November 12, 2026 | Women's Basketball, Joel Coleman
STARKVILLE – Madison Francis can do it all. The Mississippi State standout is among college basketball's best.
She can score. She can defend. She can probably even serve as a tour guide. That's something that might get discovered this weekend.
Francis and the Bulldogs are set for an 11 a.m. CT game on Saturday in Buffalo, New York. The game will go down only about 20 minutes from Francis' hometown of Lancaster.
So, when the State squad takes in Niagra Falls together on this trip, Francis' upbringing will allow her the chance to tell her teammates all about the site.
"This is going to be so fun," Francis said of heading back home. "It's awesome to have the chance to do this."
Around 100 of Francis' family members and friends are planning to be in attendance for the game Saturday to root on Francis and the Dawgs. The contest will serve as a reunion of sorts, and it's no coincidence that Mississippi State is playing right in Francis' old backyard.
There is no place like home, and MSU head coach Sam Purcell knows it. He makes a concerted effort when possible to try and play games in the hometowns of players that choose to put on the Maroon and White.
"When you look at our roster, I've got so many young women who are not from the state of Mississippi," Purcell said. "So, it means a lot to me that if they're gonna make this place their home, that we return the favor. Everybody gets to read about them and see them on TV, but to actually see them live in person, you can't put a price tag on that."
Francis gets the chance for her royal return this year. Last season, Destiney McPhaul put on her Maroon in her hometown of Philadelphia. The year before that, Eniya Russell went back to Maryland as an MSU Bulldog.
It's a chance for the players to reunite with the places and loved ones that shaped them. But it's also a chance to inspire. That's been one of the things Purcell has preached to Francis about this weekend.
"I told [Francis], 'You have no earthly idea what this game means outside of our team,'" Purcell said. "I told her, "You've got some little girl [in Buffalo] that reads every paper or watches highlights of you on the news as you were coming through high school or followed you with USA Basketball or now watches you on the college level, and you're the inspiration for that young lady to work hard in the gym to be the next Madison Francis.'
"It gives me goose bumps, because I've got three little girls and I try to put it in perspective [for Francis] and I think she gets that. What a great opportunity to thank the people who helped raise [her] but also come back and try to leave the place better than [she] found it. That's what this weekend is going to be all about."
Francis' teammates will obviously experience all of this alongside her as the group shoots for a 4-0 start to the season. Francis is loving every moment she gets to spend playing with this year's Bulldogs – whether it's in Starkville, Buffalo or anywhere else.
"Everyone on this team is special," Francis said. "They give 100% effort every single time they step out on the court, and I love that about them. I appreciate them so much, it's really beyond words."
What words can't express, maybe actions can.
Because of Purcell's commitment to schedule games like Saturday's, Francis will have the perfect opportunity to display her appreciation to her teammates by showing them the ins and outs of her old stomping grounds.
"This is such a cool tradition and it shows the connection [Purcell] has with his players," Francis said. "He's always big on connection and just knowing and caring for his players, and I think scheduling these kinds of games shows that.
"It's going to be an awesome feeling for me for sure."
