Mississippi State has an experienced roster, at least

Last season: 18-16 (8-10 SEC, 10th)

Head coach: Chris Jans (first year at Mississippi State, 7th year overall, 143-44)

Possession-minutes returning: 41.2 percent

Scoring returning: 41.9 percent

Projected record: 13-17 (5-13 SEC)

SEC rank: 12th

How Did We Get Here?

You’re going to notice a recurring theme in my previews of the schools that elected a coaching change (okay, okay, not Georgia and LSU): really?

I mean, sure, I understand the urge to get rid of Ben Howland, a coaching veteran who ended his Mississippi State tenure with five consecutive winning seasons, though only one of them ended in the NCAA Tournament (the Bulldogs were squarely on the bubble in 2020 when the tournament was called…