If you are anything like me, you had probably given up on the Bulldog men’s basketball team. At the beginning of the year, it was so sporadic fans didn’t know what team was going to show up. It could be the team that throttled last year’s NCAA tournament team St. Louis 75-50 at a neutral site game, or the team that came out flat and lost to Arkansas State by 14 points at home.
The team seemed to be missing confidence. The offense looked forced and awkward with shooters hesitating to let a shot go along with constant turnovers. The off-beat play was making this season look like last year’s, and many fans were beginning to call for Head Coach Rick Ray’s job. They were ready to clean house and rebuild once more.
And then, something  began to click for the Bulldogs.
After looking downright awful against SEC opener Tennessee and road opener Florida, the Bulldogs came out and competed against a talented Texas A&M team, only losing by four on the road. Fans found some hope, but nobody changed the way they thought of the team.
Since then, the Bulldogs have gone 4-2 in SEC play, with the two losses coming after losing the lead late in each game. With a little more luck, this team could have won its last six games.
So how does a team that looked to be dead and buried go to being one of the hottest teams in the SEC? The two big Cs… Confidence and chemistry.
In the victory over Vanderbilt, I saw something I hadn’t seen from the team all year fun. The entire demeanor of the squad changed, and it reflected in its play. The offense began to flow with ease, and the defense became a pesky trap for the Bulldogs’ opponents.
It took a bit of time, but junior guard Craig Sword is also finally healthy, coming off a back surgery that made him miss out on the first four games of the year. Fellow guard I.J. Ready is fully healthy. Since these two have gotten into game shape, Mississippi State looks like an entirely new team. They also bring out the best in their teammates, such as Fred Thomas.
Thomas has been on a tear as of later, recording a then season-high 18 points in a tough win against LSU. He then came out Tuesday and put up 20 points in the Bulldog’s second SEC road win of the season (they didn’t have a road win in 2014).
Freshmen big men Oliver Black and Fallou Ndoye are finally giving valuable minutes off the bench after replacing Gavin Ware and Roquez Johnson, and guards Trivante Bloodman and Demetrius Houston are beginning to show their talent in games and not just their potential.
All these pieces of the puzzle have come together the past six games. The Bulldogs are putting them into place, and the results are showing.
The Humphrey Coliseum, which is usually one of the toughest places to play in the SEC, was beginning to become a desolate wasteland of maroon-colored seats, but the recent play has given it a pulse again. With inspired play, the Hump will once again become a nightmare for opposing teams.
The talent brought in by Ray is finally paying dividends. The Bulldogs have won two straight against NCAA tournament quality teams, with the win against Tennessee coming in Knoxville. His team is finding ways to win, which is something we haven’t seen in three years since the departure of Stansbury.
The Bulldogs will travel to Fayetteville to battle another NCAA tournament caliber team in Arkansas (17-5). If they can record another road win, they will have beaten three straight quality teams and improve their conference record to .500 percent.  
For the first time in a long time, there is an excitement buzzing about this team, and the excitement isn’t false hope anymore. There are no longer short-lived, moral victories.
The Bulldogs are finally playing basketball.