Dawgs Eyeing Dance Invitations On Selection Sunday
March 16, 2025 | Athletics, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Both the men’s and women’s hoops programs at MSU are projected to be NCAA Tournament bound.
STARKVILLE – All year long, college basketball teams are eyeing a Selection Sunday invite to the big dance. Well, the day has finally arrived to check those figurative mailboxes.
Both the men's and women's NCAA Tournament fields will be revealed today, beginning with the men's selection show at 5 p.m. CT on CBS. The women's selection show will follow at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Entering the big day, both Mississippi State programs find themselves having earned fortunate spots. Instead of the Bulldogs hoping to hear their names called, they're expecting it. Both groups are now firmly eyeing the madness of March.
"We're definitely a special team this year," Josh Hubbard of the men's team said. "Definitely can make a run. [We've] got the potential to be a scary team in March Madness."
Jerkaila Jordan on the women's side has the same mentality.
"We're going to go into the [NCAA Tournament] and make a big run," Jordan said. "NCAA Tournament – win or go home, survive and advance – we're just going to go in there strong."
Both State squads find themselves in similar positions while awaiting their upcoming assignments. Both have NCAA NET rankings in the low 30s and both are projected as No. 9 seeds per ESPN's bracketologists.
Such a draw wouldn't be easy. It'd likely lead to a second-round matchup against a top seed should the Dawgs advance past the opening game.
Truth be told though, nowhere State lands will be easy. It's March. Any game, anywhere against any opponent will be a battle. The good news is both sets of Bulldogs showed over the course of their regular seasons they're always up for a fight.
Head coach Chris Jans' men racked up 21 wins, including five against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. It's the first time in MSU men's hoops history the Bulldogs have recorded five regular-season wins against AP Top 25 foes.
On the occasions State did come up short, it was against some of the nation's best. Eight of the Dawgs' 11 losses came against teams in the top 20 of the NET.
This is a battle-tested bunch of Bulldogs.
"The 10,000-foot view is we're in a good position," Jans said. "But wanted to be in a better position. Wanted to be in a great position.
"What I kept telling our team down the stretch was that we controlled our own destiny. We didn't need any help. We had a fairly good first 15, 16 games and were in great position. Then obviously the [Southeastern Conference] is what it is this year. Everyone…for the most part had stretches where it was tough. I thought we weathered the storm pretty good."
So good, in fact, the word "bubble" hasn't been used much, if at all, this season regarding Jans' Dawgs. It appears a near certainty that come Sunday evening, MSU will be celebrating a third consecutive tourney berth. It would be just the third time in program history three straight dance invites have been earned and the first such occasion in 20 years.
A women's invite would be their second in three seasons. Head coach Sam Purcell's club compiled 21 wins of their own and along the way, proved to Purcell and everyone exactly why they could be dangerous in the important days ahead.
"What a journey [this year]," Purcell said. "We went through the SEC where it was win, loss, win, loss. Our journey has been unique. But it's also been a great one because it's [had] adversity and it's shown toughness.
"When we've been punched…my young women have always had a mindset to bounce back and find a way to get the next one. I couldn't be a more proud coach with as many non-returning players [as we had on our roster] for us to come together and put an NCAA Tournament product on the floor."
As proud as Purcell and Jans both are of their groups, neither are satisfied. For as celebratory as Sunday will almost certainly be, Purcell could be speaking for both teams when he lays out the objective for what's about to come.
"Let's get in and play our best basketball when our name's called," Purcell said.Â
