The Mississippi State Bulldogs have had some recent success in making it to the NCAA Tournament, but if you bet on their college basketball odds to make it out of the first round, you’d have gone 1-4 from 2008 to 2024.
The last time they made it out of the first round was 2008, and they haven’t advanced beyond that since 1996.
That said, you can bet on their basketball odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook. They have made the tournament in 2023 and 2024.
With all that in mind, find my list of the five best Bulldogs below.
Who Are the Best Mississippi State Bulldogs Basketball Players?
| Rank | Player | Position | Mississippi State Years |
| 1 | Bailey Howell | F | 1956-1959 |
| 2 | Jeff Malone | G | 1979-1983 |
| 3 | Jarvis Varnado | F/C | 2006-2010 |
| 4 | Jim Ashmore | G | 1954-1957 |
| 5 | Erick Dampier | C | 1993-1996 |
1. Bailey Howell
Playing three seasons for Mississippi State, he averaged 27.1 points and 17 rebounds per game.
He was a consensus first-team All-American, consensus second-team All-American, and the school retired his No. 52.
Howell finished his career with 2,030 points (second in program history) and 1,277 rebounds (first).
He holds three of the top five single-season scoring marks and three of the top four in rebounds, including the top two spots.
2. Jeff Malone
Malone played four seasons at Mississippi State and averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
He’s the Bulldogs all-time leading scorer with 2,142 points. He had 777 in the 1982-83 season, a single-season record.
He was a third-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year.
3. Jarvis Varnado
Varnado wasn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, averaging 10 points per game across his four-year career, but defensively, he was legitimately record-setting.
Varnado blocked 564 shots over his career, averaging four per game.
Not only is that the Mississippi State record by more than 300, it’s the NCAA record.
He also had 1,096 rebounds, the second-most in program history.
When it was all said and done, he averaged 10 points, 7.8 rebounds, and four blocks per game.
He led the NCAA in blocks twice, was two-time first-team All-SEC, three-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was part of the SEC All-Defensive Team, and was the SEC tournament MVP.
4. Jim Ashmore
Ashmore, a third-team All-American and a two-time first-team All-SEC, played for Mississippi State from 1954 to 1957.
He had 1,918 points (fourth). Of those 1,918, 708 came in the 1956-57 season, the second most in a single season in Bulldogs history.
Over his four-year career, he averaged 20.6 points and four rebounds per game.
5. Erick Dampier
Dampier averaged 13.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game across his three seasons (1993 to 1996) with Mississippi State.
He was two-time first-team All-SEC, second-team All-SEC, and part of the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Dampier had 249 blocks (tied for second) and 859 rebounds (seventh).
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