Fresh off a bounce-back victory over Vanderbilt, Mississippi State has a pivotal week ahead as they prepare to travel to Florida Wednesday night before returning home on Saturday to welcome Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers to the Hump.

With three early Southeastern Conference losses for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, things seemed to be a letdown, but the Bulldogs did what the Bulldogs do; they bounced back, and the hope is back in Starkville for an exciting finish to the 2023-2024 season for Head Coach Chris Jans and his program. As the Bulldogs turn the corner to an exciting week of Mississippi State Basketball, they control their destiny to compete for the elusive Southeastern Conference regular season championship.

Following an NCAA Tournament appearance and an exciting off-season with key players returning and transfer guys added, the Bulldogs had an extra layer of expectations coming into the 2023-2024 season. So far, the offensive production has not been there for the Bulldogs to the point in Southeastern Conference play. However, the defense has worked for Mississippi Stat thus far, and the Bulldogs will likely lean on the defense to create opportunities on the other end to score the basketball.

So what would success look like for Mississippi State entering the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Nashville during that second weekend in March?

Earn a double-bye in the Southeastern Conference Tournament to where if you’re Mississippi State, you won’t be playing until Friday, giving yourself a much-needed extra day of rest before starting the grind of postseason basketball. As it stands, Mississippi State is within three games of first place and in a log jam in the middle for Thursday seeding. Two wins this week combined with a win next Tuesday night against Ole Miss and the Bulldogs face a better scenario where earning a double-bye in the Southeastern Conference is in play. Going 1-3 over the next three games will put Mississippi State in a hole nearly impossible to climb out of as they face the final few weeks before the Tournament in Nashville.

From a realistic standpoint, Mississippi State has the potential to finish 10-3 or 9-4 over the last month of Southeastern Conference play. From a schedule view, Mississippi State has the advantage of playing Alabama, Kentucky, and Auburn twice this season. Winning those second games at home against those teams would likely give Chris Jans and the Mississippi State Bulldogs a double-bye in Nashville at the SEC Tournament. It’s all right there for the taking if you’re Mississippi State. Take care of business and win the games you’re supposed to win, and the upsets will then follow.