Alabama Basketball Opponent Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs

Alabama basketball takes on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday night. Alabama beat Mississippi State 78-67 in Starkville earlier this season. The reeling Bulldogs are currently 12-7 and 1-6 in the SEC, having lost seven of their last eight games.

Alabama basketball used a balanced attack to defeat State back in December, putting four players in double-figures. Mark Sears led the way with 20 points, while Brandon Miller notched a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

On the other side, DJ Jeffries led the Bulldogs with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Forward Tolu Smith, Mississippi State’s best player, had his worst game of the season. Smith finished with just five points on 1-7 shooting and 3-15 from the free throw line. Even in a road environment, it’s hard to imagine he will play that poorly again.

Tolu Smith currently leads the Bulldogs with 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. DJ Jeffries adds 9.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, which both rank second on the team.

Mississippi State hung around in the first matchup against Alabama with the help of some solid bench contributions, and they may need a similar game from their reserves in Tuscaloosa.

Senior New Mexico State transfer Will McNair Jr. spelled Smith to score 10 points and grab seven rebounds. Freshman KeShawn Murphy had his best game of the season, going 3-4 from the three-point line and scoring a career-high 11 points.

Junior Shakeel Moore and senior Dashawn Davis have led the Bulldogs’ backcourt this season, but neither made a major impact on the first game against Alabama, combining for 10 points and eight assists on 4-15 shooting.

For the year, Moore averages 8.2 points and 1.9 assists while Davis averages 8.2 points and 3.2 assists.

Alabama Basketball should come out sharp and ready to play, as it will be back in front of its home crowd. The front court of Charles Bediako and Noah Clowney, supplemented by Noah Gurley and Nick Pringle off the bench, look to make life difficult for Tolu Smith once again.

Mark Sears and Brandon Miller are the shot-makers that keep the Alabama offense humming. When they are on, it is hard for any team in the country to keep up, and Mississippi State just doesn’t have the firepower.

Jahvon Quinerly has battled inconsistency but been a great leader on this team. Strictly in terms of skillset, he is still among the best guards in the SEC, and has the capability to provide instant offense off the bench. Rylan Griffen, Dom Welch, and Nimari Burnett can also contribute from the wing off the bench.

Alabama Basketball has to stay focused and locked-in, but they should take care of Mississippi State at home.