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Mississippi State basketball's latest loss overshadows big win to AP Top 25 voters

Despite a 1-1 week that featured a huge win, AP voters felt Mississippi State's loss on Saturday justified a drop in the rankings.
ByAndrew Miller|
Feb 22, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners forward Sam Godwin (10) dunks against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners forward Sam Godwin (10) dunks against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Mississippi State basketball has experienced a roller coaster of results throughout SEC play, and the past week perfectly encapsulated that. Last Tuesday, the Bulldogs took down then #7 Texas A&M at home for their biggest win of the year, locking themselves into the NCAA Tournament.

But then on Saturday, they got a near opposite result, losing at Oklahoma to a Sooners team that had been playing as poorly as almost anyone in the SEC. That loss wasn't particularly damaging to MSU's profile, but it was by no means a good look.

So after a 1-1 week featuring a fantastic win and a lackluster loss, how did AP voters choose to rank the Bulldogs?

Mississippi State Bulldogs drop to 24th in AP Men's Basketball Top 25 rankings

Clearly, your most recent impression is the one that matters most in the eyes of Top 25 voters. Because despite adding a highly-ranked win, voters dropped the Bulldogs three spots to #24.

That, frankly, seems to be a bit of an overreaction from voters. Sure, the OU loss wasn't pretty, and if you want to say that alone justifies dropping out, I'll hear that argument. But shouldn't the win over the Aggies carry considerable weight too? The rankings reflect the whole week, not just the weekend.

Furthermore, the two teams that made significant moves ahead of State didn't exactly earn those leaps forward. Both Memphis, who has a loss at home to MSU, and Louisville jumped past the Bulldogs playing just one game a piece against mediocre competition. Each won, but why are wins over FAU and FSU moving the needle that much?

At a minimum, Mississippi State should have stayed put in the rankings. Their last two results effectively cancelled each other out, and the teams behind them didn't do anything worth moving ahead.

Now despite the questionable drop in the rankings, there are still some positives for the program to still be in the rankings at this point in the season. As the official Mississippi State Men's Basketball "X" account posted, this is the first time the program has been ranked for 10-straight weeks since the 2018-2019 season. It's also the first time State has been ranked in men's basketball this late in the year since the 2003-2004 SEC champion squad.

Whether or not that remains the case a week from now, we'll see. State might need a win in Tuscaloosa over #6 Alabama if they're going to remain in the rankings. Even a close loss coupled with a win next Saturday against LSU may not be enough for voters to keep the Bulldogs in the poll. But with an upset over the Tide, there's no question that MSU will stay ranked.

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