No. 25 Mississippi State will try to pick up its fifth win of the season when it hosts Alcorn State on Monday night.
The Bulldogs went 1-1 at the MGM Resorts Main Event, as they lost 72-67 to Arizona State before holding on for a 61-57 win over Saint Mary’s.
Meanwhile, the Braves are 1-5 on the season after coming up short against Savannah State over the weekend.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this game.
Game Details
- No. 25 Mississippi State (4-1) vs. Alcorn State (1-5)
- Location: Humphrey Coliseum – Starkville, MS
- Game Date: Nov. 26
- Game Time: 8 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network+
Players to Watch
Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State)
The 6-4 senior continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring, as he’s now averaging 17.6 points while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 92.3 percent from the free-throw line.
If Weatherspoon can improve on his tough start from 3-point range (21.1 percent, he’s going to be even harder to guard on a nightly basis.
Aric Holman (Mississippi State)
Holman is nearly averaging a double-double through five games, with the 6-10 senior posting 12.6 points and 9.2 rebounds to go along with 3.0 blocks per contest.
While he’s also having his own issues from beyond the arc early on this season (5 of 18 for 27.8 percent), his ability to stretch the floor will once again be an invaluable asset for Ben Howland and company.
Key Stats
Considering the aforementioned outside shooting struggles, it’s no surprise to see the Bulldogs ranking 326th nationally at 26.2 percent on the year.
On the flip side, that’s really the only somewhat consistent part of Alcorn State’s offense thus far as the Braves are shooting 34.2 percent from long range (150th nationally) while ranking 345th in offensive efficiency.
Alcorn State has also had issues on the defensive side of the court in ranking 336th nationally in defensive efficiency, so Mississippi State should be able to find plenty of open looks.
And to add to the positives for the Bulldogs, they should be able to grab a sizable advantage on the boards due to their steady offensive rebounding percentage (37th nationally at 36.1 percent).
Game Outlook
- Spread: Mississippi State -32.5
- Over/Under: 133.5
- KenPom Projection: Mississippi State, 99.6 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Mississippi State, 98.0 percent chance to win
Mississippi State is clearly the better team here, and it should be able to control the game from the opening tip.
The Bulldogs play at Dayton on Friday, so this should be an opportunity to make any necessary tweaks before that difficult road test.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 59-12
Game Prediction: Mississippi State 84, Alcorn State 56
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