There are a lot of similarities between this year’s Ole Miss and Mississippi State men’s basketball teams.
They both have identical 10-7, 2-2 in SEC games records. Both seasons haven’t lived up to their expectations. Both would be outside the NCAA Tournament if the field was set today. Both have coaches whose first name is Chris. Both team’s leading scorers are returning players and most of the roster is filled with new names. They both have an overtime SEC win. They both have a loss on their record that shouldn’t have been a loss (Utah for Ole Miss, San Francisco for Mississippi State). Both teams have three international players.
That’s a lot of similarities between two schools who do not like one another. So, when the announcers Saturday night talk about throwing out the record books, you actually can.
One significant difference is the result of their last games. For Ole Miss, it was a 97-95 overtime win against No. 21 Georgia. For Mississippi State, it was a 97-82 loss to No. 18 Alabama that saw some fans leave Humphrey Coliseum early.
The Rebels will bring a two-game win streak into Starkville, while the Bulldogs are on a two-game losing streak. That’ll add a little bit of spice to Saturday’s game.
Mississippi State needs to start winning games if it wants to reach its postseason goals. Ole Miss needs to keep winning. It’s about as close to a must-win game for both sides as you can get.
If you’re not making the trip to Starkville to watch the Rebels and Bulldogs in-person, here’s where you can watch and listen to the game.
How to Watch: Ole Miss at Mississippi State
- Who: Ole Miss Rebels (10-7, 2-2 SEC) at Mississippi State (10-7, 2-2 SEC)
- When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday
- Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.
- TV: SEC Network
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Mississippi State leads the all-time series 152-120
- Last Meeting: Mississippi State 81, Ole Miss 71 (February 15, 2025)
- Last time out, Bulldogs: loss to No. 18 Alabama, 97-82
- Last time out, Rebels: def. No. 21 Georgia, 97-95 (OT)
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Malik Dia, 14.6 ppg
- Rebounds: Malik Dia, 6.9 rpg
- Assists: Ilias Kamardine, 71 (4.2 avg.)
- Steals: Ilias Kamardine, 23 (1.4 avg.)
- Blocks: James Scott, 23 (1.4 avg.)
Mississippi State Top Performers
- Points: Josh Hubbard, 22.8 ppg
- Rebounds: Quincy Ballard, 7.5 rpg
- Assists: Josh Hubbard, 64 (3.8 avg.)
- Steals: Shawn Jones Jr., 30 (1.8 avg.)
- Blocks: Quincy Ballard, 22 (1.3 avg.)
