No. 22 Mississippi State will aim to avoid a third straight loss as they face Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Saturday.
Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5 SEC) has struggled recently, losing five of their last six games. The Bulldogs began the season strong with a 12-1 nonconference record and started SEC play 2-0, making it 14-1. Since then, they’ve had difficulty against tough SEC teams. All five of their conference losses have been to ranked teams, with four of those in the top six at the time.
“In this league where there’s a very, very small margin of error, you take your foot off the gas and everybody’s going to take advantage of it,” said Mississippi State coach Chris Jans. “We’ve been able to do that to other teams, too, but we’ve just got to understand that we have a margin of error that’s small.”
Guard Josh Hubbard, who is tied for fifth in the SEC with 17.6 points per game, has been a standout in recent losses. He scored 38 points in a 88-84 defeat to then-No. 4 Alabama on Jan. 29 and followed it up with 24 points in an 88-61 loss to No. 20 Missouri last Saturday.
KeShawn Murphy and Claudell Harris Jr. are the other two Mississippi State players who average double figures. Murphy has 11.0 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game, while Harris averages 10.4 points.
Georgia (16-7, 4-6 SEC) has had a similar path this season. They, too, started strong at 12-1 in nonconference play but have since struggled in SEC games. After impressive wins over Kentucky and Oklahoma, Georgia has lost five of their last seven games.
The Bulldogs are led by top NBA draft prospect Asa Newell, who leads the team with 15.3 points and 6.9 rebounds. Silas Demary Jr. also plays a key role, averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
Georgia recently beat LSU 81-62, with Newell scoring 17 points and Blue Cain adding a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Georgia’s defense has been a key factor in their biggest wins this season.
“In a lot of our big wins, teams were in the 60s,” coach Mike White said. “That’s easier to control than whether or not shots are falling. Guys have embraced playing with one another and they let the defense dictate who’s shooting the ball.”
“You can’t just put your head down against an SEC defense, go full speed and hope it all works out,” White added. “The length, the discipline, the overall ability that the defenses (present) in this league will expose you until you’re ready.”
