STARKVILLE — With a disappointing road loss to Texas A&M Saturday, the Mississippi State men’s basketball team is desperate.
With just four regular season games remaining, the Bulldogs are projected to be on the outside looking in of the NCAA tournament picture, sitting in either the first four out or the next four out depending on what methodology of bracketology you subscribe to.
Nevertheless, with a relatively weak NCAA tournament bubble this year, MSU coach Ben Howland stopped short of saying his team needed to win all four remaining contests to have any hope of an at-large bid.
“It’s all up in the air,” Howland said Monday.
Winning Tuesday’s 8 p.m. matchup with Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum would go a long way in creeping back on the right side of the tournament picture, though. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has MSU (17-10, 8-6 SEC) as the fourth team out of the NCAA tournament, while Alabama (15-12, 7-7) sits as the seventh-best team not currently in the Big Dance.
In the first matchup on Jan. 8 this season, the Crimson Tide ran the Bulldogs off the court in Tuscaloosa by making 10 3-pointers, winning a 90-69 decision. Alabama’s 90 points scored has been the most allowed by MSU this season.
“Our defense was really something to be desired in that game,” Howland said. “We’re better than we were the first time we played and obviously, they are as well. They are really talented.”
In the series, the home team has won the last seven meetings.
“I’ve been looking forward to this game since we’ve played them in Tuscaloosa, not going to lie,” MSU forward Reggie Perry said. “Just because of how the loss was, and how they acted when they won the game.”
Alabama is the Southeastern Conference’s highest scoring team, averaging 83.3 points per night and is tops in the conference in 3-pointers made (298) and attempted (840). According to KenPom.com, Alabama has the third-fastest pace of play in America, meaning many offensive possessions may end in a quick 3-point attempt only a few seconds into the shot clock.
The Crimson Tide may have the best guard combo in the conference with Kira Lewis and John Petty Jr. Lewis is fifth in the SEC in scoring (17.4 ppg), while Petty Jr. is 11th (15.3 ppg). Right behind them is teammate Jaden Shackelford at 14.8 points per night.
According to Perry, MSU plans to utilize its help-side defense more against the Crimson Tide than it did in its first meeting. Perry might be matched up against Alabama forward Herbert Jones, who underwent surgery on a fractured left wrist less than three weeks ago and will wear a cast during the game.
“We know he’s not going to shoot,” Perry said. “That’s about it. I’m not going to take it easy on him just because he has one arm.”
Tuesday will also be the American Cancer Society’s “Get Cancer over the Hump” campaign. Howland has pledged $10,000 to the campaign if 10,000 fans attend the contest, will MSU women’s coach Vic Schaefer has offered the same on the women’s side for the team’s home contest with Arkansas Thursday.
“Everybody that you know and their family has been touched by cancer,” Howland said. “To me, there’s nothing more important than giving money to do more research to help find a cure for cancer.”
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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