18. Mississippi State (13-1)
Questions still needed to be answered about this Mississippi State squad but there are several things to like about what we’ve already seen. This team won big over Pittsburgh and has true road wins at Memphis and SMU, building a resume that’s actually better than it looks. Sometimes the defense falters, which happened again this week, but the Bulldogs managed to keep up their winning ways regardless.
Monday wasn’t the best effort, though the Bulldogs survived 87-73 over Bethune-Cookman for another victory. Riley Kugel led with 22 points from the bench while Josh Hubbard added 16 points as Mississippi State shot 50% from the field. Saturday’s effort was significantly better, as the Bulldogs took care of South Carolina in an 85-50 blowout win. A strong first half put away the Gamecocks early, with Hubbard putting up 21 points in the win.
We’ve seen good stuff from a talented and veteran-laden Bulldogs squad who has answered some of the early questions, but what can we expect in SEC play? This league is extremely difficult and despite handling the Gamecocks it’s clear that tougher challenges lay in wait. For now, the offense has looked really great, the defense has had its moments, and a tough stretch begins next weekend against Kentucky.