Is LSU women's basketball careening down the slippery slope?

Kim Mulkey and the for now No. 9 Tigers (18-4, 5-3) have lost back-to-back games, the first of which was no surprise against No. 1 South Carolina but that couldn't be said about the second defeat, a disappointing 77-73 loss at Mississippi State on Monday night.

Since Mulkey has taken over at LSU, the team has lost consecutive games once, back in her first season in 2021-22.

For a team that was preseason No. 1, coming off its first NCAA championship where it defeated star Caitlin Clark and Iowa, where LSU sits and how it currently looks has drawn plenty of doubters of what Mulkey's team can actually accomplish come March.

The latest loss at Mississippi State saw a drop in NCAA Tournament projections for LSU. Here's where things stand for the Tigers.

ESPN: 4 seed (Albany 4)

ESPN women's basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme bumped the Tigers from the 3-line to a 4-seed in his latest bracket Tuesday morning after the loss to Mississippi State. LSU is losing room to play with in actually hosting the opening two rounds of March Madness, so getting back to its winning ways is paramount. In the latest projections, LSU would play No. 13 Stony Brook, then meet the winner of No. 5 Oregon State and No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast in round 2 in Baton Rouge. The Tigers would match up with No. 1 North Carolina State in the Sweet 16 in Albany, New York.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Where LSU women's basketball stands in NCAA Tournament bracketology