Mississippi State basketball is projected for its highest NCAA tournament seed in 20 years.
The Bulldogs (13-1, 1-0 SEC) are off to a strong start to the season with only one loss − to Butler on a neutral court. They play at Vanderbilt (13-1, 1-0) on Tuesday (8 p.m., ESPNU).
Here is where MSU stands in the latest NCAA tournament projections.
Mississippi State basketball is as high as a No. 3 seed
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has Mississippi State as a No. 3 seed in the South Region. The Bulldogs would be matched up with No. 14 South Dakota State in Milwaukee. The winner would play either No. 6 seed Purdue or No. 11 seeds Vanderbilt or New Mexico, who are projected to play in the First Four.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi lists MSU as a No. 4 seed in the West Region, matching up with No. 13 Grand Canyon. The second-round game would be against either No. 5 UCLA or No. 12 UC San Diego. Both rounds would be played in Denver.
Mississippi State basketball’s NCAA tournament resume
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 13 in the NCAA NET rankings as of Tuesday. They are 3-0 in Quad 1 games, beating Memphis, Pittsburgh and SMU. The loss to Butler is Quad 2, but MSU has wins in that quadrant against McNeese and Utah.
MSU’s 85-50 win against South Carolina on Saturday in the SEC opener is Quad 3.
Mississippi State is slated to play five straight Quad 1 games until it visits South Carolina on Jan. 25.
MORE:What Mississippi State women’s basketball said is missing after loss to South Carolina, Dawn Staley
Mississippi State basketball’s NCAA tournament history under Chris Jans
The Bulldogs have made the NCAA tournament twice in coach Chris Jans’ two seasons but haven’t won a game.
In 2023, they were in the First Four and loss to Pitt by one point. Last season, No. 8 seed MSU lost by 18 to No. 9 Michigan State in the first round.
Mississippi State last won an NCAA tournament game in 2008, a first-round win against Oregon. It has not advanced past the round of 32 since 1996.
POLLS:Where Mississippi State men’s basketball ranks in latest polls after routing South Carolina
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
