Mississippi State begins its quest to return to the Final Four when the No. 1-seeded Bulldogs play host to Nicholls State on Saturday in a first-round Kansas City Region game in Starkville, Miss.
The Colonels won their first Southland Conference championship by beating the first, second and fifth seeds to land their first berth in the NCAA Tournament.
"This was a complete buy-in from this team," Nicholls coach DoBee Plaisance said. "They're my warriors."
Nicholls State (19-13) has won seven straight. And even though the No. 16-seeded Colonels face a daunting and unlikely chance of making it eight in a row, Plaisance promises the Colonels will give it their best shot.