Troy-Mississippi St. Preview (Mar 14, 2017)
Mississippi State is on a mission -- the Final Four. And the fact is, the Bulldogs have a golden opportunity this year to make it to Dallas.
The second-seeded Bulldogs will take their first step on their home floor Friday when they host 15th-seeded Troy.
The seventh-ranked Bulldogs earned the right to stay in Starkville for the first two rounds thanks to a 29-4 season and second-place finish behind South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference. The home court should be a definite advantage against first-round opponent Troy -- MSU only has lost once in 11 games inside Humphrey Coliseum.
"We're in an awfully good region and it's going to be tough," Mississippi State head coach Vic Schaefer told the Starkville Daily News. "This time of year though, everybody is good, so now we can go to work knowing who we're going to play. We'll go to work excited about the opportunity."
Just as excited is Troy, which will be making back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Belt Conference champs finished the season 22-10 overall and 12-6 in conference.
The Trojans' expectations might not be as high as those of the Bulldogs, but Chandra Rigby's squad will be ready to compete come Friday.
"We are thrilled, of course, to be going to the dance," Rigby told the Troy Messenger. "We drew Mississippi State and they are great team and a great program. We are coming for them and we are going to do everything we can to win this game."
Last year, the experience was new, and the Trojans were dispatched quickly by Oregon State, which went to the Final Four. Rigby will use that experience to hopefully show better against the Bulldogs.
"We played Oregon State and they were a Final Four team," Rigby said. "Mississippi State is going to be more physical. They play a little more like us. This is going to be a team we are going to be more familiar with."
Rigby has insight into the Bulldogs that could help the Trojans' cause.
"I have recruited some of their players and I know a little bit about them," Rigby said. "They are a physical team and they are very balanced."
If the Bulldogs get by the Trojans, they will play the winner of seventh-seed DePaul and 10th-seeded Northern Iowa with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Then perhaps only Baylor, the top seed in the region, will stand in MSU's way.
"We are excited to be hosting again because of our fans, the passion they have," Schaefer said. "Our players feel that. For the players, it's not just in saying hello; it's looking them in the eye, connecting with them. It's hugging their baby or hugging their mama, taking a picture.
"They do it in a genuine way because they are genuine kids."
The Trojans are led by Caitlyn Ramirez, who averages a double-double at 13.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. She is clearly excited about the opportunity to pull off the upset.
"Last year it was all about the experience," Ramirez said. "We are back again this year and it's time to take care of business. We need to get in the gym and practice and make shots, run the floor and do what we usually do. We will see how it goes."
Victoria Williams leads the Bulldogs with 16.4 points per game. Mississippi State averages 74.8 points per game while holding its opposition to 55.4.
