Not even a week after beating Tennessee in Nashville, the Mississippi State Bulldogs travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The same Mississippi State Basketball team who rattled off two wins in the 2024 Southeastern Conference Tournament will try to shock the world with a few victories in the NCAA Tournament to keep the hopes of the Final Four alive for the Bulldog Nation.

Coming into the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Mississippi State has a newfound identity after their magical two wins in the 2024 Southeasteastern Conference Tournament. Before reaching the SEC Final Four, Mississippi State realized they could play and beat the best teams in the country by playing Mississippi State Basketball.

Mississippi State has a reputation across college basketball as one of the most physically demanding teams to face and gameplan for. From Tolu Smith, Jimmy Bell, DJ Jeffries, and guards that play as physically as they are, Mississippi State is a team that gives programs fits that don’t have the challenge in their conference. We saw what Mississippi State is capable of all season with wins over Tennessee, Auburn, and Washington State. Mississippi State understands that beating Tom Izzo in March is a tall task, but the Bulldogs have shown they can beat Michigan State before giving the Tar Heels of North Carolina all they can handle and then some.

Neither Michigan State nor North Carolina does well against teams like Mississippi State, which come out and punch them in the mouth. Mississippi State will need to knock down some shots to continue to give the defense the momentum needed in March to advance. All the March success is right there for the taking for Coach Jans and his Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Mississippi State and Michigan State will start the NCAA Tournament on Thursday morning with an early tip at 11:15 on CBS.