LSU and Mississippi State may be sitting in the lower tier of the SEC standings, but when they square off Wednesday night in Baton Rouge, there’s more on the line than just climbing out of the basement. For LSU, there’s a flicker of momentum. For Mississippi State, it’s about halting a free fall.
The Tigers (13-7, 1-6 SEC) are clinging to signs of life, and a big part of that resurgence comes from the return of freshman point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. After missing five games with a lower leg injury, Thomas has made an immediate impact since getting back on the court - and it’s no coincidence that LSU’s play has picked up with him back in the lineup.
Thomas, who leads the team in both scoring (15.3 PPG) and assists (6.7 APG), came off the bench in a lopsided loss to Florida, but made his first SEC start in Saturday’s matchup against then-No. 20 Arkansas.
That game - an 85-81 loss - was a different story. LSU didn’t just hang around; they led for more than 26 minutes before the Razorbacks surged late.
Thomas dropped 18 points and dished out five assists, and his presence clearly elevated the entire starting five - all of whom scored in double figures.
The Tigers were aggressive and efficient, winning the rebounding battle 36-28, dominating in the paint 42-36, and racking up 20 second-chance points to Arkansas’ eight. Those are the kinds of gritty, hustle-driven numbers that keep you in games, especially on the road in SEC play.
“We did enough little things well to give ourselves a chance,” LSU head coach Matt McMahon said. “I thought the points in the paint were fantastic and the second-chance points, too.
I loved our effort on the glass. We had our turnovers down to nine.”
That last point - the turnovers - is a quiet but critical piece. LSU has struggled at times this season with ball control, and keeping giveaways under double digits is a sign of a team starting to clean up the details.
Mississippi State, on the other hand, is searching for answers. The Bulldogs (10-10, 2-5 SEC) are in the middle of a five-game losing streak, and their most recent outing - an 88-56 drubbing at the hands of Vanderbilt - was their most lopsided loss of the season.
Head coach Chris Jans didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We're going to need a lot of leadership right now - from players, from myself, and from our staff,” Jans said. “I don't care who you're playing, where you're playing, when you're playing - home, road, neutral.
In this league you're going to play a prepared team with really good players and a plan. We're going to have to figure out a way to stay together and coach better and compete more.”
The Bulldogs’ struggles have been compounded by a cold stretch from their leading scorer, Josh Hubbard. The freshman guard, who averages 21.0 points per game, has hit a rough patch - averaging just 10.7 points over the last three games while shooting 25% from the field. When Hubbard’s shot isn’t falling, Mississippi State’s offense tends to stall, and right now, they’re in desperate need of a spark.
So while neither team is where they want to be in the standings, Wednesday’s matchup carries real weight. LSU is trying to turn encouraging signs into tangible results.
Mississippi State is trying to stop the bleeding. And both teams are looking for something to build on as the SEC grind continues.