Just A Bulldog Minute: Mississippi State Men’s Basketball Road Troubles

Winning at home is simple for the Bulldogs but on the road, it has been a struggle.

Currently, 0-4 on the road in SEC play, Mississippi State seems to come up short each time. 

In their most recent game against Ole Miss, scoring was not an issue like it had been for most of the season meanwhile, consistency on defense, missed free throws and bad turnovers held MSU back from playing a complete game, something they struggle to do on the road.

What do the Bulldogs need to do as a response to these troubling issues?

One of these can be the addition of KeShawn Murphy, who was great for the Bulldogs last season as a floor spacer and can provide good minutes off the bench. Murphy has been with the team after missing a couple of games for personal reasons according to head coach Chris Jans. Jans also noted during his weekly media session that Andrew Taylor is no longer on the team and had no other comments revolving around his situation.

Another issue that can be accounted for is the lack of aggression on defense. Many of the players, including coach Jans, have talked about how gritty and grimy they used to play defense, but they have not held that standard for this season.

Free throws are hit or miss for the Bulldogs and the only thing that can help that improve is more shots after practice but turnovers have become an increasing problem. More consistent guard play can be called upon. Hubbard can provide that it was seen against Ole Miss alongside his scoring ability.

The Bulldogs have a lot to overcome but an easier schedule in February could help MSU get back on track for a better seed in March.