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 21: Reggie Perry #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs keeps the ball from Malik Fitts #24 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels during the first half of a game in the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

3. The Bulldogs must limit turnovers

One final key to a Mississippi State win over their rival is a key for most teams in any game, keeping turnovers to a minimum. On the season the Bulldogs do a good job of not turning the ball over, committing 13 per game. When it comes to league play, the Bulldogs have turned it over nearly 14 times per game.

As of late, however, Ben Howland’s team has had trouble with turnovers. Since their first meeting with Ole Miss, the Bulldogs have turned it over a total of 71 times, which averages out to 14.2 per game. Despite being 3-2 over that time, turning the ball over that much is not a recipe for success. They are facing a team that forces turnovers at nearly the identical rate that MSU turns it over, 13.5.

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The turnover problem for the Bulldogs is with their four leading scorers, the Weatherspoon brothers, Quinndary and Nick, Aric Holman, and Lamar Peters who account for 173 of the team’s 264 turnovers, and since their last meeting with Ole Miss these four have turned it over 44 times. If Mississippi State is to win the return game with the Rebels, they must not turn the ball over at the rate they have been lately and end up at or below their seasonal average.

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