March Madness picks back up in Mississippi with two teams competing on the men’s side of the bracket Friday.
First on the docket is Mississippi State (21-12, 9-11 SEC) taking on Baylor (19-14, 11-11 Big 12) in Raleigh, N.C. The Bulldogs come in as an eight-seed for the second year in a row as head coach Chris Jans has now led his team to the Big Dance in each of his first three seasons. Baylor, a nine seed, cracked the bracket for the fifth year in a row under head coach Scott Drew. Drew has led Baylor past the opening round four years in a row and nine times since 2010, winning the national championship in 2021.
Following the Mississippi State-Baylor game, Ole Miss (22-11, 11-9 SEC) will play North Carolina (23-13, 15-8 ACC) in Milwaukee, Wisc. The sixth-seeded Rebels are back in the tournament for the first time since 2019 as head coach Chris Beard returns to the postseason for the first time since departing as head coach at Texas. The Tar Heels, who some analysts argued should not have made been included in this year’s bracket, are working to prove otherwise after dominating San Diego State 95-68 in the play-in game.
Below you can find tip-off times, TV information, and key stats for Ole Miss and Mississippi State’s opening round contests in the NCAA Tournament.
8 Mississippi State vs. 9 Baylor
Time: 11:15 a.m. CT
Location: Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
TV: CBS, or stream on March Madness Live
Radio: Participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations and other Mississippi State men’s basketball radio affiliates.
BetMGM line: Mississippi State -1.5/under is 144.5
Top performers: Howell Trophy winner and sophomore guard Josh Hubbard leads Mississippi State in scoring with 18.7 points per game, including a 21-point average over the last 10 games. Junior forward KeShawn Murphy is averaging 11.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs.
For Baylor, senior forward Norchad Omier is averaging 15.9 points per game with a 56.7% shooting percentage. Freshman guard VJ Edgecombe is averaging 15 points over the last 10 games.
Quick storyline: Both Mississippi State and Baylor have slid during the tail end of the season, each going 4-6 over their last 10 games.
Looking ahead: The winner between Mississippi State and Baylor will more than likely have a tough task in the Round of 32, projected to play one-seed Duke. The Cooper Flagg-led Blue Devils play 16-seed Mount St. Mary’s Friday at 1:50 p.m. CT and are favored by 31.5 points.
6 Ole Miss vs. 11 North Carolina
Time: 3:05 p.m. CT
Location: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisc.
TV: TNT, or stream on March Madness Live
Radio: Participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations and other Ole Miss men’s basketball radio affiliates.
BetMGM line: North Carolina -1.5/under is 155.5
Top performers: For Ole Miss, Virginia Tech transfer and senior guard Sean Pedulla leads the way with 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Junior forward Malik Dia is averaging 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds over the last 10 games with a shooting percentage of 47%.
For North Carolina, senior guard RJ Davis is averaging 17.3 points and 3.7 assists per game. Senior forward Jae’Lyn Withers has been productive down low while shooting well beyond the arc, averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Quick storyline: While North Carolina is heating up after a lengthy run in the ACC Tournament and a play-in game pounding, Ole Miss is looking to prove some wrong after a national analyst called the team “a fraud” earlier in the week.
Looking ahead: The winner between Ole Miss and North Carolina will take on the winner of three-seed Iowa State and 14-seed Lipscomb in the Round of 32. The Cyclones are favored by 14.5 points, with tipoff set for Friday at 12:30 p.m. CT.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
