14. Mississippi State (16-4)
Even while enduring the challenges of SEC play, Mississippi State is exceeding expectations. A hot start to the season included road wins at SMU, Memphis, and Vanderbilt, seeing a 14-1 start for the Bulldogs as they yearn for another trip to the Big Dance. It’s easy for a team to get buried in this juggernaut conference, but Mississippi State came close against Kentucky and held on against Ole Miss last week.
They would not repeat that feat, falling out of the game early in a 68-56 road loss at Tennessee. Josh Hubbard had 14 points while Riley Kugel added 12 off the bench, but Tuesday didn’t go as planned. Things were trending that way on Saturday, but the Bulldogs salvaged a 65-60 overtime win at South Carolina. Kugel led the charge with 15 points as Mississippi State survived a second half onslaught, doing just enough to topple the Gamecocks for another road win.
Mississippi State’s last five games include three losses and two overtime wins. However, they’re playing an absolutely brutal SEC schedule and have held their own more times than not to this point. This team should be excited at 4-3, but they’re going to have to keep winning games, especially these ones like Saturday that shouldn’t have been as close. They’ll at least be at home next week, though welcoming Alabama and Missouri to town isn’t exactly easy living.