MSU Opens SEC Play At Home Against No. 22 Arkansas

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Looking to ring in the New Year on a high note, Mississippi State opens its 2018 SEC slate against No. 22 Arkansas on Tuesday at Humphrey Coliseum.

Tip is set for 8:05 p.m. CT, with the game televised on the SEC Network. Roy Philpott and Brooke Wiesbrod will handle the broadcast, while Neil Price and Richard Williams will have the call on the MSU radio network.

The Bulldogs have won the last two in this series, including last year's showdown in Fayetteville, 84-78.

LAST TIME OUT
Mississippi State rolled to a 109-81 victory against North Florida. Aric Holman paced MSU with his career-high 23 points, while Quinndary Weatherspoon added 18 and Xavian Stapleton 16.

The Razorbacks rallied to beat then No. 21 Tennessee in overtime, 95-93. Daryl Macon scored 33 points en route to earning SEC player of the week honors.

RECORDS
Mississippi State, 12-1; Arkansas, 11-2.

THE SERIES
Arkansas leads, 33-27.

KEY LINKS
Live Stats: http://hailst.at/2lyyMCq
Watch ESPN: http://hailst.at/2lwat7Y

COACHES
Ben Howland enters his third year at MSU and 22^nd overall. As head coach in four different stops, he is 443-240 with a 42-34 mark with the Bulldogs.

Mike Anderson is in his seventh year at Arkansas and is 139-76. In 16 seasons overall, he's 339-174.

QUOTABLE
"It's a new season, and we all know it's going to be a battle for 18 games. Arkansas is coming off a great win, and we know the problems they present with their defense. We've got to protect the basketball. And we have to defend because they have great shooters." — MSU coach Ben Howland.

BULLDOG BITES

Mississippi State is 45-39 in SEC lid-lifters — 30-19 at home, 15-19 on the road and 0-1 at neutral sites.
The Bulldogs are 3-1 versus Arkansas in openers, with the last meeting coming in 2012, a 98-88 loss in Fayetteville.
MSU's most common league-opening foe is Auburn (21, 10-11).
Mississippi State has lost four-straight SEC openers, with its last win coming against South Carolina in 2013.
With his one block against the Ospreys, Aric Holman needs just five more to tie Gavin Ware for the eighth most in school history.
Against North Florida, MSU scored 100-plus points for the first time since a 106-88 win against Eastern Washington in Ben Howland's first game as head coach on Nov. 13, 2015. It also marked the 54th time in school history the Dogs have reached the century mark.
The 109 points scored were the most since MSU totaled 107 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 23, 1999.
Mississippi State has now shot 50 percent or better from the floor seven times this season. Last year, the total was eight.
It's 62-percent shooting against the Ospreys was its best since making 62.0 percent of its shots against Auburn on Jan. 16, 2011.
Against North Florida, both Aric Holman and Xavian Stapleton had career highs with 23 and 16 points, respectively.
Abdul Ado has 28 blocks on the year, a total that's eighth best by an MSU freshman in school history. His 2.3 clip is third in the SEC and the highest in school history for a freshman.
The Bulldogs have now won 11 home games, it's most since also winning 11 in 2014.
MSU leads the SEC and is 21st nationally in points allowed at 62.6.
Mississippi State is looking for its first 13-1 start since opening the 2003-04 campaign 21-1.

NEXT 3 UP
Jan. 6 at Ole Miss
Jan. 10 at Florida
Jan. 13 vs. Auburn in Starkville.

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Mississippi State University Athletics

MSU Opens SEC Play At Home Against No. 22 Arkansas

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