17. Mississippi State (14-2)
There’s been a lot of good around the Bulldogs this season; that record’s impressive and they’ve started to build a solid resume of wins. We’ve yet to see the Bulldogs really tested on a consistent basis, but wins over SMU, Pittsburgh, and Memphis can’t be ignored even if they don’t jump off the page. This offense has done great things but the defense has let the Bulldogs down more times than not.
Mississippi State scored their third road win of the season on Tuesday, outlasting Vanderbilt 76-64 in Tennessee. RJ Melendez had 19 points and 7 rebounds while Cameron Matthews scored 16 against those Commodores. Saturday was another edition of the defense letting the offense down, as the Bulldogs fell 95-90 at home against a strong Kentucky team. All five starters were in double figures, led by Matthews’ 19-point, 10-rebound effort, but they fell just short regardless.
Still, Mississippi State is 14-2, has nice wins, and are starting to prove that they might just belong in this talent-packed SEC. Again, those defensive issues might hold them back and that 10-point loss against Butler is more of a head scratcher nearly two months later. What’s even more horrifying is the team’s trip to Auburn this week, though they have a major chance for a big win against rival Ole Miss this weekend.