South Carolina @ Mississippi State preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2019 ) South Carolina 61, Mississippi State 76

Both South Carolina and Mississippi State have some work to do to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee and to gain one of the four coveted double-byes for the upcoming SEC Tournament. The visiting Gamecocks and Mississippi State will try to take a big step forward in that process when they meet in a critical conference showdown Wednesday night.

South Carolina has surged into a fourth-place tie in the league standings entering Tuesday by virtue of winning six of its last seven, rallying for a 63-61 triumph over Tennessee on Saturday. "How can you not be excited about what our team is doing right now?" Gamecocks coach Frank Martin told reporters Monday while discussing his team's chances of making the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs gained a key road win on a last-second tip-in at Arkansas on Saturday, improving to 7-2 in league play following an 0-3 start. Senior guard Tyson Carter carried the load with 26 points and it was junior forward Abdul Ado's tip that made the difference as Mississippi State slid into sixth place in the SEC.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (16-9, 8-4 SEC): Senior forward Maik Kotsar led the way with 13 points against Tennessee, making four free throws in the final 21 seconds to cap a comeback from six points down in the final three-plus minutes. He ranks third on the team in scoring (10.4 points per game) behind guards A.J. Lawson (13.8) and Jermaine Couisnard (11.9), who combined for 21 points and just one assist in Saturday's win. Freshman forward Jalyn McCreary averages only four points per contest but has eight in each of his last two games while making a combined 8-of-13 shots.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (16-9, 7-5): Carter was 8-of-14 from the floor and fellow reserve Iverson Molinar hit all four of his shots in eight minutes to help the Bulldogs survive their visit to Arkansas. "Iverson Molinar gave us a huge lift today," coach Ben Howland told the media. "I used our players off the bench a lot more. You look at him and Tyson Carter, that's 34 points right there between the two of them. Just an incredible performance." Sophomore forward Reggie Perry, the team's leading scorer (17.7) and rebounder (9.8 - tops in the SEC), was right around his averages with 17 points and eight boards Saturday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Perry had 21 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 76-61 win in the most recent meeting on Feb. 23, 2019.

2. The Gamecocks had a season-low six assists in the win over Tennessee.

3. Mississippi State junior G Nick Weatherspoon is 21-of-32 from the floor in the team's last four wins and 3-of-21 in the last three losses.

PREDICTION: Mississippi State 76, South Carolina 74