Mississippi State Basketball: 2018-19 keys to a Bulldogs win at Ole Miss

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 09: Ben Howland the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs gives instructions to his team against the Alabama Crimson Tideduring the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 9, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 19: Aric Holman #35 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs looks to pass against Kimani Lawrence #14 of the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half of a semifinal game of the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 19, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

Mississippi State Basketball has started 3-4 in the SEC and can’t afford to fall further back in the SEC. On Saturday afternoon they travel to Oxford to face Ole Miss. Here are keys to a Bulldog win.

The second battle of the season for the Magnolia state rivals takes place on Saturday when the Mississippi Rebels (14-6,4-3) plays host Mississippi State Basketball (15-5,3-4) in Oxford. Both teams have had successful starts to their seasons, but now both squads are eyeing an NCAA Tournament berth. This is a key game for the two teams as they both jockey for a top-four spot in the conference.

After a 12-1 start, Ben Howland’s Bulldogs began SEC play by dropping their first two, including a four-point loss to Mississippi at home. Since then, however, they have won three of their last five, including a come from behind win over Auburn last Saturday. For Mississippi State, this battle with the Rebels is the first in a three-game stretch that sees them also face LSU and Kentucky in the next seven days. MSU has regained some momentum since losing to Ole Miss, keeping that momentum going is important if they want to stay in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament bid.

Conversely, Ole Miss is struggling a bit coming into this one, having lost three of their last five, but considering the Rebels were picked to finish last in the SEC, first-year coach Kermit Davis has had a remarkable turnaround in one season, as the Rebels won just five league games last season.

The visiting Bulldogs have won just two true road games this season, so getting a road win over a fellow at-large candidate and conference foe would be a big boost to Mississippi State’s tournament chances. Here are some keys to the Bulldogs getting that critical win.

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