After Kentucky loss, Mississippi State faces fast-paced Alabama at home

Chris Jans knows what’s coming. Mississippi State must adjust quickly after a Kentucky loss with Alabama’s pace testing the Bulldogs at home.

Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Achor Achor (99) dunks the ball during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

A lot of the good vibes Mississippi State created bouncing back from a non-conference funk evaporated Saturday at Kentucky.

The Bulldogs lost their first SEC game of the season to a Kentucky squad that was 0-2 before the 92-68 win in Lexington. Mississippi State looked good to start the game, hitting shots on the way to building a 12-point lead.

However, Kentucky would be the better team for the rest of the game and it won’t be easy getting those good vibes back for the Bulldogs this week.

Mississippi State hosts No. 18 Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday.

“We’re in one of those stretches everybody goes through: three games in seven days,” Bulldogs’ coach Chris Jans said Monday morning. “It can be a lot, but it is what it is. Nobody’s complaining.”

The Crimson Tide will be the best team the Bulldogs have faced since an early season game against Iowa State. They have top 10 wins against St. John’s and Illinois and four of their five losses have come against teams ranked as low as No. 12. However, they just lost to Texas by four points on Saturday.

That’s the same Texas team Mississippi State beat 101-98 in OT to start SEC play. The Longhorns were able to handle Alabama’s fast-paced offense, something Jans hopes his players can handle too.

“Our guys have to understand that if you score, there can’t be any celebration,” Jans said. “They’re going to get the ball out of the net, spray it up the floor, and try to score before you even know what hit you. You can talk about it and show it on film, but until you experience that pace, it’s like stepping out into the cold, it takes a minute to adjust.

“They also play a lot of guys, and that’s probably the biggest difference. Some guys might play one night and not the next, but more often than not, they use a lot of players. That makes scouting more challenging and adds more personnel to keep track of.”

Here's when and where to watch and follow along with Tuesday's action, as well as a breakdown of each team's top performers.

How to Watch: No. 18 Alabama at Mississippi State

• Who: No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-5, 1-2 SEC) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (10-6, 2-1 SEC)
• When: 8 p.m., Tuesday
• Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.
• TV: SEC Network
• Radio: Live Radio
• Stats: Live Stats
• Series History: Ole Miss leads the all-time series 69-39
• Last Meeting: Alabama 111, Mississippi State 73 (February 25, 2025)
• Last time out, Bulldogs: lost to Kentucky, 92-68
• Last time out, Crimson Tide: lost to Texas, 92-88

Mississippi State Top Performers

• Points: Josh Hubbard, 22.8 ppg
• Rebounds: Achor Achor, 7.1 rpg
• Assists: Josh Hubbard, 61 (3.8 avg.)
• Steals: Shawn Jones Jr., 29 (1.8 avg.)
• Blocks: Quincy Ballard, 20 (1.25 avg.)

Alabama Top Performers

• Points: Labaron Philon Jr., 21.2 ppg
• Rebounds: Amari Allen, 7.4 rpg
• Assists: Labaron Philon Jr., 68 (4.9 avg.)
• Steals: Labaron Philon Jr., 22 (1.8 avg.)
• Blocks: Aiden Sherrell, 36 (2.6 avg.)