As December rolls in, Mississippi’s college sports scene slows down, with student-athletes heading home for the holidays. The intensity of the fall season is winding down, with football, volleyball, soccer, and others coming to an end. While the football fields go quiet, here is some basketball action that awaits in December.
SEC:
Both the men’s teams of Mississippi State and Ole Miss basketball hit the courts in December. The men’s Rebels are currently ranked No. 23 in NCAA power rankings for college basketball. They are 6-1 overall, acquiring a loss after their last game against No. 12 Purdue. The team will face off against Louisville on December 3 at 8 PM. They will be playing at home on December 7th against Lindenwood and will not play at home again until December 17th, when they play Southern University. The rebels hit their home court one last time right before Christmas on December 21, playing Queens University of Charlotte. The women’s basketball team is not performing as well as the men, with a 5-2 record. They do have multiple home games, with four consecutive games happening in Oxford this December. To start on December 8, they will be playing Tennessee State quickly, and on December 15th, they will be facing South Alabama nearing Christmas on December 21, they will be playing Mississippi Valley State. On December 30th, they will be playing Alcorn State for their final game in December.
The men’s Mississippi State Bulldogs were previously ranked No. 25 in the power rankings for NCAA men’s basketball but have since fallen. They hold a 6-1 record, one that I hope to improve in their December games. They face off against No. 18 Pittsburgh (Pitt) on December 4 in Starkville. With back-to-back home games, they will play Prairieview A&M on December 8th at the Hump. Starkville will not see another home game from the dogs until one of the last days of 2024, December 30th, when they play Bethune Cookman. The women’s team, with a better record than the men’s, is 8-0 so far. The lady Bulldogs do not play nearly as much in Starkville this December, with only one game on December 29 against South Carolina State.
College:
The team to look out for at this level, specifically the ones in the Southern States Atlantic Conference (SSAC), is William Carey University women’s team. The No. 1 ranked Crusaders have swung their swords to a 10-0 season so far. Undefeated in conference (4-0) and overall makes them the team to watch this December. With three December games, follow them here: https://careyathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule. The men’s team sits at placeholder number three in the SSAC West, currently 2-1 in conference and 6-3 overall. William Carey University is currently on a losing streak, with all three of their losses being back to back.
Junior College:
In the MACCC conference, basketball season started in full swing. The men’s Northeast Mississippi Community College is the team to watch. They are swooping into No. 1 in the MACCC standings with an 11-0 record. Their opening game was November 4th against Jackson State Community College, and they have won every game since. Their MACCC December will be against Itawamba Community College on December 5 at 7:30 PM. To follow the rest of their four other matches in December, click here: https://www.nemccathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/schedule.
For the women’s side, Coahoma Community College, Mississippi Delta Community College, and Pearl River Community College all sit 8-0 and tied for the number one ranking.
HBCU:
In men’s basketball, Mississippi Valley State has made the most noise out of all Mississippi HBCUs. With it being early on in the season, they are standing at No. 6 in the SWAC conference and have an overall record of 2-6. On the women’s side, Alcorn State is in a similar position. The Alcorn State women’s basketball team sits at No. 4 in conference ranking so far, and with it being early on in the season, it is hard to tell which team will come out on top.
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