Texas Southern vs. Mississippi State Preview

Where: Humphrey Coliseum - Starkville, MS

When: 7 PM

How to Watch: SEC Network

Coming off of two straight wins and getting to .500 on the year, Mississippi State basketball faces off against the Tigers of Texas Southern tonight at The Hump.

Looking at Texas Southern, the first stat that stands out is their lack of defense. The Tigers are giving up 83.2 points per game through their first six games of the 2015-16 campaign. In addition, they are being outscored by an average of 13 points this year, 83-70. Expect Mississippi State to have another big day offensively, possibly getting to 90 or 100 in this one.

Simply looking at their schedule, you can automatically assume that Texas Southern just isn't a good team. So far this year, the Tigers are 1-5, their only win coming against a 1-6 Texas San Antonio team. The Tigers' losses include New Mexico (29), Creighton (23), Howard (6), and Washington State (12).

Also, this team is very prone to turnovers. Both Mississippi State and Texas Southern have very similar turnover numbers this year, the Tigers averaging 14 turnovers per game and forcing 11 turnovers per game.

One thing to keep an eye on is Mississippi State's production in the paint. The Tigers are giving up a substantial number of points in the paint this year, an average of 40 per game, so expect Gavin Ware to have a field day below the rim.

With two straight wins, it seems like Mississippi State is starting to pick up some much needed momentum and confidence midway through the non-conference slate. I see this one being somewhat close going into the half, but the Bulldogs pulling away in the 2nd half and ultimately winning big.

Daniel's Prediction: Mississippi State 92, Texas Southern 74