http://www.fanragsports.com/cbb/roth...ithout-watson/

Jon Rothstein loves us.

3. The SEC may have found a future sparring partner for Kentucky

Mississippi State didn?t beat the Wildcats on Tuesday night in Starkville, but their performance in defeat shows legitimate promise for the future.

The SEC hasn?t had a legitimate adversary for Kentucky since Billy Donovan left Florida for the NBA and the Bulldogs? young nucleus may make them the conference?s most likely candidate to push the Wildcats on an annual basis.

The only senior in Mississippi State?s program is I.J. Ready and Ben Howland is the only coach in the SEC that has the pedigree to look John Calipari in the eye and stand toe-to-toe.

No other coach in the conference has advanced to as many Final Fours.

No other coach in the conference has beaten Calipari in a regional final (2006).

This writer has said since this past summer that the Bulldogs were probably on track to be an NCAA Tournament team in 2018 and that looks a fair estimate based on what we?ve seen so far this season.

At 12-5, Mississippi State is in position to keep improving and return everyone except Ready next season while adding two top-100 freshmen in Nick Weatherspoon and Garrison Brooks.