The Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-7, 1-6 SEC) will hit the road to take on the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (17-2, 7-0 SEC) at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL for an SEC contest. The Bulldogs have lost four of their last five games and have a four-game losing streak while the Crimson Tide has won eight consecutive games. This will be the second time this season that these two teams face each other.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs have lost four consecutive games and will look to avoid adding a fifth loss to that streak as they face one of their toughest opponents yet. The Bulldogs enter this matchup looking for a big road upset against the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide who they have already suffered a big loss from. They last faced Alabama in late December where they took a 78-67 defeat. The Bulldogs shot 36.4% from the field, 37.5% from beyond the arc, and 50% from the free-throw line. In addition, they recorded 38 rebounds, 14 assists, nine steals, and three blocks while turning the ball over 15 times. KeShawn Murphy (11 PTS, 2 AST, 75% FG) and D.J. Jeffries (11 PTS, 15 REB, 2 STL, 33.3% FG) were the scoring leaders.
RAMS FROM THE CORNER ??#HailState?? x @ramstv10 pic.twitter.com/4bASJvdu2A
— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) Ja nuary 22, 2023
This season, the Bulldogs are averaging 64.9 points per game (320th) while shooting 40.4% from the field, 61.4% from free throw range, and 28.5% from beyond the arc. In addition, they are earning 38.4 rebounds, 13.9 assists, 9.8 steals, and 3.6 blocks while turning the ball over 12.2 times per game. They have an assist/turnover ratio of 1.15 (103rd). Defensively, they are surrendering 58.3 points per game (6th). Tolu Smith is the leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game while also earning 8.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Jeffries is the second-leading scorer for the Bulldogs, averaging nine points per game while contributing 5.9 rebounds.