MSU Men’s Hoops SEC tip times announced:
MISSISSIPPI STATE ATHLETICS- The 2021-22 Mississippi State men’s basketball schedule continues to take shape as the Southeastern Conference office announced tip times and television network designations on Thursday.
All 18 of Mississippi State’s SEC contests will be televised by the ESPN Family of Networks whether on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or the SEC Network. Every game also will be streamed online courtesy of the www. ESPN.com/watch and the ESPN app.
The Bulldogs have home-and-home matchups with defending SEC champion and 2021 NCAA Sweet 16 participant Alabama along with Ole Miss and South Carolina. Mississippi State also will play 2021 NCAA Tournament squads Arkansas and Missouri twice.
State embarks into SEC play with three of its first five games inside the friendly confines of Humphrey Coliseum, which balances out with four of its last seven SEC tilts on the road.
The Bulldogs take on Arkansas (Dec. 29 – 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network) in their SEC opener. Mississippi State has secured a 4-1 mark versus the Razorbacks in SEC openers, highlighted by a perfect 3-0 mark at Humphrey Coliseum. Most recently, the Bulldogs toppled then No. 22 Arkansas, 78-75, to begin the 2017-18 campaign. Quinndary and Nick Weatherspoon led the way with 22 points apiece.
Following trips to Missouri (Jan. 5 – 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network) and Ole Miss (Jan. 8 – 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network), Mississippi State squares off with Georgia (Jan. 12 – 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network) and Alabama (Jan. 15 – 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network) at home.
The Bulldogs have road trips to Florida (Jan. 19 – 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network) and Kentucky (Jan. 25 – 8 p.m. CT on ESPN) sandwiched between its return matchup with Ole Miss (Jan. 22 – 3 p.m. CT on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU). The last time State and Ole Miss played both of its series meeting by the end of January was during the 2013-14 season.
February’s home schedule is highlighted by Saturday home dates against Missouri (Feb. 19 – 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 26 – 12 p.m. CT on SEC Network), coupled with midweek matchups versus South Carolina (Feb. 1 – 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU) and Tennessee (Feb. 9 – 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2 or ESPNU).
The February road schedule for the Bulldogs features meetings at Arkansas (Feb. 5 – 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network), LSU (Feb. 12 – 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2 or ESPNU), Alabama (Feb. 16 – 6 p.m. CT on ESPN 2 or ESPNU) and South Carolina (Feb. 23 – 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network).
Mississippi State concludes the regular season against Auburn (March 2 – 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network) and at Texas A&M (March 5 – 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network).
The SEC Tournament is set for March 9-13 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, home to the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bulldogs won the 2009 SEC Tournament, the last time the event was played in Tampa.
Mississippi State’s non-conference schedule features seven teams that finished inside the top 85 of the 2020-21 NCAA NET rankings. The Bulldogs also will square off with six teams who tucked away top three finishes in their respective conferences last season.
State begins the 2021-22 season with a four-game homestand against North Alabama (Nov. 10), Montana (Nov. 13), Detroit Mercy (Nov. 17) and Morehead State (Nov. 21).
Mississippi State has landed a quartet of impact transfers in Garrison Brooks (North Carolina), D.J. Jeffries (Memphis), Rocket Watts (Michigan State) and Shakeel Moore (North Carolina State), coupled with a solid freshmen class which features ESPN top 100 recruit KeShawn Murphy, Alden Applewhite and Cam Carter.
The Bulldogs also return two of their top three scorers in Iverson Molinar and Tolu Smith from 2020-21. Molinar ranked among the SEC’s top 10 in points per game (16.7 – 4th), field goal percentage (47.8 – 5th) and 20-plus point games (8 – T-7th), while Smith was the SEC leader in rebounds per game (8.5) and double-doubles (8) last season.
Mississippi State captured a runner-up finish at the 2021 NIT as the Bulldogs earned a bid in postseason play for the third consecutive time when postseason tournament have been played. State won seven of its last 10 games, highlighted by a combined five NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories down the stretch.
2021-22 Mississippi State Men’s Basketball Schedule
Day. Date, Opponent, Time, TV Network
Wednesday, November 10, North Alabama, TBA
Saturday, November 13, Montana, TBA
Wednesday, November 17, Detroit Mercy, TBA
Sunday, November 21, Morehead State, TBA
Thursday, November 25, vs. Louisville [1], TBA
Saturday, November 27, vs. Maryland/Richmond [1], TBA
Thursday, December 2, Lamar, TBA
Sunday, December 5, Minnesota, TBA
Saturday, December 11, vs. Colorado State [2], 1 p.m. CT, ESPNU
Tuesday, December 14, Georgia State, TBA
Friday, December 17, Furman, TBA
Tuesday, December 21, Winthrop [3], TBA
Wednesday, December 29, Arkansas [SEC], 8 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Wednesday, January 5, at Missouri [SEC], 8 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Saturday, January 8, at Ole Miss [SEC], 7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Wednesday, January 12, Georgia [SEC], 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Saturday, January 15, Alabama [SEC], 5 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Wednesday, January 19, at Florida [SEC], 5:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Saturday, January 22, Ole Miss [SEC], 3 p.m. CT, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Tuesday, January 25, at Kentucky [SEC], 8 p.m. CT, ESPN
Saturday, January 29, at Texas Tech [4], 5 p.m. CT, ESPN2
Tuesday, February 1, South Carolina [SEC], 6 p.m. CT, ESPNU
Saturday, February 5, at Arkansas [SEC], 7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Wednesday, February 9, Tennessee [SEC], 8 p.m. CT, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Saturday, February 12, at LSU [SEC], 7 p.m. CT, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Wednesday, February 16, at Alabama [SEC], 6 p.m. CT, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Saturday, February 19, Missouri [SEC], 7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Wednesday, February 23, at South Carolina [SEC], 5:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Saturday, February 26, Vanderbilt [SEC], 12 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Wednesday, March 2, Auburn [SEC], 8 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Saturday, March 5, at Texas A&M [SEC], 7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Wednesday-Sunday, March 9-13, SEC Tournament, Tampa, Florida
