Happy return for Ready

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State point guard I.J. Ready said that as much as his back hurt before the Bulldogs played at LSU on Saturday night, that wasn't the worst thing about what he was feeling.

Ready had to watch from the bench as the Tigers beat the Bulldogs 88-77.

"I think it hurt more not to play than the pain from the back spasms," Ready said. "That hurt me a lot, having to sit out and not be able to help my teammates."

Ready, a junior from Little Rock Parkview, was back for Mississippi State on Tuesday night against Arkansas. He had 6 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench as the Bulldogs beat the Razorbacks 78-46.

"It was a huge difference having I.J. back," Mississippi State Coach Ben Howland said. "He adds another solid player who can handle pressure, and I thought his defense was tremendous.

"We wouldn't have been able to do what we did tonight without him back in the lineup because of how hard we played and subbed to keep our guys fresh."

Ready said it was a relief to play and help his team win.

"Being back out there and being able to play hard and play aggressive felt good," he said. "It was a lot of fun."

It was the first time Ready played in a victory over Arkansas. Previously, his Mississippi State teams were 0-4 against the Razorbacks.

"All SEC wins are great," Ready said. "But when you beat your home-state team, there's a little more emphasis on it."

Sports on 02/11/2016

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