BOZEMAN – Montana State has stressed depth all season. Nine Bobcats average double-digit minutes per game, but some of the most important minutes off the bench come from Joe Mvuezolo.
The London, England native is the go-to sixth man for MSU, and Saturday, on his birthday, Mvuezolo came alive, scoring 14 points against North Dakota. But it just felt like any other game.
“I just came out and wanted to play, that’s it. It wasn’t really different than any other game. It just felt like I was supposed to come out and do my job,” said Mvuezolo.
Coming off the bench is not what every player wants, but Mvuezolo is happy to play a key role on the team in any way he can.
“I’m fine with it. I mean, it feels good because when stuff’s not going well, I get the chance to come in and make a change and get the team to have more energy,” Mvuezolo said.
And he definitely provided the spark the Cats needed against North Dakota. Mvuezolo terrorized the rim, throwing down a few huge dunks. At 6-foot-5 with a seven-foot wingspan, guards and small forwards like Mvuezolo are hard to find.
“He gives us speed and athleticism that is, quite honestly, very rare at this level,” said head coach Brian Fish.
“Sometimes when you’re at a lower level, you can just use that athleticism and dominate a game,” added Fish. “I think he’s learned to play the game better and understands what he can do.”
“People sometimes are content with playing good and not playing good the next game,” said Mvuezolo. “I just always want to play well.”
