March Madness 2025: The No. 8 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs are all set to play against the No. 9 seed Baylor Bears on Friday as the two sides look forward to securing a place in the second round of the ongoing men’s 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Mississippi State are among the 14 teams from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to reach the NCAA Tournament and are eying its maiden win since 2008, The Athletic reported.
On the other hand, Baylor are searching for their 20th win, which would mark their seventh consecutive season to reach the milestone.
Mississippi State vs Baylor: Schedule, when and where to watch
The two sides will be at loggerheads at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Official kick-start is at 12:15 PM ET, while fans can catch the live coverage on CBS. Also, they can do live streaming on Fubo.
Mississippi State vs Baylor: Strengths and weaknesses
The Mississippi State is filled with players, who are 6-foot-4 or taller at the shooting guard as well as across the frontline. Overall, they are considered a better team when it comes to offensive rebounding in the field, with the capability to generate a second chance on 34.4 per cent of their possessions.
However, the side faces a lot of issues in terms of defense. At times, the players end up overcommitting themselves, ultimately ending up giving 3-pointers.
During the regular season, the players from the opposite side hit a massive 38.5 percent from distance against the team in the last month. As a result, the team needs to remain aware about its defensive inadequacies to improve the game.
Baylor, meanwhile, holds one of the best NBA prospects — VJ Edgecombe, the freshman stands 6-foot-5 freshman. They are seen among the top teams when it comes to offensive-rebounding as statistics show that they grabbed nearly 36 per cent of the misses. Another interesting aspect about them is the speed with which it carries forward the game, having players that can be seen all over the floor.
Quite like Mississippi State, Baylor also faces problems with their defense. Among its top eight players, only one player is taller than 6-foot-7 – Josh Ojianwuna (6-10). The team ranks 211 in the US with an average height of 77 inches.
Both the teams faced defeat in their outings last week. While Mississippi State suffered an 85-73 defeat against Missouri, Baylor will enter the court after a 76-74 loss to Texas Tech.
Mississippi State vs Baylor: Prediction
Experts at USA Today have majorly favoured Baylor in the match, but noted that the game will be a close contest between the two sides. Out of seven analysts, five have supported Baylor, while the remaining two have gone with Mississippi State.
FAQs
1. Where to watch the Mississippi State vs Baylor match?
Fans can catch the live updates on CBS TV channel as well as Fubo.
2. When will the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament begin?
The second round will take place from March 22 to 23.