Mississippi State has just one more home game on the slate, and will use it to honor all the outgoing graduates and seniors on the 2025 roster. As of Monday evening all those as well as every Bulldog who has seen a single SEC season minute is cleared for Senior Day action.
The league’s mandatory availability report in advance of Tuesday’s matchup with Texas shows all clear for Coach Chris Jans and club. This continues a welcome run of going on six weeks where the Bulldogs are all healthy for a SEC contest.
The last player to miss a game was guard Riley Kugel back in mid-January when the transfer had to watch the rest of the available squad play at Auburn. He nor any other Dog has missed a game since.
Or course the SEC’s list still has a name on it. League policy means Kanye Clary continues to be shown as Out, which indeed the transfer guard has been since December. All Mississippi State fans know it well but, rules is rules and there Clary is on the list until the SEC finishes providing these reports. Come to think of it, we have not checked whether these are going to be required during the conference tournament which is only a week away.
Texas shows two names on the list. Junior guard Chendell Weaver is Out as of tonight, and graduate guard Tramon Mark Questionable. Weaver has only played in two SEC games but Mark has played and started in 14 SEC games averaging 27 minutes and 9.6 points.
He missed Saturday’s game after playing in mid-week with 18 minutes against Arkansas.
For both Mississippi State (20-9, 8-8 SEC) and the Longhorns (16-13, 5-11 SEC) there are stakes at play come 7:00 tip time Tuesday. The Bulldogs are safely on a NCAA Tournament track but looking to shore up their seeding for the national event, as well as the SEC Tournament. As of now State would be a 9th seed and playing on opening day in Nashville.
The Longhorns are assured of a Wednesday contest. Their goal is getting enough done in the final regular week as well as in the SEC tourney to score a NCAA invitation.
Texas brings the current SEC Freshman of the Week to the Hump in guard Tre Johnson who is coming off a 50-point week of work with 49% shooting. His team lost both games but Johnson’s feats were enough to top the freshman roll for a week.
There is one more such Freshman and Player of the week to come out, and maybe at last a Bulldog will earn the recognition. Yes, it’s true, Mississippi State has gone all SEC season without a P/FOTW winner. Not that the Freshman honor was every likely with lone rookie Dellquan Warren getting modest minutes in a rotation role.
Tuesday’s visit marks a piece of history as the first ever meeting of these programs as SEC opponents.
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