Friday was a special day for Mississippi State Basketball. The Bulldogs cruised to an easy but deserving win over the Tennessee Volunteers to advance to the SEC Tournament Final Four for the first time since the 2010 run when the Bulldogs lost in the Championship game to Kentucky. There’s a buzz around Nashville with this Mississippi State Basketball team that has been in the works since Chris started as Head Coach of the Bulldogs two seasons ago.

Needing one win to reach the NCAA Tournament, Mississippi State took care of business on Thursday night against LSU, giving the program an entirely different outlook on the 2024 Southeastern Conference Tournament.

With nothing to lose, Mississippi State would face Tennessee for the second time this season with a sweep on the mind. Mississippi State would channel the underdog way of thinking against Tennessee as the Bulldogs would come into Bridgestone Arena with an upset on the mind. All season long, Mississippi State has played as an underdog, with several talking heads across the country saying the Bulldogs did not have what it took for Mississippi State to play with the best in the country when it mattered the most; however, once again, the Mississippi State Bulldogs beat Tennessee. The win over Tennessee came on the banks of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee, away from the friendly confines of the Hump.

How Mississippi State did it is so impressive about the win on Friday. Mississippi State dominated Tennessee from the jump. Tennessee would make a run or two, but the Bulldogs were always there like a brick wall stopping the Volunteers in their tracks.

What’s also crazy about Friday’s performance was how Mississippi State spread the wealth across the board. Josh Hubbard did his usual and scored 18 points, while Cameron Matthews tied the Mississippi State scorer with 18 of his own. DJ Jeffries, Tolu Smith, and DaShawn Davis contributed in ways the stat sheet won’t show. Jeffries played lockdown defense, Tolu Smith did his thing as the grown man he is, and Davis scored seven points while creating scoring chances for others.

Cameron Matthews and DJ Jeffries shared the same sentiment with the media about people continuing to doubt Mississippi State as they prepare to play in the 2024 Southeastern Conference Final Four on Saturday.

All it takes in March is peaking at the right time, and Mississippi State has found what works over the last two nights and will look to continue playing as an underdog for the remainder of the 2024 Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Mississippi State will face Auburn or South Carolina on Saturday at noon in the 2024 SEC Tournament Final Four.