Just Waiting For The Invitation
March 16, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Mississippi State has reason to expect great news on Selection Sunday.
STARKVILLE – All the bracketology and prognosticating is about to be over. Sunday is the day Mississippi State officially learns if it can pull out its dancing shoes once again. And if all the aforementioned predictions from college basketball experts are accurate, the Dawgs will soon be cutting a rug.
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show begins at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The annual event will be televised by CBS. At some point in the program, it appears likely State will receive the invite it's been working all season for.
Even so, head coach Chris Jans won't – and hasn't – allowed himself to put the proverbial cart before the horse.
"Hopefully, we'll get some good news," Jans said Saturday after MSU's exciting run in the Southeastern Conference Tournament concluded. "Until I see that, you're not going to hear me say much about the postseason other than saying the postseason. If you paid attention, I haven't said anything but, 'The postseason.' That's the words that I've used. We'll see what happens and make a game plan."
MSU's leader might not yet be speaking in certainties but those who cover college basketball are. Everyone from ESPN's Joe Lunardi, to CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, to insider Jon Rothstein see the Bulldogs as a lock for March Madness.
Projections have varied in recent days, but experts have pretty consistently stuck with MSU ultimately being chosen as somewhere between a nine and 11 seed.
If/when State sees itself pop up on the television screen Sunday, it'd mark the program's first back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament since dancing in 2008 and 2009.
The Dawgs have certainly put together a resume worthy of participating in college basketball's biggest event. They've navigated one of the country's toughest schedules and still posted 21 total wins, three AP Top-10 victories and earned a spot in the SEC Tourney semifinals. Â
Even respected head coaches not wearing Maroon and White recognize what the Bulldogs have done.
"To just imagine that that team has as many quad-one wins as they already have," Auburn's Bruce Pearl said on Saturday of the Bulldogs. "They've beaten the best teams in our conference [and] were close to Kentucky. They beat Tennessee twice. They beat us…Chris Jans is a great professional. His teams play so hard, so physical and so tough."
Or as Kentucky head coach John Calipari said last month: "[Our game against MSU was like] a first or second-round NCAA game. [It was like] you're in the third round. That's who you're playing. [Mississippi State] is that good."
It now appears to be just a waiting game for State to see where its physicality, toughness and talent will take it next.
Jans isn't ready to officially say, 'NCAA Tournament' just yet, but meanwhile his players are confident. The Bulldogs, off their thrilling few days at the SEC Tourney, are riding high and are ready to build on the good vibes.
Unfortunately, State won't be cutting down any nets in Nashville on Sunday. But a celebration sure looks to be in order anyway as the Dawgs anticipate hearing their names called and riding the energy they built in The Music City right into the upcoming madness.
"I mean, I feel like we're making the right strides," MSU's D.J. Jeffries said. "We came together, rallied together and got two big wins [at the SEC Tournament]. [Saturday's loss] hurt, but at least we have some momentum going into March."
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