Who Let The Dogs Out???

Where did this Mississippi State team come from?

The Rebels go on the road this weekend to take on the Bulldog$ at the Hump this weekend. The Bulldog$ have definatley improved lately over the past several weeks. They are at the top of the SEC West and are sitting in pretty good shape. Charles Rhodes has been hurt recently and has been struggling playing in games. However it appears Rhodes will be ready for the game on Saturday. Another player that has had a huge impact for the Bulldog$ is Jarvis Vanardo. The freak is leading the SEC in blocks and probably ranks very high in the nation on blocks.

So what does this game mean for the Rebels. Well, if they don't want to dig themselves in a huge hole. This is a must win for them. A road loss to Auburn really hurt their standings and RPI as road wins are huge when it comes to conference play. With that being said, a makeup road win at the Hump would definately help in the long and short run. A week off has definately helped with the recovery of Jermey Parnell, however I truly doubt he will be at his best when Saturday rolls around.

What do I think will happen? Well it is a toss up for me. I am leaning towards a Bulldog win, but think a week off might have been just what the Rebels needed to regroup and refocus. I predict it will be a close one and maybe even an overtime game this weekend. The one thing I know for sure is that it should be a very good game.

Since it is M$U week. I want everyone's prediction:

Notes from UMAA
SEC WEST’S TOP TWO TEAMS MEET SATURDAY Ole Miss and Mississippi State play twice a year for Magnolia State bragging rights, but Saturday’s contest holds even greater significance as the Bulldogs top the SEC Western Division standings at 4-0 and the 15th-ranked Rebels are in second place with a 2-2 league mark. Ole Miss is looking to bounce back from an 80-77 loss at Auburn last Saturday, while State is trying to extend its eight-game winning streak. Chris Warren led the Rebels at Auburn with a career-high 25 points and an Ole Miss freshman record-tying seven three-pointers, while Dwayne Curtis posted his eighth double-double with 13 points and 11 boards. Ole Miss and State have split the season series each of the past two years, with the home team winning all four times.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS After starting the season 5-5, Mississippi State has reeled off eight straight victories and started 4-0 in Southeastern Conference play to own the top spot in the Western Division standings entering the weekend. The Bulldogs have claimed road victories at LSU (61-39) and Alabama (66-56) to go with home wins over Georgia (60-49) and Kentucky (69-64). The Bulldogs are carried by a staunch defense that allow’s an SEC-low 60.9 points per game to opponents. They hold foes to a .359 field-goal percentage, also the best mark in the league. Sophomore center Jarvis Varnado tops the SEC and the nation with 5.17 blocks per game and had a pair of 10-block performances vs. Georgia and Kentucky. Varnado also ranks second in the league with 8.7 rebounds per game. Junior guard/forward Jamont Gordon does it all for the Bulldog offense, with team-high averages of 17.8 points and 4.3 assists to go with 6.6 rebounds.