Bold predictions for Mississippi State women's basketball: March Madness to Jessika Carter

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball is back in the AP Top 25 for the first time since February 2021. As the final team on the ballot, it’s evident expectations for the Bulldogs are high as coach Sam Purcell enters his second season.

Purcell and his players haven’t shied away from it. Instead, the Bulldogs have only elevated hopes since – with numerous players suggesting this team could make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, Purcell inherited a program in flux. He was the third coach since Vic Schaefer’s departure in 2020, and MSU hadn’t made it to March Madness since 2019. The roster was thin after a season with interim Doug Novak.

Purcell quickly overhauled the team with help in the transfer portal. He got the Bulldogs back to the NCAA Tournament, which saw MSU reach the second round despite slotted to a play-in game.

Here are our bold predictions for Mississippi State before the Bulldogs open their season at home on Nov. 6 (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+) against Alcorn State.

Mississippi State will reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament

Beyond just winning NCAA Tournament games last season, MSU had a chance at upsetting Notre Dame with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. It showed Mississippi State could compete in hostile environments, and with the roster even better, there’s reason to believe the program can return to the second weekend of March Madness.

MSU’s three portal additions – Darrione Rogers (DePaul), Lauren Park-Lane (Seton Hall) and Erynn Barnum (Arkansas) – were all-conference selections last season. Combined with returning players such as Jessika Carter and JerKaila Jordan, Mississippi State should enjoy dancing in March.

Jessika Carter will be an All-American

From 2019-21, Carter was among the best centers in the SEC. Her career was on an upward trajectory as she entered her senior year, but personal matters kept her off the court in the 2020-21 season.

As she made her return last season, it was evident the talent was still there. Carter averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds en route to an All-SEC second team selection.

After experiencing a full season and a healthy offseason, Carter is in position for a big year. Purcell has frequently stressed the importance of having Carter on the roster, and if her game takes another step forward and MSU has the success it expects, there’s no reason for her name to not be considered in All-American conversations.

HIGH HOPES: Mississippi State women's basketball has national title hopes again. It can thank Sam Purcell

Mississippi State won’t drop from the AP Top 25

MSU is in position to remain ranked throughout the season. The Bulldogs’ first eight games are winnable, and the ninth is a home matchup against Miami in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The remainder of the nonconference slate in December isn’t too challenging either.

There’s a good chance Mississippi State is undefeated going into SEC play. If MSU takes care of the teams it should beat in conference play, losing to teams such as South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee or Ole Miss won’t be too harmful for their ranking.

The Bulldogs should be a regular in the polls this season. With a few upsets, perhaps they can enter the conversation of hosting the opening rounds of the the NCAA Tournament.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State women's basketball: Here are our bold predictions