Mizzou men’s basketball vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs: Lineups, TV, tipoff time
THE DETAILS
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Humphrey Coliseum (Starkville, Mississippi)
TV: SEC Network
Odds: Missouri 29.6% to win (ESPN Analytics)
STARTING LINEUPS
P | No. | Missouri | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 24 | Kobe Brown | 6-8 | Sr. | 16.5 |
F | 35 | Noah Carter | 6-6 | Jr. | 10.0 |
G | 5 | D’Moi Hodge | 6-4 | Sr. | 14.3 |
G | 11 | Isiaih Mosley | 6-5 | Sr. | 10.0 |
G | 10 | Nick Honor | 5-10 | Jr. | 8.4 |
P | No. | Mississippi State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
G-F | 4 | Cameron Matthews | 6-7 | Jr. | 6.7 |
F | 1 | Tolu Smith | 6-11 | Sr. | 14.5 |
G | 3 | Shakeel Moore | 8.9 | Jr. | 8.9 |
F | 0 | D.J. Jeffries | 6-7 | Sr. | 8.8 |
G | 10 | Dashawn Davis | 6-2 | Sr. | 8.6 |
About Mississippi State (14-8, 2-7 SEC):
Much like Missouri’s last opponent, Mississippi State came into the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on a major losing streak, as the Bulldogs had lost five games. But Mississippi State defeated a depleted TCU team in overtime for its first signature victory of the season. The Bulldogs followed that up with a road win against South Carolina and things seem to be trending upwards in Starkville. Now they welcome a Missouri team that is as hot as any right now.
Mississippi State has led or been tied at the half in each of its last two games against ranked opponents. While Missouri isn’t ranked, the Tigers would be in at No. 26 if the AP Poll extended that far, and they could have a matchup advantage: The Bulldogs do not beat teams with the three-pointer, averaging just 28.1%. They can, however grab rebounds and win games in a grind-it-out fashion, which could pose problems for a Missouri team that struggles mightily on the glass. Tolu Smith is the only Bulldogs player to average double figures with 14.5 points per game. He also grabs 8.2 rebounds to lead the team.
About Missouri (17-5, 5-4):
Missouri notched its third straight win with an 87-77 victory over LSU on Wednesday. While LSU has struggled in conference this season, Missouri led from start to finish in a dominating performance. Kobe Brown tallied another 20-point game, missing just one of his 11 shots and knocking down five 3-pointers. Noah Carter got the splash party started early with three from behind the arc. Deandre Gholston and Mohamed Diarra also were key off the bench.
On paper, the Tigers should have a shot to win this game in Starkville. Mississippi State struggles to score and has won just two SEC games. But the Bulldogs do at least one thing well that Missouri doesn’t: they rebound. If Missouri can limit damage on the glass, this one should produce the Tigers’ sixth conference win.
