Mississippi State men's basketball looking to carry momentum against Ole Miss after unwanted time off

Stefan Krajisnik, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
·2 min read
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Jan. 7—STARKVILLE — Ben Howland has been as adamant as any coach in the nation when it comes to advocating for the COVID-19 vaccine.

He has encouraged fans to get it and has ensured his entire team is vaccinated and boosted if eligible — which is notable with the NCAA shifting its use of "fully vaccinated" to include the booster shot as well.

Mississippi State is on a four-game winning streak. As students get closer to returning to campus, Howland has made it a point of emphasis with his players to be aware of how to handle their social lives.

The omicron variant is proving to be not deadly but highly transmissible. And positive cases would mean losing players or pausing play — something Howland didn't want after his team's SEC-opening win against Arkansas on Dec 29.

"I'm liking how we're doing right now," Howland said postgame. "We're trying to keep everybody healthy."

Instead, his team got nearly 10 days off as MSU's Jan. 5 game at Missouri was postponed due to cases within Missouri's program.

Saturday, Mississippi State returns to action as the team travels to Oxford to take on Ole Miss.

If Mississippi State wants a look at how to come off an extended break in SEC play, it can look at its neighbor.

Ole Miss had about two weeks away from the court due to positive cases within its program. It returned to action on Wednesday, shorthanded and on the road against No. 18 Tennessee.

The Rebels likely should have won following a stout defensive performance, but the Vols prevailed in overtime. Nonetheless, it was a tighter game than many expected from an Ole Miss team that has been tough to read this season.

It's a blueprint that Mississippi State — a team Howland wants to hold its identity on defense — can follow.

Howland was pleased with his team's defense in its SEC opener, thanks in large part to the return of Tolu Smith.

Smith led the SEC in rebounding last season and collected six against the Razorbacks, but it was the five steals that made him a menace.

The win also featured the return of guard Rocket Watts who scored seven points.

So long as nothing unexpected occurred in the off period for MSU, it could walk into Oxford with its healthiest group of the season.

STEFAN KRAJISNIK is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at stefan.krajisnik@djournal.com.