Mississippi State basketball is set to play Tulane in the first round of the 2019 Myrtle Beach Invitational.
Ben Howland’s team will play either Villanova or Middle Tennessee in the second round, with Ohio vs. Baylor and Utah vs. Coastal Carolina being the other two first round matchups.
Mississippi State holds a 26-16 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools, with the most recent meeting coming back in 2015.
Here it is! The Official 2019 Myrtle Beach Invitational Bracket. We're looking forward to some exciting match-ups at #MBI19.
Tickets go on sale to the public August 15th.@BaylorMBB @CoastalMBB @MT_MBB @HailStateMBK @OhioMBasketball @GreenWaveMBB @UtahMBB @NovaMBB pic.twitter.com/XmBMQTgBqp
— Myrtle Beach Invitational (@MyrtleInvite) July 11, 2019
It will be the start of a new era for the Green Wave, as former Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter takes over on the sidelines.
The Bulldogs return several contributors this season while adding a talented group of newcomers to the mix.
Lovell’s Analysis
Howland and company must find a way to replace the production of players like Quinndary Weatherspoon, Lamar Peters, and Aric Holman if they want to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
But Perry’s development this summer has been excellent, as he impressed during the NBA draft process before deciding to return to school for his sophomore season.
He followed that up by winning the MVP award at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, with the USA capturing gold in the tournament.
Combining his improvement with an experienced backcourt in Nick Weatherspoon and Tyson Carter should have the Bulldogs in position for another tournament bid.
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.