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Published Feb 12, 2021
Previewing Vanderbilt at Mississippi State
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Tyler Mansfield  •  TheDoreReport
Basketball Reporter
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@RivalsMansfield

Following a 73-67 loss to Auburn on Tuesday at Memorial Gymnasium, Vanderbilt will look to bounce back Saturday as it hits the road to Mississippi State – a team it lost to by just three points back on January 9 – for a lunchtime matchup.

Vanderbilt (5-10 overall, 1-8 Southeastern Conference) at Mississippi State (11-10, 5-7)

When: Saturday, February 13 | Noon

Where: Humphrey Coliseum | Starkville, Miss.

TV: SEC Network

KenPom prediction: Mississippi State by 8

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Lineups and key reserves
VanderbiltPos.Mississippi State

Scotty Pippen Jr., So., 6-3

31.6 mpg, 20.4 ppg, 5.1 apg

51% eFG, 80% FT

PG

Iverson Molinar, So., 6-3

32.2 mpg, 16.8 ppg, 3.0 apg

52% eFG, 82% FT

Max Evans, Sr., 6-2

21.9 mpg, 6.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg

53% eFG, 52% FT

SG

D.J. Stewart, So., 6-6

35.2 mpg, 17.0 ppg, 2.5 apg

48% eFG, 77% FT

Jordan Wright, So., 6-6

21.3 mpg, 8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg

55% eFG, 76% FT

SF

Jalen Johnson, Sr., 6-6

19.1 mpg, 6.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg

52% eFG, 73% FT

Dylan Disu, So., 6-9

31.1 mpg, 14.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg

58% eFG, 71% FT

PF

Tolu Smith, So., 6-10

30.9 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg

59% eFG, 62% FT

Clevon Brown, Sr., 6-8

17.2 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg

33% eFG, 33% FT

C

Abdul Ado, Sr., 6-11

27.6 mpg, 5.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg

51% eFG, 71% FT

D.J. Harvey, Sr., 6-6

19.8 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg

48% eFG, 100% FT

6

Derek Fountain, Fr., 6-9

11.1 mpg, 6.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg

77% eFG, 50% FT

Myles Stute, Fr., 6-7

17.8 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg

49% eFG, 83% FT

7

Deivon Smith, Fr., 6-1

21.3 mpg, 4.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg

38% eFG, 64% FT

Trey Thomas, Fr., 5-11

18.4 mpg, 5.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg

48% eFG, 80% FT

8

Quinten Post, So., 7-0

9.0 mpg, 3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg

54% eFG, 38% FT

MORE COVERAGE: Jerry Stackhouse previews Mississippi State

Vanderbilt gave Mississippi State a run for its money the last time the two teams collided on January 9 in Nashville.

Playing against a Bulldogs' squad more athletic and physical than themselves, the Commodores used excellent 3-point shooting – going 15 of 33 from beyond the arc and getting 3s from Trey Thomas and Dylan Disu in the final 18 seconds – but a critical Scotty Pippen Jr. turnover with three seconds left and Vandy trailing by two kept it from closing.

Mississippi State's size played a significant factor in the first meeting, as the Bulldogs outscored Vanderbilt 42-18 inside the paint – led by a dominant 18-point, eight-rebound outing from Tolu Smith. Alongside him, guard Iverson Molinar scored 24 points to lead the way.

The Bulldogs – who come into meeting No. 2 as eight-point favorites according to KenPom – are coming off a 94-80 loss to LSU on Wednesday and have dropped five of their last seven. In their meeting with the Tigers, State trailed by just two at halftime, but was outscored by 12 in the second half to lose by 14. Smith registered a standout performance in the setback, finishing with 24 points on 10 of 11 shooting and 11 rebounds.

Mississippi State shot 53.6% as a team but committed 15 turnovers. On the season, the Bulldogs are scoring 71.2 points per game and shooting 45.3%, while allowing their opponents to score 66.6 points and shoot 41.0% each outing. State commits 14.7 turnovers a night compared to its opponents' 12.7 average.

Vanderbilt has lost three straight to Mississippi State, with its last win in the series coming on February 14, 2018 – a tight 81-80 victory at Memorial Gymnasium. Jeff Roberson scored 22 points to lead the way for the Commodores, while Riley LaChance and Joe Toye each had 16 points.

– Tyler Mansfield covers Vanderbilt basketball for VandySports.com. You can follow him on Twitter @RivalsMansfield. –