For just the sixth time in school history, the Mississippi State University men’s and women’s basketball teams both earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament in the same season.
This year’s dual bid continues a trend of competitive consistency for both programs, especially under the direction of men’s head coach Chris Jans and women’s head coach Sam Purcell. It is the second time in three years that both squads have made the tournament under the current coaching regime.
The men’s team returned to March Madness for the third consecutive season, marking a milestone of its own. Jans, now in his third year in Starkville, has delivered postseason play every year since arriving. The Bulldogs were slotted as the No. 8 seed in the West Region and drew a tough opening-round matchup against No. 9 seed Baylor on March 21 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Despite strong stretches throughout the season, Mississippi State struggled to find momentum offensively against the Bears. Baylor ultimately pulled away and ended the Bulldogs’ season in the Round of 64 — a familiar hurdle for the program. Mississippi State has not advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament since the 2007 to 2008 season, when Rick Stansbury’s team beat Oregon in the opener before falling to No. 1 seed Memphis two days later.
While the early exit was a tough pill to swallow, the three-year streak of NCAA bids is a sign of the program’s stability and potential under Jans, who has now established a consistent tournament presence in a loaded SEC.
On the women’s side, Sam Purcell led his team back to the Big Dance after narrowly missing the field last season and settling for a WBIT appearance. This year, the Bulldogs were placed as a No. 9 seed in the Los Angeles regional, where they opened play against No. 8 seed California on March 22.
Playing in Los Angeles on USC’s home court, Mississippi State put together a dominant defensive performance against the Golden Bears. The Bulldogs controlled the tempo from the opening tip and rolled to a 59-46 win behind a balanced scoring effort and suffocating perimeter defense. The victory marked Mississippi State’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2023 and punched their ticket to the second round.
The quick turnaround set up a Sunday matchup with the regional host, No. 1 seed USC. Despite losing star freshman JuJu Watkins to injury early in the game, the Trojans overwhelmed Mississippi State from the outset. USC shot the ball efficiently, controlled the paint, and ultimately coasted to a 96-59 victory to end the Bulldogs’ season.
The loss brought Mississippi State’s campaign to a close, but the appearance marked the 13th NCAA Tournament bid in program history and the second under Purcell, who continues to bring energy and vision to the program as he builds for the future.
Between the two programs, this season was another step toward sustained national relevance. Though both teams fell short of a deep run, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament is no small feat, especially in an era where roster turnover, conference realignment, and NIL challenges make consistency increasingly difficult to maintain.
Mississippi State now heads into the offseason with several questions to answer — potential roster movement, returning talent, and transfer portal additions — but also with plenty of momentum and optimism. The foundation is there. Both programs are in capable hands. And for the second time in three years, Starkville had more than one team dancing in March.
