to home games at the 4,000-seat Crain Field is free.

But this exciting brand of football hasn’t come without growing pains. With one senior starter, four sophomore starters and a dozen freshmen lurking on the depth chart, Rhodes (1-1) is a work in progress. It will take time. Until then, it’s simply a case of the Lynx needing to Settles down.

That’s as in P.J. Settles, the sometimes mercurial, often dynamic junior quarterback who has thrown for eight touchdowns and run for two more in a season that continues with a Southern Athletic Association opener Saturday at Berry (Ga.) College. Settles rallied the team from a 35-31 deficit against Willamette, running 50 yards for one score and passing 27 yards to junior Josh Loud late in the fourth quarter.

Last week against Pomona, the 6-foot, 175-pounder from Nashville tossed TD passes on his team’s first four possessions, including two to junior Josh Lucas. He’s amassed 50 touchdowns overall since becoming the starter midway through his freshman year, and surpassed 5,000 total yards last week.

“When PJ’s clicking, the offense is really moving,” said junior offensive lineman Nathan Adams of Cordova – one of a half-dozen local players on a team that recruits nationwide. “As long as we give him time to sit in the pocket or run around a little bit, he makes things happen.”

When Settles is good, he’s sneaky good with a semi-sidearm delivery and legs that can cover ground in a hurry. But every time he puts up a long one, or scampers out of the pocket, the Crain Field crowd collectively waits to gasp. Like they did on the pick that allowed Pomona to get within 28-24 with a touchdown as the half ended last Saturday.

After a promising start in that game, Settles completed just 4 of 14 passes for 47 yards after halftime and was held to 49 yards on the ground as the offense faltered.

Lynx junior quarterback P.J. Settles has passed and thrown for 50 total touchdowns and amassed 5,000 yards since he took over as the full-time starter midway through his freshman season. Photo Credit: Rhodes College Athletics

“We had a lot of momentum going,” Settles said. “It wasn’t just one thing you can pinpoint. I know the interception slowed us down, but coming out of the half we couldn’t get our offense clicking.”

Still, Ryan has seen a lot of positives from Settles, who last year had 16 interceptions to go with 21 touchdowns. So far this season, the ratio is 8 TDs to three picks. Ryan is sees progress from his catalyst.

“Three times in the Willamette game he saw where there was no play and threw out of bounds,” Ryan points out. “That’s a sign of a maturing quarterback.”

Settles puts it more simply: “Don’t try to be a hero and turn into a zero.”

“At times (last season), I looked more comfortable than I actually was,” Settles continued. “But I met with coach Jennings a lot in the off-season. We broke down film, talked through a lot of things and it slowed down the offense for me.”

Ryan knows much work awaits defensively, particularly blending new faces into the secondary. They’ve forced just two turnovers and have already given up 80 points through two games after allowing more than 35 points a game a year ago.

“The effort’s always there,” said Trent Holt, a 5-11, 205-pound matchstick of a linebacker. “But we’ve got to work on our hands, shedding blocks better and going after the ball.”

Holt was named to D3football.com’s defensive team of the week for his game-saving heroics in Oregon, getting a sack-and-strip in the final minute that sophomore Parker Rye, a First Assembly Christian School alum, grabbed to seal the win. Holt added four tackles for loss last Saturday.

“I just remember that in that last minute, somebody on defense had to make a play,” said Holt, a transfer from Georgetown (Ky.) College. “We’d all been getting in the backfield, I just happened to get there first.”

Now, Rhodes is looking to get back to its consistent winning ways. After a pair of 8-2 seasons, including a share of the league title in 2014, the Lynx stumbled through an injury riddled 4-6 campaign in 2015 and then went through a coaching change as Ryan took over the program.

The roller-coaster play surfaced down the stretch last year, when the Lynx gave up 56 points in a home loss to Washington University, put up 50 at Birmingham Southern, outlasted 2015 league champion Hendrix (Ark.) 55-54, then suffered a 66-28 Senior Day flogging by reigning champ Centre (Ky.).

But Rhodes ended the year 6-4 with a 37-31 overtime win at Millsaps (Miss.)  – a huge off-season boost. So far this season, the Lynx have proved to be resilient if not quite consistent. But the program is filled with potential and a solid offensive punch to give Rhodes a shot to win every week.

“(A) new coach comes in and usually it’s five years until you’re relevant again,” linebacker Duke Sherrill said. “We proved we’re not in a rebuilding mode, and we’re going to really be competitive a year or two from now. Coach Ryan has brought a different energy. It’s positive, more close-knit and that’s helped.”

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Grind City Football: High-scoring Rhodes Lynx are hidden gem of Mid-South college football

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