Nagy is looking forward to seeing old friends, but he doesn’t think he enjoys the game. Nagy, a Dayton, Ohio resident, said that he would feel much better if Mississippi State was not so good. “Those guys can really, truly play.” The Bulldogs can. Mississippi State has a record of 10-1 and is No. 17 in the country. Ben Howland’s “Dogs” are very good and really deep. Wright State is off to an impressive 6-6 start, despite missing three of its top 8 players due to injuries. The Raiders are a determined underdog, having been a NCAA Tournament team last season when they finished 25-10. You should also know that Nagy’s Georgia Tech team won last season. This isn’t the first time Nagy has faced off against a Mississippi State team. Nagy was a second-year point guard on the Delta State team from 1985-86 that defeated Bob Boyd’s Bulldogs 56 to 53 in Starkville. It’s possible to look it up. Ed Murphy was the coach for Delta State at that time. Yes, he was the coach at Delta State. Even though Ole Miss was not winning at Starkville in that year, it is clear that Ole Miss did not win at Starkville. Nagy stated, “It sounds insane now, but I believe we had better players that Mississippi State.” “We might have been Division II, but we were really, really great.” That team also included Gerald Glass, a freshman who would go on to play for the NBA and make all-SEC. On the Statesmen’s wing, there were sharpshooters James Berkley and Carl Brown. Glass stated, “That may have been the greatest college team I’ve ever played on.” Glass stated, “I believe that we could have at least been competitive in the SEC.” Glass cited Nagy, a Yankee point guard from Champaign (Ill.
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Glass stated that Scott got the ball to where it was needed. He was completely selfless. Although he was the most skilled shooter on the team he seldom shot the ball. He was more interested with distributing the ball. He was our most intelligent player, just like a coach. Nagy’s father, Dick Nagy was a coach at Illinois under Lou Henson. Scott Nagy was also a Syracuse native, as was Ed Murphy. Scott Nagy took the train from Syracuse to Memphis, then caught a ride to Cleveland. Culture shock followed. Nagy stated, “Mostly I was shocked by how segregated everything” “And it was difficult to understand the accents. It was a difficult adjustment. It was a difficult adjustment, but I made many wonderful friends and met many amazing people. I came to love both the people and the food. The food was amazing. It was difficult to leave, truth be told.” Jason Case, a former Delta State basketball player, is now Brookhaven Academy’s principal and girls basketball coach. Nagy made those friends at Delta State. They are still good friends today. Case plans to bus his team to Jackson on Saturday night for Saturday’s game. Case stated that he was two years ahead Scott when he arrived at Delta State. “He spoke in a strange northern accent, he didn’t have a car or knew anyone. “I figured it was my responsibility to give him some cultural knowledge.” Culture: Case introduced Nagy’s parents to Nagy in Bogue Chitto. Nagy was introduced to Southern cuisine by Case’s mom, who also introduced him to buttermilk biscuits and purple hull peas. They introduced him to their dog. Nagy laughed and said, “I remember his name was Big Dog.” He said, “Seriously. That was his name. Big Dog. Jason’s dad used to smoke tobacco and speak with a thick Southern accent. I couldn’t understand one word he spoke. That was something I will never forget.” Nagy also made an impact on Mississippi. He was a starter in every game for Delta State over four years. He holds the record for most Delta State assists. He was first called “a Yankee” by his classmates and was elected Mr. Delta State as an senior. He is an active member of the Delta State athletic and university halls-of-fame. He is also a great coach. Over the 23 seasons at South Dakota State, Wright State, his teams won 461 games and lost 268. He led the South Dakota State program from Division II to Division I, and finally into the NCAA Tournament three more times. His Wright State teams won 20 games and 25 games, respectively. They won the Horizon League tournament in their first season. Nagy stated that if they get some people back, I believe we’ll be competitive again in our league this season.” “I don’t think we’re ready for Saturday night’s challenge, but I’m ready to see old friends.”_x000D