Momentum can come and go in the SEC this year. We’ve seen that first-hand with the Kentucky Wildcats through two games in SEC play.

Last Saturday, the Wildcats beat the No. 6 Florida Gators, who entered that game undefeated, 106-100. Three days later, Kentucky fell to the Georgia Bulldogs, 82-69. Whatever was there from the Wildcats against Florida wasn’t there from Kentucky against Georgia.

But don’t worry, a game at No. 14 Mississippi State awaits the Wildcats on Saturday night. Yup, these big games just keep coming in the SEC this year. And this Bulldogs team is GOOD. They’re 14-1 for a reason, with a roster filled with young talent and veteran experience recruited through the transfer portal.

The Bulldogs can score, shoot, rebound and defend. Kentucky needs to be ready to go from the opening tip Saturday night.

Let’s look at the Players to Watch on the No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday night.

Players to Watch

1. #12 Josh Hubbard 5’11” 190 lbs. So. Guard Madison, Miss.
17.1 pts, 2.1 rebs, 42.9 FG%, 38.2 3-PT FG%, 83.3 FT%, 30.6 mpg
A cousin of Dwayne Wade, Hubbard has quickly immersed himself as one of the best players and scorers in the SEC. Hubbard led the Bulldogs in scoring last year at 17.1 points per game, which also led all SEC Freshmen. His 13 games of 20+ points led all true Freshmen in the country, while two 30-point games were second in the country. In addition, nine of his 13 20-point games came in SEC play.

Hubbard has six games with 20+ points this season. He’s a really good 3-point shooter, with three games of five+ 3-pointers. In every game but two this season, Hubbard has made multiple 3-point shots. He’s become a player that you can limit and contain, but it will be difficult to shut him down. Hubbard has also played 30+ minutes 11 times this season.

2. #0 Claudell Harris Jr. 6’4” 200 lbs. Sr. Guard Hahnville, La. Boston College
Transfer
11.1 pts, 3.3 rebs, 42.2 FG%, 38.9 3-PT FG%, 15-21 FT, 23.9 mpg
Playing for his third team in four seasons, Harris entered Starkville with over 1,300 points in his first three seasons. He’s coming off a season at Boston College, where he helped the Eagles to the Sweet 16 of the NIT and averaged 13,7 points per game. Harris averaged 2.5 3-pointers per game and shot 37 percent from 3-point range, both sixth in the ACC.

This season, Harris has nine double-digit scoring games, including three straight games coming into Saturday night. Harris has six games with three or made 3-point shots, including six in the Bulldogs season opener. After coming off the bench for four straight games, Harris has started the last five games for the Bulldogs.

3. #3 KeShawn Murphy 6’10” 230 lbs. R-Jr. Forward Birmingham, Ala.
9.9 pts, 7.7 rebs, 19 blk, 52.6 FG%, 4-17 3-PT FG, 73.5 FT%, 23 mpg
Murphy has seven games with double-digit points, including a season-high 20 points against Pittsburgh in the SEC-ACC Challenge back in December. He also has three games with 12+ rebounds. Mississippi State’s leading shot blocker, Murphy has two games with four blocks this season.

4. #2 Riley Kukel 6’5” 210 lbs. Jr. Guard Orlando, Fla. Florida Transfer
9.7 pts, 3.1 rebs, 46.3 FG%, 30.4 3-PT FG%, 17-23 FT, 21 mpg
Kugel is in his first season with the Bulldogs, after playing his first two seasons at Florida. He has seven double-digit scoring games this season, including a season-high 22 points in a three-game stretch where he reached double figures. Kugel has started five games this season, and he has played 20+ minutes 10 times this season.

5. #22 RJ Melendez 6’7” 210 lbs. Sr. Forward Arecibo, Puerto Rico Georgia Transfer
8.7 pts, 3.7 rebs, 49% FG, 33.3 3-PT FG%, 82.1 FT%, 20.1 mpg
Melendez has actually played for two teams prior to his arrival in Starkville, as he helped Illinois to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023. Last year, he helped Georgia to the NIT Semifinals, where he averaged 9.6 points and 18 double-digit scoring games on the season.

