Gameday: Five Things to Know About No. 18 MSU-Cincinnati

Saturday, December 15

Starkville

7:30 PM

Mississippi State

Cincinnati

Photo by: Trevor Birchett/MSU Athletics

Gameday: Five Things to Know About No. 18 MSU-Cincinnati

December 14, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Watch Live Tickets Listen Live Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – No. 18 Mississippi State continues a stretch of five straight games against postseason squads from a season ago when the Bulldogs take on Cincinnati on Saturday from Humphrey Coliseum.

Tip time is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT televised by SEC Network and available online through the WatchESPN app.

The Bearcats hold a 3-2 series edge on the strength of three consecutive victories in the series which includes a 65-50 decision last season. Both of Mississippi State's wins in the series came on neutral floors most notably a 73-63 victory in the 1996 NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Round. Dontae' Jones was the NCAA Southeast Regional MVP after a 23-point, 13-rebound effort versus the Bearcats.

The Matchup: No. 18 Mississippi State (8-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Cincinnati (9-1, 0-0 AAC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Saturday, Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

TV: SEC Network
Talent: Richard Cross, Debbie Antonelli
Online: https://hailst.at/UCvsMSU1215

Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WKBB-FM 100.9 Starkville/West Point (Full List: https://hailst.at/MBKAffiliates)
Free Online Audio: Hail State Plus (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); Tune-In Radio App (https://hailst.at/MBKTuneIn)
Sirius/XM: Ch. 94 (Sirius), Ch. 190 (XM), Ch. 961 (Internet)

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Ben Howland coached teams have compiled a 194-52 record during his third and fourth seasons at the helm of a program. The previous seven teams have reached the 20-win mark and the postseason highlighted by five NCAA Tournament trips. Howland's squads have won 87 of 107 games in his fourth season alone with all three previous squads making the NCAA Tournament which includes a NCAA Final Four trip for UCLA (2006-07) and a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance for Pittsburgh (2002-03).

2. Lamar Peters is the reigning SEC Player of the Week after he piled up 27.5 points and 5.0 assists per game during Mississippi State's wins over McNeese State and Clemson. He knocked down eight treys in both games which sit as a program single-game record and amassed a career-best 28 points versus Clemson. For the season, Peters has posted 14.2 points per game and drained 30 of his 44 field goals from three-point territory. He has reached double figures in six of his last seven outings.

3. Quinndary Weatherspoon has reached the 20-point barrier five times in nine games this season. He is coming off a solid all-around effort with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists during the Clemson game. The Bulldogs are 19-2 overall and have won 11 consecutive games over the last two seasons when Weatherspoon has secured 20-plus points. He has garnered 1,534 career points, good enough for the top spot among SEC active players and 10th place in program history. Weatherspoon enters Saturday's action 25 points shy of passing Jamont Gordon (2006-07-08) for the No. 9 spot.

4. Aric Holman returned to double figures and tallied 16 points sparked by five three-pointers versus Clemson. It marked his first game with 10-plus points since the Arizona State game on Nov. 19. Mississippi State is 30-10 over Holman's career when he secures double figures. On the defensive end, he has notched a team-leading 19 blocks this season. His 163 career blocks are tied for second among SEC active players and tied for fifth in program history.

5. Tyson Carter has reached double figures in six of nine games en route to a team-best 10.0 points per game off the bench … Nick Weatherspoon has put together 10-plus points in three of his last four games. He dished out a career-high six assists during the Clemson game … Abdul Ado has tucked away 7.0 points per game on a 9-of-16 shooting clip in his last three games since returning from injury … Reggie Perry's 6.0 rebounds per game are second on the team and tied for fourth place among SEC freshmen. He has posted 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his last four outings.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
The Bearcats have reeled off nine consecutive wins after dropping their season opener to Ohio State and are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls. Cincinnati is one of six schools to have appeared in the last eight NCAA Tournaments. The defending American Athletic Conference (AAC) regular season and tournament champions posted a 31-5 record last season.

Jarron Cumberland, a pre-season AAC First-Team honoree and Jerry West Award Watch List member, has fired in 15.3 points per game fueled by three games of 20 or more points. He pumped in 25 points during Cincinnati's win over Ole Miss on Nov. 24.

Trevon Scott has chipped in 10.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He collected a pair of double-doubles last week highlighted by a 22-point, 10-rebound performance against Northern Kentucky on Dec. 4. Scott has hit on 53.8 percent of his field goal attempts.

Keith Williams has upped his scoring mark to 11.4 points per game on 40-of-78 shooting since being inserted into the starting lineup during the team's nine-game winning streak, while Justin Jenifer has picked up 7.0 points and 4.3 assists per game.

Off the bench, Cane Broome has come away with 9.8 points per game. He has notched double figures in five of last eight games sparked by a season's best 21 points versus George Mason on Nov. 23.

UP NEXT
Mississippi State plays host to another 20-win program from 2017-18 in Wofford on Wednesday at Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is on-tap for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed online only courtesy of SEC Network + and the WatchESPN app.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.