Phil is ready, are you ready for Phil?

For the time being, Phil Turner has been a little know redshirt freshman guard at MSU. Phil hails from Grenada, Mississippi where he played for 5A Grenada High School and averaged 20 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 steals, and 2.1 assists a game. The Mississippi State Athletics website describes Phil as a "Versatile in-state wing product with a tremendous upside... Athletic backcourt performer who has a nose for the basketball on both ends of the floor... High-energy athlete who likes to go to the offensive boards in the mold of former State swingman Winsome Frazier... Possesses great quickness with very active hands on defense... ". According to the MSU coaches Phil is being groomed to spell Jamont Gordon at the point guard but can play the two guard as well. Having attended the pre-season scrimmage last year, I came away impressed with Phil's play on both sides of the court. Barry Stewart's play last season surprised fans and I anticipate Phil doing no less. Phil has shown he possesses the offensive skills needed as he scored 26 points at the SCORE International basketball team week long tour of Argentina. I sense Phil Turner's biggest role on the team will come from the departure of Richard Delk, arguably the team's best shut down defender on the wing. Phil's nose for defense will solidify his case for minutes as the season wears on. Phil sat on the bench his first season and will have the opprotunity come October, along with fellow teammate Brian Johnson to put his fingerprint on the 07-08 basketball season and play a role as the Dogs make a run to get back to the Big Dance. We know Phil Turner is ready, are you?