Mississippi State likely would have been a host in the upcoming NCAA Tournament if the Bulldogs had won one or two more games, analysts Brian Hadad and Carlo Barone wrote.
Hadad and Barone suggested the team’s fate may also have been different if the nonconference schedule had been stronger. They argued a tougher slate of opponents could have improved the Bulldogs’ standing with the selection committee, the writers said.
In their piece, “Thunder & Lightning: Mississippi State Has to Improve Its Scheduling Going Forward,” Hadad and Barone examined how the Bulldogs schedule out‑of‑conference opponents and urged a reassessment of that approach, the writers said.
Hadad and Barone concluded that scheduling strategy has tangible effects on tournament positioning and urged Mississippi State to consider tougher nonconference opponents in future seasons, the column said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
