Mississippi State lost its first conference game to Kentucky in a tough way. It was an electric atmosphere inside the Humphrey Coliseum, but what stood out most from the loss?
Now, let’s start off with star sophomore Josh Hubbard. In this matchup a year ago, the Madison native and former MRA Patriot scored 34 points and single-handedly pulled State out of a hole with less than a minute left and ultimately tied the game. That was sort of his arrival in the national spotlight.
In this game, Hubbard finished with 15 points while shooting 5-16 from the field and 3-11 from beyond the arc. It was not quite the performance he had last year, and he also racked up four fouls early in the second half, forcing him to miss crucial minutes. State had a chance to tie, but Hubbard missed the shot twice. Were they bad looks? Perhaps. Can he, and has he made those shots? Yes.
Hubbard has played well this season but not quite to the standard Bulldog fans are looking for. He has yet to have a huge scoring game this year, but make no mistake about it: he is the best scorer on this team. Perhaps the standard is too high for Hubbard, but I get it.
Hubbard did not play his best game, and he would tell you that. Regarding whether or not he should tone down his shooting, it will not and should not happen. He is an elite scorer and a fierce competitor, so he took those final shots. If Hubbard is a worry for this team, then they will be fine.
His performance was not outstanding, but he is irreplaceable and a great player.
Responding
The matchup last night lived up to its billing. There were 13 lead changes. However, the Wildcats would always punch first. Kentucky and its sharp shooting kept putting State in a hole, but every time, State would respond.
It is admirable and speaks to the toughness of this team. Kentucky started the second half hot and, at one point, took a double-digit lead. Admittedly, it looked like the game was over. The Wildcats had all the momentum, and the capacity crowd at the Hump was sitting on its hand.
Still, State rallied to take the lead, but could not hold on. Really good teams are never out of a game, and the Bulldogs were not. However, the Wildcats made a few more plays down the stretch, which we will touch on.
Crunch time
Anyone would tell you that Kentucky is one of the top programs of all time in college basketball. Why? Well, there are championships, NBA Hall of Famers, and all of that, but last night, someone could see it in the second half. When it became crunch time, and the Hump was loud trying to will State a win, the Wildcats just made plays to win the game.
It is not necessarily State’s fault. Yes, there were open looks and bad offensive possessions, but the fact is Kentucky went and took it. Why? Because of the belief that comes when wearing the Kentucky blue.
State players obviously share that belief but were not able to get the win last night. Kentucky has championship DNA, and credit to Wildcat head coach Mark Pope. Does that mean State does not? No. State showed all the makings of a team that can win big games when it matters most, but Kentucky was simply better when all the chips were pushed to the middle. Last night, two great basketball teams battled it out, and one won, leading me to my next point.
Reality
It is easy to say, ‘Don’t let one loss affect you that much in basketball.’ However, in reality, last night was a heartbreaking loss for Bulldogs fans because the Wildcats have been a thorn in the side of State for years now. Still, the fact is, the Bulldogs played the sixth-ranked team with three top-ten wins to the very end.
Yes, a loss is a loss; it is supposed to hurt, but it does not diminish the fact that State is a really good, maybe even great, team. There will be other losses; it’s inevitable; the SEC is the toughest league in America. However, take a step back and realize Mississippi State is one of the top teams in the country, and they will lose games; everyone will, but that fact will always remain.
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