Arkansas @ Mississippi State preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 16, 2019 ) Mississippi State 77, Arkansas 67

Mississippi State goes for a third straight win when it hosts Arkansas for an SEC contest Wednesday. The Bulldogs are coming off an easy home win over Georgia on Saturday, while Arkansas dropped a home game to No. 14 Kentucky on the same day.

The Razorbacks have one of the most potent backcourts in the nation, with Mason Jones, Isaiah Joe and Jimmy Whitt Jr. all averaging at least 14.8 points per game. Jones leads the way with 18.2 points as well as leading the Razorbacks with 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest, while Joe and Whitt contribute 17.5 and 14.8 points, respectively. Sophomore forward Reggie Perry has been the go-to guy for coach Ben Howland's Mississippi State squad, averaging 16.4 points and 10.1 rebounds. Junior guard Nick Weatherspoon runs the show for the Bulldogs, scoring 13.3 points and dishing out 3.6 assists per game, and he'll need to be solid against the Razorbacks' pressure defense.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT ARKANSAS (14-3, 3-2 SEC): The Razorbacks are going to have to hit the boards hard against the Bulldogs, who entered Tuesday ranked 14th nationally and lead the SEC with a plus-8.4 rebounding margin. Arkansas has struggled on the glass, sitting last in the conference with a minus-5.1 rebound margin, and is coming off a loss to Kentucky where it was beaten on the boards 47-29. It certainly doesn't help that the Razorbacks' tallest starter is Adrio Bailey at 6-6 and that there isn't a regular on the roster taller than 6-8, but they will need to improve in that area going forward.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (11-6, 2-3): While the Bulldogs are officially 11-6 on the season, they feel a bit like they're 3-4, since this version of the team was finally completed when Weatherspoon became eligible to play after a suspension seven games ago. Weatherspoon has been a difference-maker for Mississippi State, providing a veteran hand in the backcourt as well as another scorer. After a slow debut in his return game against New Mexico State, when he played just 18 minutes and scored eight points, Weatherspoon has been on the floor for at least 24 minutes and scored at least 10 points in every game since.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Arkansas leads the nation in three-point percentage defense through Monday, holding opponents to 23.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

2. Mississippi State's wins of 27 points over Missouri and 32 points over Georgia were the team's first back-to-back victories of 25 or more points since the 1946-47 season.

3. Bulldogs senior G Tyson Carter boasts 194 career 3-pointers, three away from tying for fifth all-time in school history.

PREDICTION: Mississippi State 68, Arkansas 65