My 10* Conference Crusher (SEC) is on Mississippi St at 9:00 ET.

Kermit Davis is in his third season at Ole Miss. His first team won 20 games but last season's team won just 15, going 6-12 in the SEC (12th of 14 teams). Davis was critical of his team saying that it couldn't close out games. "We had seven games in SEC play where we had leads but couldn't hold them." Ole Miss is just 6-6 (1-4 SEC) and enters this game having lost three in a row. However, the Rebels have won 10 of the last 14 meetings against Mississippi State. Ben Howland's MSU team went 20-11 last season, its third consecutive 20-win season. The Bulldogs were on a roll (had won 11 of their last 15) and finished with an 11-7 mark in SEC conference play, earning the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, earning a bye to the quarterfinals. However COVID-19 had other plans and the conference tournament was canceled. The Bulldogs are 9-5 (4-2 SEC), after a 72-69 win over visiting Florida on Saturday.

Ole Miss lost by 14 to LSU, by nine to Florida and despite 24 points and eight assists from Devontae Shuler, lost to Georgia 78-74, at home this past Saturday. PG Shuler (14.1 & 4.3 APG) leads the team in scoring and the Rebels' only other double digit scorer is 6-8 Arizona graduate transfer Romello White (11.2 & 5.8). The returning 6-7 Buffen (9.8 & 4.6 just misses double digits, as do guards Joiner (9.90 and Rodriguez (8.2 & 6.9). Howland lost his four best players in the 6-10 Reggie Perry (17.4 & 10.1), plus guards Tyson Carter (13.9), Robert Woodard (11.4 & 6.5) and Nick Weatherspoon (11.6-3.5-4.1). However, returning guard DJ Stewart is averaging 17.4 PPG plus the 6-11 Abdul Ado has added 5.9 & 6.5). 5.7 & 6.7). The surprise has been sophomore guard Molinar, who averaged only 5.9 PPG last season, but leads the team with 18.4-4.4-3.4. Howland had high hopes for 6-6 forward Jalen Johnson (a transfer from Louisiana who averaged 15.5 points and 6.6 rebounds last season) but he has disappointed by averaging 7.4 PPG. That said, 6-10 Tolo Smith (via Western Ky) is averaging 13.8 & 8.9.

Tuesday will be the first meeting of the season between the rivals and the Bulldogs and guard Iverson Molinar has scored in double figures in all 11 games he has played this season, while the 6-10 Smith leads the SEC in rebounding. Ole Miss just doesn't match up well here and note that the Bulldogs beat the Rebels 69-44 last season at Humphrey Coliseum. The price seems cheap. Lay it!

Good luck...Larry