Facing the end of the 2025-2026 season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs would head to Bridgestone Arena to take on the Auburn Tigers in the first round of the SEC Tournament. For both Mississippi State and Auburn, a loss on Wednesday in the first round of the SEC Tournament would likely mean an end to the season, as Auburn is fighting for the last bid to the NCAA Tournament, and the Bulldogs need to win the SEC Tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament. These two met once in the regular season, with the Bulldogs defending home court with a 91-85 victory in mid-February. 

Mississippi State jumped out to an early lead on Auburn, forcing the Tigers out of their comfort zone with tenacious defense that opened scoring chances on the other end. Auburn went without a basket for seven minutes as the Bulldogs built a 33-25 lead with a little over a minute remaining in the first half. 

At the break, Hubbard and Epps combined for 20 points for Mississippi State, with Hubbard leading the way with 13. 

For a victory on Wednesday to keep playing in Nashville, Mississippi State would have to put a full forty-minute game together, something they’ve struggled to do this season. 

With that said, Auburn needed a win to move closer to the right side of the bubble, and the Bulldogs just couldn’t put it together when they needed to the most. Auburn hit big shot after big shot, and the Bulldogs see the 2025-2026 season end with thirteen wins as they hope to reach another NCAA Tournament end in the SEC Tournament. 

Josh Hubbard finished his day with 22 points. 

As far as the offseason goes, this might be one of the most interesting in the history of Mississippi State, as Bulldog Nation will likely find out the fate of Josh Hubbard sooner rather than later, and Coach Jans has also been rumored to be pursued by other jobs. For Josh Hubbard, the decision to remain in college or turn pro will be made this season by him and his family. As far as Coach Jans goes, I expect him to be back in Starkville next season, but crazier things have happened. Either way, this offseason is important for Mississippi State. If Coach Jans and Hubbard both decide to stay for a final ride, then building the roster around that to compete for an SEC Championship will be of the utmost importance. 

As far as the 2025-2026 season goes, there’s no way around it: with just 13 wins, it was a disaster on all fronts, but the future of Mississippi State basketball is still heading in the right direction. Athletic Director Zac Selmon and his staff have shown signs of willingness to invest in Mississippi State; now the hard part is putting behind one bad season and starting the process of rebuilding for the 2026-2027 season and building off the mometum of other programs in the athletic department and get back to the basics of playing Mississippi State basketball by playing physical, and pushing the limits of their opponents. 

Photo Credits- Mississippi State basketball on X