Gameday: Five Things To Know MSU-Ole Miss

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
 
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State and Ole Miss renew one of the nation’s most-played rivalries on the hardwood on Saturday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum.  
 
Both the Bulldogs (11-3, 0-2 SEC) and the Rebels (8-6, 0-2 SEC) will look to return to the win column after dropping its initial SEC outings to top 10 foes in Alabama and Tennessee.
 
One of the staples of a Coach Jans team is all-out effort and a suffocating defense. Through 14 games, the Bulldogs are among the nation’s best surrendering 56.9 points per game (2nd SEC • 6th nationally) on a 38.9 opponent field goal per­centage (3rd SEC • 24th nationally).
 
Historically at State, the 56.9 points per game allowed is the program’s second-lowest 14-game total in the modern era since the 1955-56 season, which was Babe McCarthy’s first season with the Bulldogs.
 
The Maroon and White has dialed up 139 steals on a 9.9 per game clip (4th SEC • 15th nationally). Both are the program’s third-highest mark through 14 games, and it marks the third time that State is averaging at least 9.9 steals per game going back to 1979-80.
 
According to KenPom, the Bulldogs are among the nation’s top 35 in six additional categories which include steal percentage (15.1 – 5th), adjusted defensive efficiency (89.6 – 11th), defensive turnover percentage (24.4 – 13th), offensive rebounding percentage (36.3 – 15th), defensive block percentage (13.3 – 31st) and effective defensive field goal percentage (45.7 – 33rd).
 
State also possesses top 5 SEC marks with a 1.20 assist-to-turnover ratio (4th), a +3.36 turnover margin (T-4th) and have dished out 15.21 assists per game (5th).
 
With its victories over Marquette and Utah, the Maroon and White are one of five programs nationally who are unblemished with multiple non-conference victories over NCAA NET Quad 1 opponents (Arizona, Connecticut, Miami, Purdue).
 
Ole Miss is led by Matthew Murrell (14.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.6 SPG) and Daeshun Ruffin (10.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 RPG). Murrell has dialed up four outings of 20-plus points, most recently a pair of 21-point effort against Central Florida and Temple. Ruffin missed the Rebels first seven games of the season and has found his form with double figures in three of his last four outings.  
 
Jaemyn Brakefield…