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Mississippi State Basketball: Mississippi State going for season sweep of Vanderbilt

By Spencer Wright

Feb 10, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Deivon Smith (5) reacts during the second half of the game against the LSU Tigers at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Deivon Smith (5) reacts during the second half of the game against the LSU Tigers at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mississippi State Basketball: Men’s Hoops vs Vanderbilt Preview

Mississippi State (11-10, 5-7 SEC) will again be looking for a bounceback win on Saturday when it plays host to Scotty Pippen Jr. and the Vanderbilt Commodores (5-10, 1-8 SEC). This will be the second and final regular-season meeting of the season, as the Bulldogs held off a late Vandy rally to secure an 84-81 win in Nashville.

Scouting Vanderbilt

Pippen Jr. and Dylan Disu continue to lead the struggling Commodores this season. Pippen Jr. is the second-leading scorer in the SEC at 20.4 points per game. Disu comes into Saturday, averaging 14.4 points and 8.3 rebounds. 

Vanderbilt’s lone conference win came at home over South Carolina by a score of 93-81. Since then, the Commodores have dropped games to Georgia and Auburn by a combined nine points.

In the previous meeting, three-point field goals kept Vandy in the game. The Commodores shot a blistering 15-of-33 from outside. Trey Thomas led the way with five. Vandy finished with four scorers in double-figures: Thomas (17), Pippen Jr. (18), DJ Harvey (13), and Disu (16).

Mississippi State also finished with four scorers in double-figures. Iverson Molinar‘s 24 points paced MSU, with Tolu Smith (18), Jalen Johnson (10), and DJ Stewart (16) having productive games as well.

Keys to a Bulldog Win

Defending the perimeter will be critical in Saturday’s game. Vanderbilt was able to knock down shots from the outside in Nashville, which will again be a factor. Mississippi State struggled mightily defensively against LSU, and they will have to be better on that side of the ball to beat Vandy.

DJ Stewart will need to be his usual self on Saturday. Following a 29-point performance in South Carolina’s victory, Stewart finished with just five points against LSU. Stewart leads MSU at 17 points per game and will need to be at that or above against Vanderbilt.

Prediction

Mississippi State defeats Vanderbilt to complete the season sweep over the Commodores. Iverson Molinar leads the Bulldogs offensively in the win.

537. 83. 530. Prediction. 74

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