LSU men’s basketball takes on cross-state rival Mississippi State on Wednesday, and there is more drama than meets the eye in this contest.
The last time the Tigers beat the Bulldogs was in 2022 on the purple and gold’s home turf. Since then, LSU has lost every single matchup to Mississippi State, and now that it’s on an awkward losing streak in SEC play, this game means more than just a win.
LSU has only defeated one conference team so far this season. Its weak defense has put them in a rough spot now at the halfway point. The singular win in SEC play came against Missouri, and now the Fighting Tigers are trying everything they can to scratch across another.
In the last five losses to Mississippi State, the Tigers fell in one detrimental way in each game.
In 2025, LSU shot poorly and struggled in the second half. In 2024, the Tigers once again had a rough second half. The closest game was in 2023, when the Tigers just couldn’t push the win over the edge.
This season, however, LSU and Mississippi State are pretty evenly matched. Both teams struggle with defense, allowing more than 70 points per game.
The Tigers allow 73.5 points per game, whereas the Bulldogs allow 74.2. These numbers aren’t typically competitive in the SEC, but both teams have high offensive moments.
The key difference in the offensive moments is the height of the battle. LSU scores consistently and efficiently.
The Tigers usually also find themselves on the free-throw line a lot, and they rarely miss there either. The team hits roughly 77% from the free-throw line, whereas the Division I average is around 71% this season.
The Bulldogs, in comparison, also score high on average, but they do it on a bigger stage. To open SEC play, Mississippi State topped the Texas Longhorns 101-98 in overtime.
The advantage the Tigers will have over the Bulldogs is that the Mississippi State defense allows a lot of 3-pointers.
The Bayou Bengals score right at average from the 3-point line, with Dedan Thomas Jr. topping the stat sheet. Thomas faced a lower leg injury at the beginning of conference play, but in the loss to Arkansas, he pulled up big time.
Thomas scored 18 points on his own in just his third game back, and it should only be up from there for the Tiger.
LSU head coach Matt McMahon said after the heartbreaking loss to Kentucky that the guys have been working extremely hard at practice, but it just hasn’t led to the expected outcome.
“We had our two best practices of the year on Monday and Tuesday,” McMahon said after the Kentucky game. “I thought our physicality returned. I thought we really got better as a group, and you saw that with the start to the game.”
There might be a lot of pressure on LSU, but the team needs to pull together to kill its streak.
For that reason, there is one player the Bulldogs will be circling on Wednesday night.
Junior forward Mike Nwoko has it all on his shoulders entering this game. Nwoko transferred from Mississippi State, starting 32 games for the Bulldogs. He was efficient with scoring around the rim and averaged four or more rebounds a game.
For the Tigers, Nwoko has settled into a physical role. The 6-foot-10-inch junior leads the team in blocks per game. He plays a pivotal role in keeping the other team off balance while riling up the fans.
When he isn’t shooting from the free-throw line or winning the tipoff, he’s slamming dunks in a loud fashion.
With the Tigers and the Bulldogs facing off in Baton Rouge, Nwoko might play a key role in keeping the energy alive in the PMAC.
Although the Bayou Bengals are having a rough conference run so far, the chip Nwoko’s shoulder might be enough to push the Tigers on top.
The must-win game takes place on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT in Baton Rouge. Nwoko will find out whether he made the right decision by transferring to a cross-state rival.