Mississippi State preparing to open tournament against Stanford

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Posted 7:29PM on Monday, March 14, 2005

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi State has been victimized by surprising upsets in previous NCAA tournaments. That probably won't happen this year. Seeded fifth or better in its region in each of the past three tournaments, Mississippi State was stunned each time by lesser-seeded teams and was sent packing before the end of the first weekend. But this time, the Bulldogs are probably safe from that type of loss. They received an essentially even draw in the first round with barring an unprecedented turn of events that winner a heavy underdog in Round Two. Mississippi State (22-10), the No. 9 seed in the Austin Regional in its school-record fourth straight NCAA tournament, opens with eighth-seeded Stanford (18-12) on Friday in Charlotte, N.C. Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury for the first time is preparing for a first-round opponent which resembles his team in talent, tempo and composition. ``There's some similarities, I guess we've got some athleticism in a few spots, and both of us want to play as quick as we can,'' Stansbury said Monday. The Mississippi State-Stanford winner almost assuredly will face top-seeded Duke, barring a colossal upset by 16th-seeded Delaware State in the first round. A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed since the field expanded to 64 in 1985. Upsets have haunted the Bulldogs in their past three tournaments, most famously or infamously two years ago. No. 12 seed Butler used a slow-down game to shock fifth-seeded Mississippi State in the opening round of the 2003 tournament. ``Lots of times, those (No. 12 seeded) teams are from different leagues, and they have a different style about them, and that's the way it was for Butler with us,'' Stansbury said. Mississippi State last year received the highest seed in school history a No. 2 and won the opener against 15th-seeded Monmouth, but was upended by No. 7 seed Xavier in the second round. In 2002, the Bulldogs won their first round game as a No. 3 seed before falling to No. 6 seed Texas in Round Two. Stansbury said that in an even matchup, the team that defends and rebounds best figures to advance to the second round. ``Teams don't always know each other's strengths and weaknesses, like they do in league play,'' Stansbury said. ``Things have to be constant ... our ability to defend and rebound. ``Offensively, you want to make some shots,'' he said. ``Teams that can make some shots, that can score, (that) helps feed your defense. You've got to take care of the basketball, and I know Stanford does a good job of that.'' (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)