This season, Melendez is coming off a season-high 19 points at Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. Melendez has started eight straight games leading into Saturday night for the Bulldogs, and he has seven double-digit scoring games.

6. #4 Cameron Matthews 6’7” 235 lbs. Gr. Forward Olive Branch, Miss.
8 pts/gm., 6.9 rebs, 61 ast.-32 TO, 38 stl, 61.8 FG%, 1-3 3-PT FG, 52.1 FT%, 25.3 mpg
Ranking in the top five in Mississippi State history in steals and starting 68 of 69 games the last two years, Matthews has become a valuable member of the Bulldogs in helping them to the last two NCAA Tournaments. Matthews has 26 assists in his last five games and 12 games this season with multiple steals. In addition, Matthews has just one game where he didn’t shoot 50 percent or better from the floor. This is Matthews’s fifth season with the Bulldogs.

7. #23 Michael Nwoko 6’10” 245 lbs. So. Center Juba, South Sudan Miami (FL)
Transfer
7.1 pts, 4.9 rebs, 55.4 FG%, 1-3 3-PT FG, 61.5 FT%, 14.9 mpg
A nominee for the McDonald’s All-American Game when he was in high school, Nwoko is in his first season with the Bulldogs and has four games with double-digit points, including two games with 18 points. Nwoko also has two double-doubles and three games with double-digit rebounds. He’s also started 12 straight games heading into Saturday night.

8. #5 Shawn Jones Jr. 6’5” 205 lbs. Jr. Guard Houston, Texas
5.1 pts, 2.4 rebs, 50% FG, 5-18 3-PT FG, 15-19 FT, 17.9 mpg
Jones has started four games this season, and he has played 20+ minutes five times this season.

Head Coach: Chris Jans (3rd season)
Jans has taken the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons in Starkville. It’s Mississippi State’s first time in consecutive NCAA Tournaments in 15 years. Prior to Mississippi State, where the Bulldogs have also won 21 games in each of the last two seasons, Jans spent five seasons at New Mexico State where he led the Aggies to three NCAA Tournaments and a First Round win over UConn in 2022. The Aggies also won four WAC Regular-Season championships in Jans’s five years. Jans also coached Bowling Green for one season, taking the Falcons from 20 losses the year prior to 21-12 in his lone season with the Falcons. Prior to Bowling Green, Jans was an assistant at Wichita State for seven seasons. In 2013, the Shockers went to the Final Four. They followed that with an undefeated regular season and No. 1 seed in 2014, before losing to Kentucky 78-76 in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis.

Keys to the Game

1. Offensive efficiency: Against a Bulldogs team averaging 83.5 points per game, being able to score and be efficient on offense will go a long way for Kentucky on Saturday night. If the Wildcats exhibit the same offensive performance they had against Florida on Saturday night, this is a game the Wildcats win.

2. Take care of the ball: When playing a team that can score, shoot, and rebound, limiting extra possessions is paramount. The Bulldogs average just over 13 offensive rebounds per game. Kentucky can’t let the Bulldogs get to that number on Saturday night.

3. Activity on defense: The Bulldogs average 17.3 assists per game. That’s one component that makes their offense so good is the Bulldogs’ ability to distribute the basketball to its best shooters. The Wildcats need to disrupt the Bulldogs’ offensive rhythm on Saturday night and make ball movement hard to come by.

4. Get off to a good start: The measure of a great team is how they respond to adversity. Kentucky is facing adversity after Tuesday night’s setback at Georgia. How the Wildcats come out in the first four minutes on Saturday night will tell us a lot about the Wildcats’ state of mind and mentality in this top-15 showdown.

Score Prediction: Kentucky 86 – Mississippi State 83
A lot of points will be scored in this game. Kentucky is a really good offensive team and really good team overall. I believe, because of that, Kentucky will bounce back and beat a top 15 team on the road Saturday night, giving Mark Pope four wins over top-15 teams in his first season as the Wildcats head coach.