Mississippi State Basketball: Bulldogs Take on Clemson at the Space Coast Challenge

Mississippi State Basketball: Bulldogs Take on Clemson at the Space Coast Challenge

Ben Howland takes his new-look Mississippi State Basketball team to Melbourne, Florida, to face the Clemson Tigers in the Space Coast Challenge.  The rest of the field includes Purdue Boilermakers and the Liberty Flames, a team that eliminated Mississippi State from the NCAA Tournament in 2019.

The Mississippi State Basketball team was picked to finish twelfth in the SEC after losing Robert Woodard II and Reggie Perry to the draft. The Bulldogs also lost Nick Weatherspoon, Tyson Carter, and a host of other players from last year’s roster.

If the Bulldogs are to start the season off with a victory, the returning trio of D.J. Stewart, Abdul Ado, and Iverson Molinar will lead them. After those three, the Bulldogs have a talented mix of transfers and freshmen. Such uncertainty on a roster is probably why the Bulldogs were picked twelfth in the SEC preseason poll.

I would love for Mississippi State to see the Flames on the court again. I know it is two years later, but to play a team again that upset you in March Madness when you were the favorite has to still be in the mind of Ben Howland. The only players still on the squad from that upset are D.J. Stewart, Abdul Ado, and Andrew Junkin.

About The Clemson Tigers

Clemson is a -4.5 favorite to defeat Mississippi State. Thankful for us Bulldog fans, oddsmakers are not always right.

Clemson returns four starters from last year’s team that finished 9-11. Their best player is Aamir Sims, who was voted to the ALL-ACC 1st Team.

While Clemson does have the advantage of returning a team with some chemistry, all is not lost.  Howland needs to use this opening tournament to show he still has the ability to out coach his opponent even when, on paper, his team is the underdog.

Keys to a Bulldog Victory

Mississippi State needs to start fast in this game. Howland needs to implement a solid offensive game plan to allow his team to develop on-court chemistry in game one. Last year there were too many bad shots taken. While Iverson Molinar is the engine that will drive the Bulldogs, I feel D.J. Stewart will be the fuel that ultimately leads the team.

Abdul Ado will also have to step up his game and become the dominant post threat Mississippi State needs him to be. He will team with Tolu Smith to provide a solid frontcourt that should give the Tigers problems.

Mississippi State will also need its supporting cast of transfers and freshmen to step up and grow up fast. I expect Jalen Johnson and Javian Davis to provide starting-caliber play off the bench. Howland also has a group of talented freshmen that will provide an impact. How much of an impact they will make in their first college basketball remains to be seen.

My Prediction

Clemson will challenge Mississippi State early as their familiarity will help the Tigers build a lead. Mississippi State will chop into that lead and pull out the victory. Bulldogs fans vote in our Twitter poll.