NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mississippi State has played on back-to-back days just once this season, and in so doing the Bulldogs picked up their two biggest wins in non-conference play.
On Nov. 18 and 19 in Uncasville, Conn., MSU defeated two projected NCAA Tournament teams in as many days in Washington State and Northwestern to win the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. The experience can only be a positive for the Bulldogs as they prepare to play for the second day in a row Friday against top-seeded Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
“You don’t get to play back-to-back very often, other than the fall tournament and the conference tournament,” MSU head coach Chris Jans said. “It’s definitely something that we’ll be talking about as we move into scout mode.”
The No. 9 seed Bulldogs (20-12) defeated the SEC regular-season champion Volunteers 77-72 at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 10, a top-five win for MSU and the biggest of the Jans era at the time. Josh Hubbard had 25 points that night and Tolu Smith added 23 as the Bulldogs survived a furious second-half Tennessee rally led by Dalton Knecht and Zakai Zeigler, who combined for 54 points.
Knecht leads the conference in scoring with 21.4 points per game and was named the SEC Player of the Year earlier this week. A 40.5 percent shooter from 3-point range, Knecht is one of the best offensive players in all of college basketball and scored 40 points in his team’s regular-season finale against Kentucky.
Big man Jonas Aidoo and point guard Zeigler are also averaging double-figure scoring for the Volunteers (24-7). Zeigler leads the SEC with six assists per contest and is also in the top five in steals per game, and Aidoo is third in the conference in both rebounds and blocks.
Here are three keys to victory for the Bulldogs as they look to beat Tennessee for the second time and remove all doubt that they belong in the NCAA Tournament.
Avoid the dreaded slow start
MSU has fallen behind in the first half in four straight games now, needing to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit to beat LSU on Thursday. In their January win over the Volunteers, the Bulldogs raced out to a 15-point lead in the first half and held Tennessee to 2-for-13 shooting from deep in the opening 20 minutes, which allowed them some breathing room when the Vols heated up after the break. A similar fast start would be huge, especially considering Tennessee will be the much more rested team after the double bye.
Don’t miss easy shots
Smith, Jimmy Bell Jr. and Cameron Matthews have all been suboptimal when it comes to finishing open looks at the rim, a factor in MSU’s four-game losing streak to close the regular season. Against an offense as prolific as the Volunteers’, the Bulldogs can’t afford to miss any of those opportunities, which often lead to fast-breaks on the other end. Smith got the better of Aidoo in the teams’ first meeting and will need to do so again Friday.
Weather the storm
It’s an inevitability against Tennessee — the Volunteers’ run will come. All MSU can do is be in position to withstand it by building an early lead and make sure they stem the tide before things get out of hand. Perimeter defense will be paramount, particularly from Matthews and D.J. Jeffries, and the Bulldogs’ guards will need to keep Zeigler out of the backcourt and take care of the ball.
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