Mississippi State Basketball: Bulldogs hit the road to take on the hot shooting #18 Crimson Tide

Mississippi State Basketball: Men’s Hoops at #18 Alabama Preview

Mississippi State basketball (9-6, 4-3 SEC) has bounced back after frustrating losses several times this season, and they will have yet another chance to do it in a big way Saturday against 18th-ranked Alabama (12-3, 7-0 SEC). Tip-off between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide is scheduled for 5 PM CT and will be televised on the SEC Network.

Scouting Alabama

Head coach Nate Oats has Alabama rolling as the midway point of the SEC slate nears. After starting the season 4-3, the Tide have won eight-straight, including their first seven in conference play. Alabama holds a two-game lead in the SEC heading into Saturday.

Alabama’s resume is imposing, with dominant wins over LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Florida. The Tide also owns a 71-63 road win over top-10 Tennessee. In a 105-75 blowout of LSU, Alabama hit a Southeastern Conference-record 23 three-pointers.

Guard John Petty Jr. decided to return for his senior season and has made the most out of his final year in Tuscaloosa. Petty Jr. leads Alabama at 14.3 points per game and has made a team-leading 39 threes. He’s coming off a 24-point performance on 8-10 from three-point-land in the win over LSU.

Villanova transfer Jahvon Quinerly has been a nice addition for Oats this year, averaging 13.3 points and 3.3 assists. Quinerly is just one of the many outside threats the Tide have this season, shooting 37.8% from three.

Sophomore shooter Jaden Shackelford comes into Saturday averaging 13.1 points and has connected on 36% of his threes. Other significant guards include freshman Josh Primo and junior Keon Ellis. Primo is averaging 8.6 points, while Ellis is averaging 3.9 points.

The Crimson Tide frontcourt is a veteran group led by senior Herbert Jones. Jones is scoring 12.6 per game and leads the team with 5.7 rebounds. He has also been solid from outside, hitting 11 of his 23 attempts from beyond the arc.

Seniors Jordan Bruner and Alex Reese have provided solid play all season long. Both can stretch the floor with their shot-making ability and can also battle down in the post. Bruner, a Yale transfer, averages 7.8 points per game, and Reese adds 4.3. Big man James Rojas provides 3.6 points a game off the bench.

The Crimson Tide love to shoot the three. Nate Oats’s team has hoisted up a total of 460 threes so far, making a league-leading 165 of them. Alabama is third in the SEC in scoring at 81.8 points per game.

Keys to a Bulldog Win

Against Alabama, it is essential to guard the three exceptionally well. Mississippi State cannot let Alabama have open shots or have a field day from outside. All five guys on the floor will be able to knock down the three, so Mississippi State must contest every shot.

The Bulldogs must also play fast. When Mississippi State gets slowed down, the offense becomes stagnant. Iverson Molinar and DJ Stewart must attack and make open shots for MSU to upset Alabama on Saturday. If State can also get big games from Tolu Smith and Jalen Johnson, a win at Coleman is a real possibility.

Prediction

Alabama is red-hot, and Mississippi State will have to play its best game of the year to knock off the Tide. Unfortunately, Coleman Coliseum has not been kind to State recently, and I don’t think that changes on Saturday.