For the first time in 15 years, the Mississippi State men’s basketball team will play Southern
Mississippi.
MSU and Southern Miss have struck a four-game deal, the Hattiesburg American reported Saturday. A MSU spokesperson said nothing is finalized, but an official announcement is expected Tuesday.
According to the Hattiesburg American, the series will take place 2016-19, and all four games will be played in Jackson at the Mississippi Coliseum. The Hattiesburg American reported the first game is scheduled for Dec. 19. The 2017 and 2019 games will be Dec. 23, while the 2018 game will be Dec. 22.
MSU last played Southern Miss in 2001 in the National Invitational Tournament, when the Bulldogs beat the Golden Eagles 75-68 in Starkville. MSU leads the series 14-4.
The Bulldogs and Golden Eagles have played six neutral-site games, including three in Jackson. The last came 1981, when the Golden Eagles won 68-53. The teams also have played in Biloxi and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
MSU has played in Jackson the last two seasons, and four of the last five.
Southern Miss, which went 8-21 (5-13 in Conference USA) last season under head coach Doc Sadler, will be eligible for the postseason in 2016-17 after self-imposed bans the last two seasons.
MSU is coming off a 14-17 season under coach Ben Howland, who was in his first season as a head coach at the school.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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