Auburn Faces Must-Win SEC Tournament Game vs. Mississippi State

Tigers on NCAA Tournament Bubble, Bulldogs Led by Scoring Machine Josh Hubbard

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Auburn's men's basketball team faces a crucial first-round matchup in the Southeastern Conference tournament against Mississippi State on Wednesday in Nashville. The 12th-seeded Tigers (16-15) are squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, while the 13th-seeded Bulldogs (13-18) are led by standout guard Josh Hubbard, who scored a school-record 46 points in their regular-season win over Auburn.

Why it matters

This game has major implications for Auburn's NCAA Tournament hopes, as they sit on the bubble entering the SEC tourney. A loss could knock them out of contention, while a win would bolster their resume. Mississippi State, meanwhile, is looking to play spoiler and end their season on a high note.

The details

Auburn has big-time scorers in Keyshawn Hall (20.4 ppg), Tahaad Pettiford (15.2 ppg), and Kevin Overton (13.3 ppg), as well as KeShawn Murphy (10.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) who spent his first three years at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are led by Hubbard, who averages 22.1 ppg and had a career-high 46 points in the teams' previous matchup. Mississippi State also has a wild-card in Jayden Epps (13.7 ppg), who is capable of big scoring games.

  • The SEC tournament's first round takes place on Wednesday, March 13, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee.
  • Auburn and Mississippi State faced off in the regular season on February 8, 2026, with the Bulldogs winning 91-85.

The players

Josh Hubbard

A standout guard for Mississippi State who scored a school-record 46 points in the teams' previous matchup and averages 22.1 points per game, second-best in the SEC.

Keyshawn Hall

Auburn's leading scorer, averaging 20.4 points per game, and the team's top rebounder at 6.9 per game.

Stephen Pearl

The head coach of the Auburn Tigers, who believes his team has a strong NCAA Tournament resume despite their recent struggles.

Chris Jans

The head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who acknowledges the need to focus on slowing down Josh Hubbard in their matchup against Auburn.

KeShawn Murphy

An Auburn forward who spent his first three years at Mississippi State before transferring, and is second on the Tigers in rebounding at 6.8 per game.

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What they’re saying

“We have five of some of the best wins in the country. We have the best win in college basketball at Florida. If you look at our quality wins and the other teams on the bubble, I don't think those teams get those wins.”

— Stephen Pearl, Auburn Head Coach (statenews.net)

“Yeah, I'd imagine you can't find a brighter red pen available to circle him on the scouting report for Auburn, considering what he did the first time we played them at home.”

— Chris Jans, Mississippi State Head Coach (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of the Auburn-Mississippi State matchup will advance to face the 5th-seeded team in the SEC tournament's second round on Thursday, March 14, 2026.

The takeaway

This first-round SEC tournament game is a must-win for Auburn as they look to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume, while Mississippi State will try to play spoiler and end their season on a high note behind the scoring prowess of Josh Hubbard.