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Message: [QUOTE="bballnut90, post: 2801288, member: 2117"] Agreed. I may have jumped the gun by putting them ahead of Louisville, but I'm not convinced Louisville will put together another great year like they did this past season. On a possession by possession game, I just don't see many teams beating Mississippi State because: 1. They play outstanding defense. Teams will have a difficult time making shots against them. 2. They're going to dominate the glass with Howard and McCowan. Opposing teams will not get many second chances. 3. They don't turn the ball over. They were 3rd in the nation in turnovers per game in 2017-18. I don't expect a repeat with all 3 starting guards graduating, but Holmes had an outstanding A/TO ration and the team overall will still be strong in this area. 4. They rarely get into foul trouble. Aside from the two games they lost, McCowan stayed out of foul trouble virtually all season, and Mississippi State only fouled 14.5 times per game. On the flip side, they were one of the most prolific teams in the country at getting to the line. Even if the offense struggles, Mississippi State will get so many second chances to score and will still have a top rate defense....that alone will allow them to win most games against teams that aren't in the top 5. [/QUOTE]