Mississippi State Men’s Hoops Releases 2021-22 Non-Conference Slate

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – The Mississippi State men’s basketball program and seventh-year head coach Ben Howland released its 2021-22 non-conference home schedule on Monday.

The Bulldogs will play five programs who secured top three finishes in their respective conferences from a season ago. Mississippi State has won 34 of its last 35 non-conference home games under Howland. Game times and television network assignments will be announced at a later date.

The non-conference home slate features a Power 5 home matchup with Minnesota (Dec. 5) from the Big Ten Conference. The Bulldogs also will return to Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson and take on Winthrop (Dec. 21), the two-time defending Big South Champions. The Eagles are coming off a 23-2 season and captured a No. 12 seed before falling to Villanova during last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Mississippi State welcomes North Alabama (Nov. 10), Montana (Nov. 13), Detroit Mercy (Nov. 17) and Morehead State (Nov. 21) for a four-game homestand to open the season at Humphrey Coliseum.

Montana has averaged 21.3 wins per season dating back to 2017-18 and appeared in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments, while Morehead State notched a 23-8 mark and a NCAA Tournament trip last season.

The Bulldogs start December with four consecutive home games against Lamar (Dec. 2), Minnesota (Dec. 5), Georgia State (Dec. 14) and Furman (Dec. 17).

Georgia State has tucked away 20-plus victories in three of the last five seasons sparked by two NCAA Tournament berths, whereas Furman has claimed 22.4 wins and five top three finishes in the Southern Conference going back to 2016-17.

Mississippi State is already scheduled to face Texas Tech (Jan. 29) in the 2022 Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Bulldogs also will open SEC action on Wednesday, December 29.

The Mississippi State Athletic Ticket Office is selling 2021-22 season tickets. New season ticket purchasers can call (662) 325-2600, (888) Go Dawgs (888-463-2947) or visit www.HailState.com for more information. Current season ticket holders have received their renewal notice and have until July 30 to renew through MSU’s Athletic Ticket Office.

Mississippi State has landed a quartet of impact transfers in Garrison Brooks (North Carolina), D.J. Jeffries (Memphis), Rocket Watts (Michigan State) and Shakeel Moore (North Carolina State), coupled with a solid freshmen class which features ESPN top 100 recruit KeShawn Murphy, Alden Applewhite and Cam Carter.

The Bulldogs also return two of their top three scorers in Iverson Molinar and Tolu Smith from 2020-21. Molinar ranked among the SEC’s top 10 in points per game (16.7 – 4th), field goal percentage (47.8 – 5th) and 20-plus point games (8 – T-7th), while Smith was the SEC leader in rebounds per game (8.5) and double-doubles (8) last season.

Mississippi State captured a runner-up finish at the 2021 NIT as the Bulldogs earned a bid in postseason play for the third consecutive time when postseason tournament have been played. State won seven of its last 10 games, highlighted by a combined five NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories down the stretch.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men’s basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching ‘HailStateMBK’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

2021-22 Mississippi State Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Day. Date, Opponent

Wednesday, November 10, North Alabama

Saturday, November 13, Montana

Wednesday, November 17, Detroit Mercy

Sunday, November 21, Morehead State

Thursday, November 25, vs. TBD [1]

Saturday, November 27, vs. TBD [1]

Thursday, December 2, Lamar

Sunday, December 5, Minnesota

Tuesday, December 14, Georgia State

Saturday, December 17, Furman

Tuesday, December 21, Winthrop [2]

Saturday, January 29, at Texas Tech [3]

[1] Multi-Team Tournament [TBD]

[2] Game played at Mississippi Coliseum [Jackson, Mississippi]

[3] Big 12/SEC Challenge [Lubbock, Texas]