MSU Earns Record AP Ranking; Howland Tuesday's Luncheon Speaker
January 04, 2016 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – A New Year featured another first for the Mississippi State women's basketball team as it claimed a program-best No. 7 ranking in Monday's Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
The Bulldogs moved up one spot this week after breaking into the Top 10 for the first time in program annals on Nov. 24.
The record ranking comes as MSU hosts its first Hail State Hoops Luncheon of 2016 Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in Mize Pavilion.
Bulldog men's basketball head coach Ben Howland will be the guest speaker for the luncheon to preview his squad's SEC opener against Texas A&M on Wednesday.
Vic Schaefer, his staff and players will then recap a successful holiday break that saw MSU win the Puerto Rico Classic and down No. 17 South Florida before starting 2016 with an SEC-opening road win at Florida.
Schaefer will also preview the upcoming SEC slate that includes Thursday's 7:30 p.m. home opener against Auburn and Sunday's home tilt against Arkansas.
Cost for each Hail State Hoops Luncheon, which includes a full meal, is $12. Doors open at 11:15 a.m., and fans who RSVP by phone (662.325.0198) or email (dbrown@athletics.msstate.edu) will be entered for the chance to win official team gear.
State's pair of wins in the Sunshine State moved the Bulldogs up one spot in the poll and to 14-1 overall. MSU won consecutive league openers for the first time since the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
MSU is the second-highest SEC team in the poll, coming behind No. 2 South Carolina. The Bulldogs moved ahead of Kentucky, who dropped to No. 10 after falling at Auburn Sunday.
Tennessee climbed one place to No. 12, while Texas A&M vaulted three places to No. 13. Missouri also moved up three spots, checking in at No. 20.
Thursday's game will be part of the SEC Network's whip-around coverage. The network will alternate coverage between games, while each contest will be shown in its entirety online on the SEC Network +.
Individual game tickets cost $5 for adults, while youth high school age and under get in free. MSU students also get free admission with a valid student ID.
Bulldog fans can also save money by purchasing $35 general admission season tickets prior to Thursday's contest. Fans can order them online at www.hailstate.com/tickets or by calling 1-888-GO-DAWGS.
Associated Press Top 25 Poll – January 4, 2016
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UConn (32) | 11-0 | 800 | 1 | ||
| 2 | South Carolina | 13-0 | 765 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Notre Dame | 13-1 | 735 | 3 | ||
| 4 | Texas | 13-0 | 705 | 5 | ||
| 5 | Ohio State | 10-3 | 630 | 9 | ||
| 6 | Baylor | 14-1 | 627 | 4 | ||
| 7 | Mississippi State | 14-1 | 616 | 8 | ||
| 8 | Maryland | 12-2 | 580 | 6 | ||
| 9 | Stanford | 11-2 | 521 | 11 | ||
| 10 | Kentucky | 11-1 | 502 | 7 | ||
| 11 | Oregon State | 10-2 | 495 | 10 | ||
| 12 | Tennessee | 9-3 | 460 | 13 | ||
| 13 | Texas A&M | 11-3 | 416 | 16 | ||
| 14 | Arizona State | 9-3 | 356 | 17 | ||
| 15 | UCLA | 10-3 | 243 | 21 | ||
| 16 | Northwestern | 12-2 | 235 | 14 | ||
| 17 | Oklahoma | 10-3 | 229 | 18 | ||
| 18 | Duke | 11-4 | 215 | 12 | ||
| 19 | Florida State | 9-4 | 202 | 15 | ||
| 20 | Missouri | 13-0 | 198 | 23 | ||
| 21 | California | 9-3 | 183 | 19 | ||
| 22 | South Florida | 8-3 | 168 | 20 | ||
| 23 | Michigan State | 10-3 | 109 | 24 | ||
| 24 | DePaul | 10-5 | 94 | 25 | ||
| 25 | Seton Hall | 13-1 | 78 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Syracuse 52, Virginia Tech 45, Miami (FL) 43, Iowa 20, Oklahoma State 14, Georgia 12, Oregon 11, USC 9, TCU 5, UTEP 4, Louisville 4, South Dakota State 4, Florida 3, Iowa State 3, Rutgers 2, Green Bay 2, Purdue 2, Duquesne 2, Washington 1
