Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State Basketball Schedule: Ranking Bulldogs' Top 5 Toughest Games

With the 2024-25 hoops ready to tip off, we reveal the five toughest opponents on the Bulldogs' schedule.

Rich Cirminiello

Oct 15, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA;Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Cameron Matthews talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Oct 15, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA;Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Cameron Matthews talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
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Mississippi State begins the 2024-25 hoops season with ample optimism. Head coach Chris Jans is entering his third year, with back-to-back 21-win campaigns as the foundation on which more success can be stacked.

Jans has assembled a Top 25-caliber roster led by young superstar Josh Hubbard and veteran pillar Cameron Matthews.

The Bulldogs tip off the season Nov. 4 with a visit from West Georgia, and SEC play starts Jan. 4. These are the five toughest games MSU hoops will play during the regular season.

5. vs. Florida [Feb. 11]

Like Jans, Florida's Todd Golden has been building momentum in his first two seasons as the head coach. And like Mississippi State with Hubbard, the Gators have a major offensive weapon in G Walter Clayton Jr. who averaged 17.6 points per game in his SEC debut.

4. at Tennessee [Jan. 21]

The defending regular season SEC champs won't be the same without star Dalton Knecht. But as long as Rick Barnes is in Knoxville, the Vols will be very dangerous. The coach has built another solid roster, led by the return of All-SEC G Zakai Zeigler.

3. at Arkansas [March 8]

The new-look Hogs now have the dean of SEC coaches, John Calipari, and a talented team that needs time to gel. By the time MSU gets to Fayetteville for this game, Arkansas will likely have the chemistry it needs from a roster littered with imports from the transfer portal.

2. at Auburn [Jan. 14]

Auburn boasts one of the country's deepest rosters and a premier SEC coach in Bruce Pearl. Johni Broome, the 6-10 senior who began his career at Morehead State, is a national player of the year candidate and one of the best big men in college basketball.

1. at Alabama [Feb. 25]

The Crimson Tide will begin 2024-25 ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP poll. Nate Oats returns key parts from last year's Final Four team, namely star G Mark Sears. With timely offseason additions, Alabama has the parts to take the next step and win a national championship next spring.

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Rich Cirminiello
RICH CIRMINIELLO

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