Mississippi State headed to West Region in NCAA Tournament
For the first time since the 2008/2009 NCAA Tournaments, the Bulldogs are making consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and will face Michigan State on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C. The Bulldogs collected the eight seed and would likely face top-seeded North Carolina if State advances past Michigan State.
Last year the Bulldogs were eliminated in the First Four game and lost a heartbreaker to Pittsburgh in Dayton, Ohio. With that appearance, Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans became the first head coach in school history to take a team to the NCAA Tournament in his first year at the school. This weekend Jans led State to its first SEC Tournament semifinal appearance since 2010.
Sunday’s announcement marks State’s 13th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the Bulldogs have an 11-12 all-time record in March Madness. State has lost its last four NCAA Tournament games with the last NCAA Tournament victory coming in a 76-69 win over Oregon in the 2008 South Region in Little Rock, Ark.
Jans has now led his team to five of the last six NCAA Tournaments with two different schools (Mississippi tate and New Mexico State). That feat would be six of the last seven NCAA Tournaments but Covid canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournament in which New Mexico State had a bid already secured.
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This year Mississippi State has produced several impressive individual performances whether it be in scoring or rebounding. State’s best individual scoring effort in NCAA Tournament history came in the 2008 South Region when former Bulldog great Charles Rhodes poured in 34 points in the win over Oregon.
Mississippi State’s top rebounding efforts in NCAA Tournament play were recorded by Lawrence Roberts with 14 boards in a win over Stanford in the 2005 NCAA Tournament and Erick Dampier with 14 rebounds against Syracuse in the 1996 Final Four game.
