Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Memphis Tigers Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

The 21st ranked Memphis team will utilize their full-court press strategy on Saturday in an attempt to disrupt the visiting Mississippi State squad, who is known for their ability to protect the ball.

The Bulldogs, with a 10-1 record, have an impressive 1.97 assists-to-turnover ratio (193 assists, 98 turnovers), which ranked sixth in Division I as of Thursday. In their recent 83-59 victory against Central Michigan, Mississippi State only had five turnovers.

When asked about his team's efficiency, coach Chris Jans responded with a shrug and a laugh.

"It's not due to coaching, I can assure you of that," said Jans, whose team has won four consecutive games and had 24 assists on 35 baskets against Central Michigan. "We haven't made many changes. We focus on valuing the ball and all the fundamentals we have always emphasized, such as remaining calm under pressure. It's likely some of our players who were here last year are getting more comfortable playing at this level."

This composure will be put to the test against Memphis (9-2), who switched to a full-court press in the second half of their 64-62 road victory against Virginia on Wednesday after trailing by nine points at halftime. The Tigers forced seven turnovers in the second half and disrupted the Cavaliers' offensive flow with their fast-paced defense.

In the first half, Virginia shot 4 of 10 from beyond the arc, but only 2 of 9 in the second half as Memphis' trapping defense took its toll. Head coach Penny Hardaway credited the team's press for increasing their energy and leading to better shooting.

Memphis also excels at attacking the offensive glass. Dain Dainja leads the team with 29 offensive rebounds and averages 6.7 rebounds per game, while Moussa Cisse (27 offensive rebounds) averages 5.7 rebounds per game.

"We won't always have a great shooting night," Hardaway acknowledged. "But we have three elite scorers who can make tough shots. Most of the time, the ball will bounce off and our players need to be there to give us a second chance."

These extra possessions often lead to more scoring opportunities for PJ Haggerty, who leads Memphis with an average of 22.4 points per game. The redshirt sophomore transferred from Tulsa, where he was named the unanimous American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. NBAdraftroom.com has him projected as a potential second-round pick in either 2025 or 2026.

Tyrese Hunter adds an average of 15.6 points per game, while Colby Rogers contributes 12.5 points per game.

"I am constantly amazed by his talent," Hardaway said of Haggerty, who scored 21 of his game-high 27 points in the second half against Virginia. "He just knows how to score. He can be having an off night and then suddenly everything clicks, or he can start off on fire and stay hot for the entire game."

Josh Hubbard leads the Bulldogs with an average of 18 points per game, although Michael Nwoko had a season-high 18 points in just 18 minutes against Central Michigan. Jans hopes to give Nwoko more playing time, but his conditioning is not yet at a level where he can sustain longer stretches on the court.

"His productivity decreases when he gets tired," Jans explained. "Unfortunately, at this point, he gets tired earlier than we would like. We monitor it every day and he knows what he needs to do. If he can improve his endurance and not have such a significant drop-off, that's all it comes down to - being mentally tougher or having better cardio."

PREDICTION

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Memphis Tigers

Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Memphis Tigers Recap DEC 21TH 2024

Riley Kugel came off the bench to score 19 points and lead hot-shooting Mississippi State to a 79-66 road win over No. 21 Memphis on Saturday.

It's the first road win for Mississippi State against a ranked opponent since 2010, a span of 22 games.

The Bulldogs shot 50 percent, 9 of 18, from 3-point range in the first half. Kugel, who averages 8.4 points per game, shot 6-for-6 including all three shots from behind the arc in the first half. MSU (11-1) held a 41-15 advantage in bench points.

KeShawn Murphy scored 13 points and had nine rebounds, Cameron Matthews tallied 12 points and pulled down nine boards and Josh Hubbard added 13 points for the Bulldogs who have won five straight games.

PJ Haggerty led Memphis (9-3) with 24 points and Tyrese Hunter added 19 points.

Both teams got off to slow starts as each shot 2-of-7 and were tied 5-5 at the first media timeout. But it was the Bulldogs that rattled off a 13-0 run to take an 18-5 lead. Claudell Harris Jr. and Murphy hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get the rally started.

A Murphy steal and coast-to-coast dunk capped the run that allowed the Bulldogs to take control of the game. Memphis had three of its 12 first-half turnovers during the MSU run. Memphis had 18 turnovers which led to 25 MSU points.

Memphis entered the game shooting 41.9% from 3-point range, which ranked third nationally, but shot 29.6% against MSU.

The hosts reeled off a 5-0 scoring spurt when a Dain Dainja steal and a one-hand slam allowed the Tigers' to set up their full-court press. Memphis forced a turnover, and Haggerty drilled a 3-pointer to cut the MSU lead to 34-22 at the 4:55 mark which is the closest the Tigers would get the rest of the first half. MSU held a 48-32 halftime advantage.

An RJ Melendez steal and layup in the Bulldogs' full-court press gave MSU a 60-40 lead with just under 11 minutes left in the game. The Tiger's faced their largest deficit of the season at 24 points before Hunter connected on a 3-pointer with 6:08 left as Memphis closed to 68-51.

The Tigers closed the game on an 11-0 run as both teams emptied their benches.