Ahhhh. The hardwood egg bowl is upon us. Both teams enter this contest with 10-7 records, 2-2 in SEC play. If you looked at Twitter however, it would seem like the two teams had very different records. Ole Miss is disappointed with how things have gone up until last week while the Bulldogs seem to be overjoyed.
The two programs are also going in opposite directions at the moment. While the Rebels have won two in a row, the Bulldogs have dropped two in a row to Kentucky and Alabama. Ole Miss will be on the road for the second straight contest whole MSU is at home for the second game in a row.
It all begins and ends with Josh Hubbard, the leading scorer in the SEC. His 22.8 points per game is 8.2 points higher than the Rebels’ leader, Malik Dia (14.6 for the mathematically challenged). He is also 7th in the SEC in 3p% (34%) on a league high 8.6 attempts. State also has two players averaging seven rebounds or more while Ole Miss has none.
So, the keys to the game? Limit Hubbard and make someone else beat you while being competitive on the glass. Ole Miss needs to ride the momentum of their victory over Georgia and get Mississippi State while they are down. Josh Hubbard on his home floor is a terrifying thought, but the Rebels have the depth to neutralize their star.
The game tips off at 7:00 tonight on SEC Network and the ESPN app.
