STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball has been seeking a third scoring threat throughout the season.
Coach Chris Jans knew when Tolu Smith made his return from injury in late December that the All-SEC forward would be a star. Smith has delivered, averaging 16.8 points per game. Freshman guard Josh Hubbard has emerged as another threat. Flipping him from Ole Miss proved to be the best offseason move for the Bulldogs (16-8, 5-6 SEC), with Hubbard averaging 14.8 points per contest.
But alongside that duo, MSU hasn’t gotten consistent offensive production from another player. Guard Shakeel Moore may be putting an end to that.
“Having more guys on the court that the other team has to pay attention to certainly opens things up for everybody else,” Jans said Monday. “… With Shak’s recent emerging, if you will, of coming out and being that guy that’s third on the scouting report certainly helps everybody.”
Moore is scoring 8.7 points per game in his senior season, but has averaged 12.8 during the past five games. Mississippi State is 3-2 in that stretch.
His improved 3-point shooting has been a big reason, with Moore making nearly 42% of attempts from deep in this stretch – which includes going 4-for-4 in Saturday’s win at Missouri.
Continued strong play from Moore will be crucial for Mississippi State to continue its trend toward the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble when it plays Saturday (1 p.m., ESPNU) at Humphrey Coliseum against Arkansas (12-11, 3-7).
Can Arkansas pull off the upset?
The Razorbacks have been among the nation’s most disappointing teams this season. After reaching the Sweet 16 last year, Arkansas was a preseason top-15 team.
Instead of competing for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Razorbacks are well out of the picture. However, coach Eric Musselman’s squad has found some momentum as the schedule has eased up.
Arkansas has won two of three, taking down Missouri and Georgia with a loss at LSU sandwiched between.
“I’ve certainly seen them play in scouting other SEC opponents, and I know they’re not having the season that they want in terms of the wins and losses,” Jans said. “I know there’s not going to be any give-up with their staff. They’re going to be ready to go. They’ve got a lot of talent.”
MONEY TALKS: Mississippi State athletics 2023 fiscal year report
Mississippi State basketball score prediction vs Arkansas
Mississippi State 79, Arkansas 65: With the exception of a win at Missouri, Arkansas is being outscored by an average of 22.3 points per game away from home in SEC play. MSU should have a good environment even for an early tip-off with a baseball game on campus later in the afternoon. The Bulldogs should have no issue getting their third straight win.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State score prediction vs. Arkansas: SEC basketball
