BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Mississippi State men’s basketball is set to face LSU at the Maravich Center on Wednesday night, starting a weeklong road swing. The Bulldogs (10-10, 2-5 SEC) are led by guards Josh Hubbard and Jayden Epps, who average a combined 36.2 points per game, second among SEC duos this season, according to school sources.
LSU (13-7, 1-6 SEC) went 12-1 during nonconference play but has lost six of its seven SEC games. Most of those losses occurred without leading scorer Dedan Thomas Jr., who averages 15.2 points and 6.7 assists per game. Thomas returned last Saturday for LSU’s game against Arkansas. The Tigers rely on interior play from Mike Nwoko (14.2 points, 5.9 rebounds) and Marquel Sutton (13.5 points, 8.3 rebounds).
Mississippi State has secured its third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid for the third time in program history, with hopes of extending that streak to four. The Bulldogs last achieved four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2001 to 2005. The team has been known for its energetic atmosphere at Humphrey Coliseum, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last December. Fans can purchase tickets for remaining home games via the school’s athletic ticket office.
In series history, LSU holds a slight edge over Mississippi State, 114-107. However, the Bulldogs have won five straight meetings under coach Chris Jans, including two SEC Tournament victories over the Tigers in recent seasons. Hubbard has scored 30 or more points in consecutive regular-season matchups against LSU, according to school records.
The game is scheduled for 6:01 p.m. CT at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge. It will be streamed on SEC Network+ and ESPN app, with live radio coverage on the Mississippi State Sports Network, powered by Learfield.
