Michigan State basketball: Getting to know Mississippi State

When looking at some key stats for Mississippi State, a lot of things stand out. What’s most surprising is how they are elite in some categories and just downright awful in some.

Let’s begin with the good.

Mississippi State is No. 6 in the country in 3-point percentage allowed. That’s not a good sign for a team like Michigan State that can get trigger-happy from deep at times. The Bulldogs are also No. 23 in the country in offensive rebound percentage. This is another scary stat for the Spartans as rebounding has been a weak point all season.

However, even with a couple of very good aspects of their game, they have many brutal areas.

They may be a good team at defending the 3-point line, but they are horrible shooting from deep. They are an abysmal 247th in the country this year from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs are also No. 324 in free throw percentage as well which is just downright horrible.

However, potentially the biggest area where the Spartans can dominate this game is in turnovers. Michigan State basketball has been solid all year protecting the ball and is No. 31 in the country in turnovers per game. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are No. 293 in the country. This could be the one thing that swings this game in Michigan State’s favor.

Key players to watch

The Bulldogs are led by two dominant scorers. Their leading scorer is freshman Josh Hubbard who’s averaging 17.1 points per game this season. His counterpart, senior Tolu Smith, is also having a great season and averaging 15.2 points per game. Smith is also the Bulldogs’ leading rebounder at 8.4 boards per game, showing that he will be a lot to handle for the Spartan bigs.

One thing I always point out for every team is a key 3-point shooter to watch out for, but there really isn’t anyone for Mississippi State who fits the bill for them. Their best shooter, Shakeel Moore, is only 36.8% from beyond the arc this season. That’s still solid, but not for your leading shooter.

The last player to keep an eye on is senior Cameron Matthews. He is about as all-around of a player as you will find. Matthews is averaging 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game this year. On top of that, he is also an elite defender and is averaging 2.0 steals per game.

Can the better MSU get it done? A huge matchup with 1-seed North Carolina is looming, but the Spartans have to get through the Bulldogs first. Hopefully Michigan State basketball can pick up where it left off last year and have another solid NCAA Tournament run in it.