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The Ole Miss Rebels play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in an SEC showdown on Saturday afternoon from The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Both teams find themselves near the bottom of the SEC standings, though the Bulldogs had won five in a row prior to their loss a few days ago. For Ole Miss, one win in their last eight games has seen them move closer and closer to the SEC basement. The Bulldogs won the first meeting between the two last month but going on the road and making it a sweep could be a challenge.
Mississippi State started the season looking like an NCAA Tournament contender, though the SEC slate made things difficult for them through much of the start of 2023. Of late, the Bulldogs have been playing much better and moving up the SEC standings. Before Wednesday night's loss to Kentucky, the Bulldogs had won five games in a row, some of those against likely NCAA Tournament teams. Going on the road has been a challenge for this team, where they have a losing record, sitting at 3-4. The good news is that they'll be taking on a team that is one of the worst in the conference and after taking them down in the earlier meeting this season, they should have some momentum at their back as they hit the road aiming for a season sweep.
It's also helped the Bulldogs have only gotten healthier as the season has progressed. They come into this one without any injuries or absences to worry about and with depth bein g a massive advantage, that'll only add to the Bulldogs' confidence.
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— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 16, 2023
Mississippi State has been two different teams on both sides of the court and until the offense comes closer to matching the level of the defense, making more noise over the next month could be a challenge. The defense ranks seventh nationally in scoring defense and is top 10 in a number of other defensive categories, which is sure to give Ole Miss trouble in the rematch. The offense has been the opposite though, where they rank 323rd in scoring, though the offensive glass could be a play to find success. Tolu Smith (14.8 ppg) is the only double-figure scorer on the roster and the lack of support has continued to haunt them at times. If he doesn't get help on Saturday, it could spell trouble on the road for the Bulldogs.
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