Mississippi State Basketball: Keys to taking down Liberty in the first round
2. Stay patient on the defensive end.
The next key for the Bulldogs will happen when they play defense. Liberty likes to play slow on offense. The Flames rank 349th in adjusted tempo according to KenPom.com, but still, score 74 points per game. The Flames are patient but balanced offensively, ranking in the top-65 or better in every category from field goal percentage to free throw percentage, so Mississippi State will have to be extremely patient in their half-court defense and if possible, speed Liberty up by pressuring them.
The Bulldogs need to use pressure defense and not allow Liberty to grind down the shot clock on every possession and while in the half court they need to also be active with their arms and anticipate and get into the passing lanes to create steals and turnovers. Creating turnovers against Liberty won’t be easy as the Flames turn it over just 11 times per game, but Mississippi State swipes over eight balls per game.
They can’t get impatient when trying to defend Liberty, because doing that will get them out of position leading to easier shots for a team that is 12th in the country in field goal percentage at 49% and leads to a possible upset.