Mississippi State has made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and has one of the game's top stars in sophomore guard Josh Hubbard. But that wasn't enough to get the Bulldogs into the preseason Associated Press Top 25 rankings. "I love the fact that there's nine (Southeastern Conference) teams in the AP 25," Bulldogs coach Chris Jans said at SEC Media Day. "Obviously we're not one of them, so it's great motivation for our players here in the last two, three weeks of practice before we get on the floor." Jans and Mississippi State will begin their quest to show they're worthy of a ranking as they open the season against West Georgia on Monday night in Starkville, Miss.
Mississippi State aims to gain respect in opener vs. West Georgia
