No. 22 Mississippi State basketball: Bulldogs need win over No. 8 Kentucky

Ben Howland’s Bulldogs could really use a huge spark to their season. The No. 22 Mississippi State basketball team needs to take down the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats tonight.

The Mississippi State basketball team needs to beat the Kentucky Wildcats tonight.

Let’s get it clear though: this isn’t some sort a make or break type of game. Losing to Kentucky would not ruin Ben Howland’s Bulldogs’ season by any means. MSU could lose tonight and go on to have a very successful season down the stretch.

That’s more of the traditional sense of a “must win” game. Having to beat an opposing team to save your own season is what most people immediately think of. That’s not quite where this team of Bulldogs happens to be.

But, if Howland intends to continue building his Mississippi State basketball team into one that could contend for the Southeastern Conference (and maybe make some noise come NCAA Tournament time), then the Bulldogs need to start winning games like these.

If MSU is going to become a men’s college basketball team to be respected and feared by its foes, then the Bulldogs need to knock off some of the best teams in the country. MSU needs some monumental wins to truly establish itself.

Tonight against Kentucky is a great opportunity for that sort of win.

When the Mississippi State basketball team faces off against Kentucky in Rupp Arena tonight at 6:00, the battle between the Bulldogs and the Wildcats will be broadcasted nationwide on ESPN. Should Mississippi State take down a top ten ranked team on the road, it will be shown in every sports bar across the country.

That’s the kind of positive exposure that this Mississippi State basketball team needs. The Bulldogs have been building from the ground up for so long and now Howland has a team capable of making a run in the NCAA Tournament. MSU could really use a notable win against Kentucky to truly put the Bulldogs back on the map.