Mississippi
With Ole Miss, Mississippi State basketball struggling our prediction for rivalry game
The poor seasons for Ole Miss and Mississippi State basketball have continued since they last played on Jan. 17.
The Rebels (11-13, 3-8 SEC) won that game 68-67 at Humphrey Coliseum after Josh Hubbard missed a potential game-winning layup in the final seconds. Since then, Ole Miss has lost six consecutive games. MSU (11-13, 3-8) has lost eight of its last nine games.
They play for a second time in the regular season on Feb. 14 (5:30 p.m., ESPN2) at SJB Pavilion in Oxford.
Here is our score prediction for the game.
What’s gone wrong for Ole Miss, Mississippi State
For Ole Miss, it’s the offense that has been troublesome. The 93-74 loss to Alabama on Feb. 11 was Ole Miss’ first game scoring 70 points since Jan. 14. The Rebels average 73.9 points per game, last in the SEC, and have the conference’s worst field-goal percentage at 43.7.
Mississippi State has struggled on both ends of the floor, but especially on defense. The Bulldogs allow 78.4 points per game, 13th in the SEC. Hubbard is second in the SEC in scoring at 21.0 points per game, but MSU hasn’t gotten consistent offense from anyone else.
Neither team is projected to make the NCAA Tournament.
Ole Miss ranks 85th in the NET rankings as of Feb. 12, while Mississippi State is No. 100. Only South Carolina ranks lower than the two in the SEC.
Ole Miss, Mississippi State injury updates
The Rebels are not expected to have guard Kezza Giffa available due to a leg injury. He averages 6.6 points per game in 16 minutes.
Hubbard and freshman forward Jamarion Davis-Fleming both briefly exited Mississippi State’s Feb. 11 loss to Tennessee but returned to the game. Mississippi State is not expected to have any players out with injuries.
Ole Miss vs Mississippi State score predictions
- Sam Sklar: Ole Miss 68, Mississippi State 60: It’s hard to put much faith in either team, but I’ll go with the Rebels after they played very well defensively against MSU last month.
- Sam Hutchens: Ole Miss 70, Mississippi State 65: Favor the home team in a matchup of struggling teams.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.