Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State Opens SEC Tournament Against Last Team It Beat

The SEC Tournament bracket is set. Mississippi State opens against Auburn in Nashville with its NCAA hopes needing a miracle run.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) holds shooting for three during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Humphrey Coliseum.
Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) holds shooting for three during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Humphrey Coliseum. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

In this story:

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak and will head to the SEC Tournament in Nashville as the No. 13 seed.

It’s almost too-fitting that the Bulldogs will face the last team they recorded a win against, No. 12-seed Auburn.

The Bulldogs’ only chance at going to the NCAA Tournament is a miracle run to a SEC championship, but others teams have more realistic scenarios. Like, Auburn for example.

The Tigers are on the tournament bubble and need a win or two to ensure it gets an invitation to the big dance. Mississippi State can’t change it’s own future, but it can spoil Auburn’s with a first round win.

Here’s what happened last time the two teams met.

Last Meeting: February 18, 2026

Mississippi State outlasted Auburn 91-85 behind a record‑setting night from Josh Hubbard, who poured in 46 points and hit a school‑record 10 threes.

Hubbard set the tone early, knocking down three quick triples as the Bulldogs built a 21-6 lead and later stretched it to 49-33 at halftime.

Auburn chipped away after the break, eventually taking its first lead at 64–63 with under nine minutes left and pushing ahead 80-73 with 3:56 remaining.

But Hubbard dragged MSU back. He tied the game at 82-82 on a fastbreak layup, then answered an Auburn free throw with his 10th three to put State up 85-83. From there, the Bulldogs leaned on their defense, stacking key stops before Ja’Borri McGhee and Shawn Jones Jr. iced it at the line.

Here’s the full SEC standings and tournament schedule for the upcoming week in Nashville.

Final SEC Standings

1. Florida, 16-2
T2. Alabama, 13-5
T2. Arkansas, 13-5
T4. Vanderbilt, 11-7
T4. Tennessee, 11-7
T4. Texas A&M, 11-7
T7. Georgia, 10-8
T7. Missouri, 10-8
T7. Kentucky, 10-8
10. Texas, 9-9
11. Oklahoma, 7-11
12. Auburn, 7-11
13. Mississippi State, 5-13
T14. South Carolina, 4-14
T14. Ole Miss, 4-14
16. LSU, 3-15

SEC Tournament Schedule

Wednesday

Game 1: LSU vs Kentucky, 11:30 a.m.
Game 2: Mississippi State vs Auburn, 2 p.m.
Game 3: Ole Miss vs Texas, 6 p.m.
Game 4: South Carolina vs Oklahoma, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday

Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs Missouri, 11:30 a.m.
Game 6: Game 2 Winner vs Tennessee, 2 p.m.
Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs Georgia, 6 p.m.
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs Texas A&M, 8:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs Florida, 12:00 p.m.
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs Vanderbilt, 2 p.m.
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs Alabama, 6:00 p.m.
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs Arkansas, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs Game 10 Winner, 12:00 p.m.
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs Game 12 Winner, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday

Game 15: Championship Game, Noon

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

Home/Basketball