Key non-conference stretch coming up for both Mississippi State Basketball teams

With the calendar flipping to December, the attention of Bulldog fans will turn toward both of the Mississippi State basketball teams.

Now that we know the Bulldogs will be headed to the Outback Bowl, it’s time for Bulldog fans to give a little more attention to the Mississippi State basketball teams. Both the men’s and women’s teams are about to play some pivotal games.

The Mississippi State basketball men’s team just came off a nice 65-58 road win over the Dayton Flyers this past Friday night. It was the first of four games that could play a significant factor in whether or not the Bulldogs will make it to the NCAA Tournament this march for the first time since 2009.

The Bulldogs will play McNeese State at home Tuesday night, and then the Mississippi State basketball team will travel to New Jersey to play Clemson on Saturday. The Clemson Tigers were a tournament team a year ago and should be a tournament team this year as well.

More from Maroon and White Nation

• College football schedule week 4: 3 must-watch under-the-radar games
• Meeting the Opponent: Week 4 – South Carolina Gamecocks
• Mississippi State football vs LSU: The good, bad, and ugly
• M&WN Staff – Week 3 SEC Picks and Best Bets
• Mississippi State football film study: Why did MSU’s defense fail vs. LSU?

One week after their game with Clemson, the Mississippi State basketball team will come back home to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats are off to a 7-1 start with a win over Ole Miss on their resume already.

If the Men’s Mississippi State basketball team wants to make it back to the NCAA Tournament, they can’t afford to lose more than one of those games. The Bulldogs need quality wins on their resume, and they also need to build confidence going into SEC play.

For the Women’s Mississippi State basketball team, the Bulldogs just need to do what they always do. The Bulldogs walloped the Texas Longhorns on Sunday 67-49 in a game that wasn’t even that close.

The Women’s team hosts a good Marquette team this Thursday and have a tune up against Southern Miss on the 14th before heading out west. The Women’s Mississippi State basketball team will take on the third ranked Oregon Ducks on December 18th in Eugene and follow it up with a game in Seattle against the Washington Huskies on December 20th.

For the women’s team, these games will determine whether or not Bulldog fans need to start blocking off the first weekend in April for a trip to Tampa where the Final Four will be played. If the team wins both of those games, there’s no reason to believe another deep NCAA Tournament run isn’t in the works again this year.

Football may be over, with the exception of the bowl game, but there’s still plenty to be excited about. The Mississippi State basketball teams will keep Bulldog fans entertained plenty in the coming months.