Selection Sunday is almost here and title hopes are on the line this weekend.
Don’t miss this edition of the Showstopper, where we break down everything you need to know
for a pair of big conference tournament showdowns in the SEC and Big Ten.
Jump into this college hoops primer before March Matchups brackets are made.
NCAA Basketball
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Friday, March 11 | TV: SECN
The ninth-ranked Vols take on the Bulldogs in this SEC quarterfinal game. Tennessee is riding a
four-game winning streak, including victories over No. 14 Arkansas and No. 3 Auburn. These
teams last met in early February, with the Vols pulling out the 72-63 win, led by 18-point
showings from their backcourt duo of Kennedy Chandler and Josiah-Jordan James. Chandler has
been the model of consistency, scoring double-digit points in nine of his last 10 games. The Vols
have also gotten some very big buckets from Santiago Vescovi, who is shooting 39.9% from
beyond the arc this season. The Bulldogs do have the slight edge in shooting accuracy,
connecting on 45.7% of their field-goal attempts, so Tennessee will look to its roster depth to
counter the scoring punch.
Junior guard Iverson Molinar scored 19 to power Mississippi State to a second-round victory
over South Carolina in the SEC tournament. He found success against the Vols last time out,
scoring 16 while getting to the free-throw line with ease. That matchup was actually tied with
four minutes remaining, so the Bulldogs have proven they can hang with the Vols. Coming off a
bye week, though, Tennessee's going to be well-rested for this game, while the Bulldogs will be
playing on a back-to-back as they try to pull off the tourney upset.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Friday, March 11 | TV: BTN
The Spartans and No. 12 Badgers clash in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten tournament. Wisconsin
went 15-5 in conference play during the regular season, but they split their pair of showdowns with the Spartans. It was Michigan State who won the first matchup, 86-74, ending Wisconsin’s seven-game winning streak in the process. The second game was also closely contested, with
the Badgers coming out ahead, 70-62. The Spartans had trouble stopping Badgers guard Johnny
Davis, who racked up 25 points in each of those games.
Michigan State just scraped by Maryland in the second round, 76-72, to advance in this
tournament, while Wisconsin had the bye round to prepare. Both of these clubs are averaging
more than 70 points per game, and based on their last head-to-head outings, this could have the makings of a fast-paced battle. The Spartans will have to play better than they did last night on the defensive end, if they want to make it past Wisconsin.