Just A Bulldog Minute: How Far Can The Bulldogs Go In The NCAA Tournament?

If one thing is true, Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans knows how to win games in March.

The Bulldogs were one of the last four teams in during last season’s tournament where they lost to Pitt in a very competitive game. This time around, State has regrouped with All-SEC freshman Josh Hubbard and he has the style of play that is built for March.

Looking at the first game against Michigan State, the teams have very similar philosophies when it comes to their style of play. Tom Izzo and Jans preach defense, and that is what this game will be dictated on. It will be another physical contest for the Bulldogs but they have proven to be able to be the bullies in matchups that suit them. Against the Spartans, they have that advantage and the Bulldogs should take a stroll to the paint for easy points.

Even with the Michigan State game first, the Bulldogs have an advantage on the physicality side until the Sweet 16. This includes the number one seed in North Carolina. Look at the Tar Heel's last loss against NC State where they were the least physical team and got bullied in the paint for most of the night even with a big performance from RJ Davis.

The Bulldogs have the making of a sweet 16 team and could even be an extra push to get to the elite eight if things were to fall in their favor. But first are the Spartans and any Tom Izzo team will be a hard out in March. Mississippi State vs. Michigan State will be the first game to kick off the festivities on Thursday at 11:15 a.m. CT on CBS.