As the First Round of the NCAA Tournament winds down, we still have several excellent matchups to go. #12 Liberty comes with a conference championship, but #5 Mississippi State comes with a strong performance in the SEC, one of the country’s best conferences.
How to Watch the NCAA Tournament First Round:
Liberty vs. Mississippi St
Date: Friday, March 22
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Location: San Jose, CA
TV Channel: truTV
Live Stream: fuboTV – start your 7-day free trial to watch every NCAA Tournament game
#12 Liberty
Liberty will make their way into the NCAA Tournament for a fourth time in 2019, but the Flames are still searching for their hot streak as they look to win their first game in the competition. Their chances don’t look that bright considering Mississippi State are ranked fifth in the East Region, though their end-of-season form suggested an upset could be on the cards.
Liberty started their season by going 11-4 in non-conference games, but they lost only twice in their last 19 games of the campaign, which included winning the Atlantic Sun’s championship and post-season tournament. They finished with a 28-6 overall record and beat Lipford 74-68 in the final to clinch a maiden Atlantic Sun title.
#5 Mississippi State
Mississippi State comes into the tournament as a No. 5 seed for the fifth time in school history. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 23-10, good enough for sixth in the SEC. They defeated Auburn in late January when they were ranked 16th in the nation. A run in their conference tournament wasn’t meant to be as they fell to Tennessee in the quarterfinals, 83-76. Senior Quinndary Weatherspoon leads the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and was named to the All-SEC first team. State will be hoping to replicate their 1996 performance in the tournament – as a No. 5 seed they advanced to the Final Four. It’s the only time the school has made it past the Sweet 16.
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