Mississippi State basketball coach Ben Howland is clearly excited about the Bulldogs entering the 2019-20 season.

Howland led the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009 last season, and that's something that he undoubtedly wants to build on this season.

With a solid group of players returning – including potential SEC player of the year candidate Reggie Perry – it's easy to understand why Howland is ready to get the new season started.

“I’m really excited about this year,” Mississippi State coach Ben Howland said via the Associated Press. “I think we have a very good nucleus returning from last year’s NCAA Tournament team. Our players had a tremendous summer.”

Howland has led Mississippi State to back-to-back seasons of 23 or more wins, and with Perry leading the way, the program could hit that number once again this season.

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However, the team will be without starting point guard Nick Weatherspoon for the first 10 games due to suspension, which could play a role early on during the non-conference slate.

The Bulldogs will tip off the season on Nov. 5 against Florida International.

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Blake Lovell is a national college basketball writer for ClutchPoints. He’s also a contributor for the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview magazine. He hosts two podcasts: Marching to Madness (CBB) and Establish the Pass (NFL). 

You can follow him on Twitter @theblakelovell. Also, be sure to follow the ClutchPoints NCAA Facebook page for more great CBB discussion.