Mississippi State Bids for NCAA Tournament Success on Selection Sunday

STARKVILLE, Miss. — March Madness has officially begun as Selection Sunday arrives, with Mississippi State University set to learn its NCAA Tournament seed at 5 p.m. today. The Bulldogs, who finished the regular season with a record of 21-12, under head coach Chris Jans, aim to secure their third consecutive tournament berth.

In the recent Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament, Mississippi State earned a No. 10 seed, triumphing over No. 15 seed before falling to No. 7 seed in the second round. Predictions suggest that the Bulldogs may face stiff competition in the NCAA Tournament, with some forecasts designating them as a No. 9 seed against No. 8 UConn, the defending champions. Should they win, they would likely encounter either No. 1 Duke or No. 16 American/Mount St. Mary’s in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Another projection sees Mississippi State dropped to a No. 7 seed, where they would be pitted against No. 10 Baylor, with the potential to battle either No. 2 Tennessee or No. 15 Wofford in Lexington, Kentucky.

As for their performance metrics, Mississippi State holds a NCAA NET ranking of No. 34, marking a decline as this is their lowest rank of the season. The Bulldogs have struggled against top-tier opponents, posting an 0-8 record against teams ranked in the NET top 16, while achieving a robust 21-4 record against all other opponents.

One of their bright spots includes seven Quad 1 victories, including wins against Texas A&M, Ole Miss (twice), Georgia, SMU, Vanderbilt, and Memphis. However, the Bulldogs have yet to win an NCAA tournament game in the current tenure of Coach Jans, sufferings defeats in their previous two appearances. In 2023, they were eliminated in the First Four, losing narrowly to Pitt, while in the prior season, the No. 8 seed Bulldogs fell to No. 9 Michigan State by 18 points in the first round.

Mississippi State’s last NCAA tournament victory came in 2008 when they defeated Oregon. The team has not progressed past the round of 32 since 1996. Sam Sklar, beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger, emphasizes the significance of this moment for the Bulldogs as they aim to break their tournament drought and create a memorable run.