How to Watch Mississippi State Men's Basketball at Ole Miss

Two rivals, two struggling seasons, and one last chance to change the narrative when Ole Miss hosts Mississippi State.

Mississippi State Guard Shawn Jones Jr. (#5) during the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

The college basketball season hasn’t gone the way Mississippi State hoped it would, and Saturday night in Oxford might be the Bulldogs’ last real chance to change the trajectory.

Both State and Ole Miss are trending toward missing the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs enter the weekend with slightly more urgency — and slightly more opportunity — to claw back into the conversation. A win keeps their postseason pulse alive. A loss all but guarantees they’ll be playing only for pride by the time the SEC Tournament rolls around.

If there’s any consolation for Mississippi State, it’s that someone is finally going to snap a skid. The Bulldogs have dropped eight of their last nine SEC games after a 2–0 start, a slide that’s erased the momentum they carried into January. Ole Miss hasn’t been much better, losing six straight since edging State by one point in Starkville.

For Mississippi State, the issues have been consistent: scoring droughts, shaky shooting, and an offense that hasn’t been able to match the effort the defense gives most nights. The Bulldogs enter the weekend last in the SEC in field‑goal percentage and 15th in three‑point shooting — numbers that make every possession feel heavier than it should.

That’s especially relevant against an Ole Miss team that, despite its own struggles, has defended well enough to stay competitive. The Rebels are holding opponents to 42 percent shooting and around 73 points per game. Mississippi State will have to find ways to manufacture cleaner looks, get downhill, and avoid the long stretches where the offense stalls.

The Bulldogs do average slightly more points per game than Ole Miss, but both teams sit near the bottom of the league in scoring. That’s part of what makes Saturday feel like a grind‑it‑out rivalry game rather than anything resembling a shootout.

It’s not the matchup either fan base imagined back in November, but it’s the one that matters now. Mississippi State needs a win to keep its season from slipping completely out of reach. Ole Miss needs one just to stop the bleeding.

One way or another, someone in Mississippi is finally getting back in the win column.

How to Watch: Mississippi State at Ole Miss

• Who: Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-13, 3-8 SEC) at Ole Miss Rebels (11-13, 3-8 SEC)
• When: 5:30 p.m., Saturday
• Where: SJB Pavilion, Oxford, Miss.
• TV: ESPN2
• Radio: Live Radio
• Stats: Live Stats
• Series History: Mississippi State leads 152-121
• Last Meeting: Ole Miss 68, Mississippi State 67 (January 14, 2026)
• Last time out, Bulldogs: lost to Tennessee, 73-64|
• Last time out, Rebels: lost to Alabama, 93-74

Mississippi State Top Performers

• Points: Josh Hubbard, 21.0 ppg
• Rebounds: Achor Achor, 6.7 rpg
• Assists: Josh Hubbard, 84 (3.5 avg.)
• Steals: Josh Hubbard/Shawn Jones Jr., 32 (1.3 avg.)
• Blocks: Jamarion Davis-Fleming, 35 (1.5 avg.)

Ole Miss Top Performers

• Points: AJ Storr, 14.3 ppg
• Rebounds: Malik Dia, 6.0 rpg
• Assists: Ilias Kamardine, 90 (3.8 avg.)
• Steals: Ilias Kamardine, 28 (1.2 avg.)
• Blocks: James Scott, 27 (1.1 avg.)

Student-Athlete Availability Report

Mississippi State

Probable

• #2 Ja’Borri McGhee

Ole Miss

Out

• #13 Kezza Giffa

Odds, Spread, Totals

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Mississippi State: +3.5 (-102)
• Ole Miss: -3.5 (-104)

Moneyline

• Mississippi State: +168
• Ole Miss: -205

Total

• Over: 144.5 (-110)
• Under: 144.5 (-110)