Where Mississippi State basketball sits in March Madness projections before Ole Miss game
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball was sitting on the bubble in NCAA Tournament projections two weeks ago after back-to-back losses on the road against Ole Miss and Alabama. At 3-6 in conference play, MSU was headed in the wrong direction.
However, opportunity loomed with KenPom projecting the Bulldogs to win their next six games. Halfway through, Mississippi State has proven the advanced analytics site right.
MSU (17-8, 6-6 SEC) is riding a three-game winning streak into a rematch Wednesday (8 p.m., ESPN2) against Ole Miss (19-6, 6-6) at Humphrey Coliseum. The wins, particularly a 24-point victory at Missouri, have elevated Mississippi State in the NET rankings and put the Bulldogs in a favorable position as Selection Sunday and March Madness approach.
Here's a look at Mississippi State's résumé and where coach Chris Jans' team sits in the latest projections.
Mississippi State basketball’s résumé, NET ranking
NET ranking: 38
Quad 1 record: 3-6
Quad 2 record: 3-0
Quad 3 record: 6-1
Quad 4 record: 5-1
Where ESPN, CBS project Mississippi State in March Madness
Mississippi State is a No. 10-seed in Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology for ESPN. The Bulldogs would be matched up with No. 7-seeded Michigan State in Indianapolis. Mississippi State would be one of nine SEC teams in the field.
CBS' Jerry Palm also has Mississippi State as a No. 10-seed, though he has MSU traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face Florida Atlantic. FAU made the Final Four last season.
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Mississippi State basketball's 2024 schedule
Feb. 24: at LSU (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)
Feb. 27: vs. Kentucky (6 p.m., ESPN)
March 2: at Auburn (3 p.m., ESPN2)
March 6: at Texas A&M (8 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU)
March 9: vs. South Carolina (1:30 p.m., SEC Network)
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 bracketology update: Latest NCAA bracket predictions
