Intensity expected to be evident in game between Bulldogs, Rebs
There's no Golden Egg at stake like it is on the football field each November, but the Mississippi State-ole Miss rivalry renews tonight on the hardwood.
The Bulldogs (15-8, 6-4) will be in Oxford tonight for a 6 p.m. tip at The Pavilion against Ole Miss (12-11, 3-7).
For attention's sake, the basketball version of this battle doesn't get quite as much notoriety as its counterpart on the gridiron. As far as intensity goes though, MSU head coach Ben Howland suggests this game might surpass what happens on the football field in the fall.
“I think you feel it more in a basketball game,” Howland said. “It's enclosed (in an arena). There is way more intensity in a closed building. Everyone is right on top of you. I think it's great in football, no question. In terms of the intimacy of a basketball game, there's nothing like it. That's why it's the fastest-growing sport in the world. It's just a great atmosphere, so you feel it for sure.”
This meeting of the two instate schools brings all kinds of intrigue. It features two teams in two different spots. Mississippi State sits solidly on the NCAA Tournament bubble entering tonight. With eight games left in the regular season, ESPN'S Joe Lunardi has State among his first four teams out of the big dance in his latest projections. That means the Bulldogs have work to do. They could sure use a road win against the Rebels to continue to boost their resume.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, is surging to try and get back into the tournament discussion. After a brutal start to league play in which the Rebels lost their first five Southeastern Conference games, Ole Miss has won three of its last five, including two in a row – impressive home wins against South Carolina and Florida. The Rebels defeated the Gators 68-51 on Saturday.
“I think they're really playing well and the best they've played all year has been the last two games,” Howland said of the Rebels.
Ole Miss was especially good on defense against Florida as a 13-3 run in the second half helped stretch a lead to 12 points.
Kermit Davis, the Rebel men's head coach who was a former player and a graduate of MSU, praised the defensive effort of his team against the Gators.
“We defended today for 40 minutes; the best we've defended all year long," Davis told The Associated Press. “We're going to need that again because we are playing a really outstanding Mississippi State team in here (tonight)."
Tonight's game features a pair of the SEC'S best players. Odds are, their performances will be key in determining who leaves the arena with a win tonight.
MSU is led by Reggie Perry. The sophomore forward is having a monster year as he enters tonight's game with 13 double-doubles this season. He's averaging 17.4 points and 10 rebounds a game this year. Perry leads the SEC in rebounding and is tied for fourth in scoring.
The Ole Miss hopes against State
hinge largely on the performance of Breein Tyree. The senior guard is the most recent SEC Player of the Week for his efforts last week in the two Rebel wins. Tyree is averaging 19 points per game this year, which stands as the conference's third-best mark.
Tyree is no stranger to Howland and the Bulldogs. He's hurt MSU before. State is mindful it doesn't need to let that happen again tonight.
“He's a terrific player,” Howland said of Tyree. “He's shooting a very high percentage from 3 – I think about 45 percent in conference games. He's a returning first-team all-league player and the leading scorer in our conference (in SEC games). He scores at all levels. He scores from 3. He scores on pull-ups in the paint. He scores at the rim. He gets fouled. He does it all. He's just a very difficult guy to match up with. He has a chance to be an NBA player, no doubt. I really like his game. He's a special talent and a great competitor. He's always played good against us.”
Perry and Tyree will of course almost assuredly be on the floor tonight. One player whose playing status is unknown is Abdul Ado. Ado left MSU'S Saturday contest against Vanderbilt late in the game due to an apparent shoulder injury. Howland said on Monday that Ado remained sore on Sunday and the Bulldogs would evaluate Ado again later Monday. Ado's presence, or lack thereof, would of course be a big factor in how tonight's rivalry game plays out.
It's unquestionably a victory both teams are hungry to get. No, there won't be anyone rushing to grab a trophy at the end of it, but it's absolutely a victory both MSU and Ole Miss need as the regular season heads into the final stretch.
“There's no question, whatever we play (Ole Miss) in, any sport, there's competition to be the best,” Howland said. “There's no question we feel it very strongly as I know they do too.”