Anytime Mississippi State basketball meets up with Ole Miss, it’s sure to provide an intense contest with plenty of emotion.

However, Tuesday’s meeting in Oxford – marking the first of two regular season games between the rivals this season – has some extra flare. For the first time since 2019, both MSU (14-6, 3-4 SEC) and Ole Miss (17-3, 4-3) appear to be on track for an NCAA Tournament bid.

But even as the calendar prepares to turn to February, neither team has their name written in pen, meaning there’s plenty left for the Bulldogs to play for. Coach Chris Jans’ team could add another Quadrant 1 win to their résumé with a road victory.

Here’s a look at Mississippi State’s résumé and where the Bulldogs sit in the latest March Madness projections.

Mississippi State basketball’s résumé, NET ranking

NET ranking: 37

KenPom ranking: 32

Quad 1 record: 3-4

Quad 2 record: 3-1

Quad 3 record: 3-0

Quad 4 record: 5-1

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Where ESPN projects Mississippi State in March Madness

Joe Lunardi’s latest projection for ESPN has Mississippi State as an 8-seed. He has the Bulldogs in the South region, slated to face Utah in a first-round matchup in Omaha, Nebraska.

The winner of No. 1-seeded Houston and No. 16-seeded South Dakota State would face MSU or Utah in the second round.

Prior to Saturday’s win against then-No. 6 Auburn, Mississippi State was on the bubble for Lunardi.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State bracketology update: Latest NCAA bracket predictions