How to Watch Mississippi State Basketball vs Tennessee in the SEC Tournament
Mississippi State basketball faces the Tennessee Volunteers Friday afternoon in the 2024 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament in Nashville. The Bulldogs, who are 20-12 on the season, are the 9-seed in the bracket. Tennessee, who sits at 24-7, won the SEC regular season championship and is the 1-seed.
Mississippi State potentially finalized a spot in the NCAA Tournament with their win over LSU on Thursday. If they can take down the Vols, they will leave zero doubts as to their postseason future.
The Bulldogs beat Tennessee in Starkville back in January. Can they do it again today and guarantee themselves a NCAA Tournament bid? Here's how you can watch...
Mississippi State basketball vs Tennessee TV broadcast
Mississippi State basketball has a massive opportunity against the Tennessee Volunteers Friday. The game is set to tip-off at 12:00 pm CT and will be broadcast on ESPN. It will also be available for streaming via the ESPN app.
Mississippi State basketball needs a good showing against Tennessee
Mississippi State basketball should feel pretty good about returning to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year after beating LSU. But they shouldn't just assume they're locked-in.
Thursday was a massive day for bubble teams around the country. The likes of Michigan State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Providence, New Mexico, Texas A&M, Colorado, Virginia, and Ohio State all picked up key wins alongside MSU. Meanwhile, Dayton lost in the A-10 tournament, guaranteeing at least one bid-stealer (and more could be coming).
This is a strong year for the bubble, and that means there's going to be multiple teams left out with good arguments for selection. And it's why Mississippi State really could use a win over Tennessee. A win vs the Vols would elimate any questions. State would safely be in.
At a minimum, State needs to play a competitive game with Big Orange. A blowout would be terrible for their metrics, especially this close to Selection Sunday. Not to mention it would look bad relative to the rest of the bubble.
Tennessee is a 10.5 point favorite today. If Mississippi State basketball can't get the win, they at least need to cover the spread.