Mississippi State has had one of the most grueling schedules to start in conference play this season. Currently sitting at 3-6 in conference play, most of those losses have been on the road. Each loss has ranged from potential wins in a slugfest against a team like Ole Miss to getting a blowout on the opposing court like the case at No. 16 Alabama.
The Bulldogs have not been the best traveling team with a road record of 5-23, but at home, they find ways to win. Wins against No. 6 Tennessee and No. 12 Auburn were both at home and at the time were wins against two top 10 teams according to the AP polls.
In those wins, Josh Hubbard was a starter against the Tigers and was instrumental in keeping the offense afloat when other players struggled or got into foul trouble. In losses, Hubbard might struggle shooting the ball which was the case against the Crimson Tide when he finished 1-9 from the field and 0-5 from three.
The same can be said with Tolu Smith III, who will have big games in losses against top 25 teams when Hubbard is having an off night. On occasion, both will have a good offensive game together but those will be at home, while on the road it could be one or the other.
The issue is trying to find a happy balance between the home performances. On the road, State turns the ball over at a higher rate and if the offense can’t match the opposing team, the defense tends to not find ways to generate transition points like it will at home. The Free-throw issue is something that also does not help but it has been a problem all season.
The Bulldogs will have an easier schedule over the next month with Georgia (14-8, SEC 4-5) heading to Starkville Wednesday, Feb 7 (8:00 p.m. central on SEC Network).
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