Bulldogs Head To Arkansas For ESPN Super Tuesday Clash With Razorbacks
Live Audio
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Having extended their current school-record streak of consecutive 20-win seasons to four with Saturday's 71-68 home triumph over rival Mississippi, the Bulldogs of Mississippi State (20-8, 8-6) begin the final week of regular-season competition by heading to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks (18-9, 6-8) as part of ESPN's 'Super Tuesday' television package. Tuesday's tip-off at Bud Walton Arena is set for 6 p.m. CT, with Brad Nessler calling the play-by-play action for ESPN along with Jimmy Dykes providing the color commentary and Heather Cox handling the sideline reporting duties.
Following last week's victories over both Ole Miss and Georgia (76-62 in Athens), coach Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs enter the final week of regular-season league action sporting a 20-8 overall record and 8-6 conference mark. Mississippi State currently trails SEC West co-leaders Alabama and LSU by a pair of games, but maintain a two-game advantage over Arkansas for third place in the Western Division standings.
Upon recording decisive double-digit rebound margins over both Mississippi (38-19) and Georgia (45-25) last week, the Bulldogs continue to dominate the SEC's statistical leaders in the rebounding department as they pursue an unprecedented fifth consecutive SEC rebound margin team statistical title. For all games on the season, Mississippi State tops the conference as a team in rebounding offense (41.2 rpg), rebounding margin (+9.6 rpg), offensive rebounds (14.3 rpg) and defensive rebounds (26.9 rpg). For the year, the Bulldogs have now outrebounded 24 of 28 overall opponents and 13 of 14 SEC foes, including 12 teams (seven SEC opponents) by double digits.
Having matched his double-double season total (16) from last year with his 20-point, 15-rebound effort in Saturday's 71-68 home win over Ole Miss, senior forward Lawrence Roberts continues to lead all active NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 54 career double-doubles. Leading the SEC in rebounding (11.2 rpg) and ranked fourth in scoring (17.5 ppg), the reigning SEC Player of the Year enters the final week of regular-season action needing 38 more points to become the 27th member of Mississippi State's all-time 1,000-point club. The hottest player of late for the Bulldogs has certainly been senior swingman Shane Power, who has raised his season scoring average nearly two full points to its current 11.6 points per game following a sizzling month of February. During MSU's seven February outings, Power averaged a team-leading 17.0 points (5th in the SEC), 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest for the Bulldogs. Currently tied for the league lead in three-point field goal percentage (50.0%) and ranked 18th in scoring (12.9 ppg) in conference games only, the reigning SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year connected on a league-best 58.3 percent (21-of-36 treys) of his 3-pointers during the month of February to lift his season trey accuracy mark to 43.1 percent for the year.
Guided by third-year head coach Stan Heath, the talented Arkansas Razorbacks are 18-9 overall on the season and 6-8 in conference play after snapping a two-game losing string with Saturday's 70-68 home triumph over Tennessee in Fayetteville. Arkansas owns a 13-2 home record this season, with home setbacks coming only to divisional leaders Kentucky (68-67 on Jan. 29) and Alabama (64-61 on Jan. 11). Boasting five players averaging 8.9 points per game or better for the season, the Razorbacks are ignited by 6-7 sophomore guard and local Fayetteville product Ronnie Brewer, who leads the Hogs in scoring (16.6 ppg; 6th in the SEC), rebounding (4.9 rpg) and steals (2.6 spg; 2nd in the SEC) while also ranking as the team's second-leading playmaker (3.5 apg). Junior swingman Jonathon Modica is averaging 10.1 points per contest and paces the club in three-point accuracy (44.3%). Freshman center Darian Townes (9.8 ppg & 4.4 rpg) and sophomore swing-position player Olu Famutimi (9.7 ppg & 4.2 rpg) also rank among the team's scoring and rebounding leaders.
Following Tuesday's bid to achieve a second straight season series sweep of the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Bulldogs will next return home for their regular-season finale this Saturday afternoon against the nationally ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Slated for a 1 p.m. CT tip-off at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum in front of the CBS Sports cameras, Saturday's State-Bama contest will begin with 'Senior Day' festivities as Mississippi State will honor Bulldog seniors Lawrence Roberts, Shane Power, Winsome Frazier, Marcus Campbell, Ontario Harper and Seth Cannon during pre-game activities at 'The Hump.'