By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
March 15, 2004
STARKVILLE The Mississippi State University men's basketball team just can't seem to stop setting new school milestones this season.
The Bulldogs (25-3, 14-3 Southeastern Conference) received the program's highest seed ever in the NCAA tournament on Sunday. MSU will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Atlanta Regional.
MSU will meet No. 15 seed Monmouth (21-11, 12-5 Northeast Conference) at 6:10 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the tournament in Orlando, Fla.
The Bulldogs have racked up a number of impressive accomplishments this season.
MSU earned the No. 4 ranking in The Associated Press poll twice this season, marking the school's first appearance in the AP top five since 1962.
The Bulldogs also won their first outright SEC regular season championship since 1963, and didn't lose a single road game during the regular season, going 12-0 away from Humphrey Coliseum.
Friday's game will mark the third straight year MSU has earned a berth in the tournament, which is also a first in school history.
MSU had a chance to earn a No. 1 seed in the tournament prior to its 74-70 overtime loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament.
The Bulldogs' stumble against the Commodores raised questions of the team possibly being seeded No. 3 for a third straight year.
The NCAA tournament begins on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, with Lehigh taking on Florida A&M in the play-in game to enter the field of 64.