No. 15 Mississippi State will look to stay unbeaten when it takes on Arizona State in the opening round of the MGM Resorts Main Event on Monday night.
The Bulldogs have played very well thus far in scoring double-digit wins over Austin Peay, Hartford, and Long Beach State.
As for Arizona State, it has also yet to suffer defeat with three-straight wins to start the new season.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this exciting matchup.
Game Details
- No. 15 Mississippi State vs. Arizona State
- Location: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
- Game Date: Nov. 19
- Game Time: 11 p.m. EST
- Watch: ESPNU
Players to Watch
Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State)
The 6-4 senior has been scoring at will thus far in averaging 21.3 points while shooting 60.7 percent from the field.
Weatherspoon had six games of 20 or more points last season, and he’s already racked up half that amount through the first three games this season.
Tyson Carter (Mississippi State)
Carter has provided a spark off the bench for the Bulldogs, with the 6-4 junior averaging 14.3 points and 3.0 steals per contest.
This could be a game where he sees even more minutes due to the unknowns surrounding the availability of starting guard Nick Weatherspoon, who is questionable for this one after suffering an ankle injury against Long Beach State.
Backcourt depth is one of Mississippi State’s biggest strengths, and Carter’s continued contributions will give Ben Howland and his staff plenty of ways to attack the opposition.
Luguentz Dort (Arizona State)
Bobby Hurley was high on the 6-4 freshman before the season started, and now it’s easy to understand why given how well he has played in his first three games with the Sun Devils.
Dort is contributing 21.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals while playing 32.2 minutes per game, and it has become increasingly clear that he has a chance to be a special talent this season.
Key Stats
Both teams have found a rhythm thus far offensively as Mississippi State ranks 29th in adjusted efficiency while Arizona State is 45th in that category.
We’re also seeing both use their size to attack the glass, with the two teams ranking inside the top 20 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage.
If there’s a potential area of weakness on each side, it may be outside shooting.
Arizona State is shooting 32.9 percent from beyond the arc, but Mississippi State has been significantly worse at 27.8 percent.
Game Outlook
- Spread: Mississippi State -4
- Over/Under: 149.5
- KenPom Projection: Mississippi State, 67 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Mississippi State, 54.3 percent chance to win
Nick Weatherspoon’s absence would add some concerns for Mississippi State, but that’s where having a player like Carter may lessen the impact.
Arizona State certainly has some playmakers offensively, and there’s enough potential balance to attack the Bulldogs in multiple ways.
However, after going through a few years of being one of the least experienced teams in the country, Mississippi State finally has a roster that will thrive as upperclassmen.
That experience should play a role here, and the key for the Bulldogs will be to use their size to score in the paint rather than getting complacent and taking too many outside jumpers.
It should be a tight contest with or without Weatherspoon, but I really like what I’ve see from Howland’s group thus far this season.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 36-8
Game Prediction: Mississippi State 80, Arizona State 74
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.