For the third time in as many years under head coach Chris Jans, Mississippi State is heading to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs were selected as a No. 8 seed in the East region, and will face No. 9 seed Baylor in the first round in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday.
“I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to do it three years in a row,” Jans said. “That’s what we talked about doing when I arrived. We were going to build a team each year to get into March Madness. That was the goal from day one. Certainly the goals have changed. We want to win multiple games now. That’s what the charge is. We want more. We don’t just want to hear our name called.”
MSU (21-12) finished 8-10 in Southeastern Conference play for the third year in a row, but in a season where the SEC was as tough as any conference has ever been, the Bulldogs were comfortably in the field of 68. An impressive non-conference slate, highlighted by roads win over SMU and Memphis, helped MSU feel secure about its spot in the postseason.
This is the Bulldogs’ 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, highlighted by a run to the Final Four in 1996. MSU has not won a game in the Big Dance since 2008 and has not reached the round of 16 since that 1996 season.
“Getting there is awesome, but we want to stay longer and win games and go on a run,” Jans said. “Love the fact that we’ve been able to do it three years in a row, love the fact that we have another 8 seed two years in a row. Our seeding is getting better. Now we just have to win some games.”
Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard leads the Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 18.7 points per game, while KeShawn Murphy is the only other MSU player with a double-figure scoring average. Hubbard was named to the all-SEC second team, with fifth-year senior forward Cameron Matthews — who led the conference in steals — named to the all-defensive team.
“In the postseason now, we know what it takes to win and we know in our losses, what we could have done better,” Hubbard said. “It’s not going to be pretty. We have to be defensive-minded, rebounding-minded. That’s what it’s going to take.”
The Bears are 19-14 overall and finished 10-10 in the Big 12 Conference. Baylor played a very difficult non-conference schedule with wins over Arkansas and St. John’s and losses to Tennessee, Connecticut and Gonzaga. Norchad Omier and freshman VJ Edgecombe are the Bears’ leading scorers, with Omier averaging a double-double.
If the Bulldogs win Friday, their opponent in the second round Sunday will likely be No. 1 seed Duke. The Blue Devils are 31-3 overall, although their best player, freshman Cooper Flagg, was injured Thursday in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Duke does expect to have Flagg back for the NCAA Tournament.
“It means a lot. Just trying to leave the best legacy I can,” Matthews said. “Get some wins in March Madness and go out with a bang.”
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