MCBB: Mississippi State rises to No. 17, Ole Miss plummets to No. 24 in AP Top 25

Mississippi State jumped two spots and Ole Miss nearly fell out of the rankings in the latest top 25 from the Associated Press as both programs prepare for a collective gauntlet of matchups against formidable opponents in the Southeastern Conference.

The Bulldogs (11-1), coming in at a season-best No. 17 in the poll, enjoyed a week off after thrashing Memphis 79-66 in FedEx Forum two Saturdays ago. Florida transfer Riley Kugel stood out in the contest, putting 19 points on the scoreboard as his supporting cast effectively slowed the Tigers’ offense.

Chris Jans’ crew will round out non-conference play against Bethune-Cookman in Humphrey Coliseum on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Mississippi State will begin the onslaught of SEC action versus South Carolina at home on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Ole Miss (11-2), after earning its best ranking in over a decade, suffered a humbling defeat at Memphis on Saturday, snapping a five-game win streak. The 87-70 loss dropped Chris Beard’s Rebels eight spots to No. 24 in the rankings.

Colby Rogers had 28 points and PJ Haggerty scored 17 for the Tigers to avenge last year’s nail-biting showdown between the two programs. For Ole Miss, key rotational pieces Dre Davis, Matthew Murrell, Jaemyn Brakefield, and Davon Barnes never got it going in the matchup. The group made a combined six shots on 29 attempts, largely keeping Ole Miss from ever posting a lead on Saturday.

The Rebels will look to get back on track against its first SEC foe of the season, with Georgia on the docket for a Saturday morning showdown at the SJB Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m.

As always, Ole Miss and Mississippi State basketball games are broadcast on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations along with various television providers. The full AP Top 25, which features 10 SEC teams, can be found below: