The 5 most challenging SEC games for Mississippi State basketball this season

Mississippi State basketball returns Josh Hubbard and Cam Matthews along with some new faces in year three under Chris Jans. The Bulldogs made the tournament in each of his first two seasons, but they are looking to improve upon that this year. They have the talent to make it past the first round this season, but to do so, they will need to play well in non-conference and SEC play. This begs the question surrounding the 2024-25 men's basketball team. Which five SEC games are the most challenging for Mississippi State this season?

Home vs Kentucky, January 11

Mississippi State has hopes to finally beat Kentucky now that John Calipari left to take the job at Arkansas. The Bulldogs only beat Kentucky once when Calipari was at the helm, and that was in the SEC Tournament in 2021. It has been since 2009 since State had beaten the Wildcats in the regular season, and 2008 was the last time State had beaten Kentucky at home. If State wins this at home, it would be a huge momentum boost for the rest of the season. The Cats brought in some key transfers out of the portal including Jaxson Robinson from BYU who averaged 14 points per game and was the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. The task of taking down Kentucky will be difficult even with the departures of Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham.

Road vs Auburn, January 14

The road trip to the plains of Alabama comes three days after Mississippi State hosts Kentucky. We all remember the game two years ago where Mississippi State failed to make one three-point attempt, and I am sure that will be in the back of everyone's head. After Alabama, Auburn is the second most popular pick to win the SEC, and it is easy to see why. They bring in five-star guard, Tahaad Pettiford, who will be looking to make an immediate impact right away. They also brought in a four-star forward, Jahki Howard, who gives the Tigers more versatility at the wing with his 6'6" frame. They have size down low as well with Johni Broome, who has averaged 15.3 points per game and 9.8 rebounds in two seasons at Auburn.

Road vs Tennessee, January 21

It is quite possible that State's three most difficult games in SEC play comes in the month of January, as they travel to Knoxville on January 21. Mississippi State did manage to go 2-0 versus the Volunteers last season, but they have not won in Knoxville since 2015. Tennessee is also 10-2 versus the Bulldogs in Knoxville since 2000. The Bulldogs will need to come out in this game making shots, attacking the rim, and staying aggressive to keep the crowd out of it. If they fail to do this, the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd will eat them alive. This is another talented Vols team that returns Zakai Zeigler, who has been one of the top players in the SEC, especially on the defensive end dating back to 2022.

Road vs Alabama, February 25

Mississippi State plays the Crimson Tide twice, but the return trip to Tuscaloosa poses a bigger challenge than it does in Starkville. Mississippi State has not won there since 2016, they are 3-21 in their last 24 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has had the better teams over the previous few seasons, but Mississippi State even struggled in Tuscaloosa when they had equal or better teams under Rick Stansbury. If playing in Coleman Coliseum was not difficult enough, Alabama as one of the most talented rosters in the country this season led by Mark Sears. Sears is difficult for anyone to guard, but Alabama also has a size advantage in the paint that makes them formidable down low. They have seven players who are at least 6'7" or taller which can make getting to the paint extremely difficult for opposing offenses.

Road vs Arkansas, March 8

There are two reasons why this is a challenging matchup for the Bulldogs. The first reason is that John Calipari has been State's Achilles' heel, dating back to their 2008 matchup in the NCAA Tournament when Calipari was coaching at Memphis. The second reason is that this is the final regular season game, and Mississippi State looks to avoid a similar meltdown to the one they had last season when they lost their final four games of the regular season. Bud Walton Arena is also an extremely difficult place to play, though State has found more success there than almost any other visiting team in the past decade. Lastly, they do have a talented roster highlighted by Florida Atlantic transfer Johnell Davis, who was an unanimous first team All-AAC selection last season and should be one of top players in the conference this season.