Kentucky will not be the only team seeing Thursday’s second-round game of the Southeastern Conference Tournament as a first step toward an NCAA Tournament bid. So will UK’s opponent, Mississippi State.
“We’re in the same boat they are,” Mississippi State Coach Ben Howland said during a teleconference Monday. “So, both teams are starting over. We’re going to bring our very best effort that we can give. . . . I know they will, too.”
Howland sized up the game and the SEC Tournament by echoing the survive-and-advance mantra of the NCAA Tournament.
“Right now, it’s about surviving and staying alive,” he said. “That’s what you’re trying to do in this tournament setting.”
State will bring a 14-13 record (8-10 in the SEC) into the game in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Howland suggested the game will feature two teams on an uptick. He credited grad transfer Davion Mintz’s emergence as a steady point guard as a key factor for Kentucky.
“He’s really been a stabilizing guy the entire year for them,” Howland said. “He’s playing really well, and he makes a lot of plays for his teammates.”
As for State, the Bulldogs won three of their last five games. The losses were to Alabama and at Auburn.
In the regular-season game, Kentucky won 78-73 in double overtime. State has the tandem of “bigs” (Western Kentucky transfer Tolu Smith and senior Abdul Ado) and veteran guards (Iverson Molinar and D.J. Stewart) to test Kentucky.
Howland credited moving Stewart from shooting guard to point guard as a reason State’s play improved in the last few weeks.
Although Kentucky has a modest record (9-15 overall and 8-9 in the SEC), Howland repeatedly referenced UK’s history of dominance.
“We know the history of the SEC Tournament and Kentucky basketball go very much hand in hand,” he said. “They’re great in this tournament every year, and we’re going to have to play extremely well to have success. . . .
“We’re playing the premier team in our conference in terms of history and tradition. . . . Their dominance of this (SEC) tournament over the past 60 years is incredible.”
An online betting service, BetOnline.ag made regular-season champion Alabama an 11-5 favorite to win the SEC Tournament. It made Arkansas the second choice at 3-1.
Kentucky is the sixth choice at odds of 16-1. Mississippi State is a 66-1 long shot.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, attendance at the SEC Tournament will be capped at 20 percent of capacity. That will mean about 3,400 fans can attend, the league said.
Whatever the actual number of fans in Bridgestone Arena, Howland said he expects a partisan crowd in favor of Kentucky.
“I know there will be a lot of blue in the gym. . . . ,” he said. “This will be like our first ‘true’ road game in the conference because there will be a lot of Kentucky folks in there.
“And that will be our mindset. We’re playing a road game (and) not just a game in the SEC Tournament on Thursday. Their people travel and they show up.”
Howland lamented how the COVID-19 outbreak led to the cancellation of the 2020 SEC Tournament. State had a double-bye into the quarterfinals.
“I’d like to turn the clock back one year and give our team last year a chance to play in the SEC Tournament,” he said.
Howland also expressed gratitude for there being a 2020-21 season. Mississippi State was one of five SEC teams to play a complete 18-game league schedule. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Ole Miss were the others.
“We’re grateful to have a chance to compete this year,” Howland said. “It’s been absolutely phenomenal to be able to play the season. . . . I’m really proud of our team in the way they handled that.”
Next game
No. 8 seed Kentucky vs. No. 9 seed Mississippi State
What: SEC Tournament second-round game
When: Noon Thursday
Where: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: UK 9-15 (8-9 SEC); MSU 14-13 (8-10 SEC)
Series: UK leads 99-20
Last meeting: UK won 78-73 on Jan. 2 at Starkville, Miss.