Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway has high March Madness aspirations. He has been transparent in recent weeks when the topic of NCAA Tournament seeding prospects is broached during interviews. The No. 20 Tigers (12-3, 2-0 AAC) have made two March Madness appearances under Hardaway, first as a 9-seed in 2022, then an 8-seed in 2023.

Ole Miss did not make the NCAA tournament in coach Chris Beard's first season last year. The Rebels finished 20-12 (7-11 SEC) last season and were a bubble team. Beard has March Madness success on his resume. He took Texas Tech to the Final Four in 2019. The Red Raiders lost the national championship to Virginia in overtime.

Here’s where Clemson basketball stands in NCAA tournament bracket predictions. The latest bracketology has the Tigers as a No. 8 seed.

Vanderbilt basketball is projected to make the NCAA tournament in Mark Byington's first season. The Commodores have not made the tournament since 2017. Former coach Jerry Stackhouse never qualified for the NCAA tournament in his five seasons.

Vanderbilt women's basketball is projected to return to the NCAA tournament in 2024. In Shea Ralph's fourth season, the Commodores (14-2, 1-1 SEC) have upped their talent level with two of the top players in the SEC.

Here is where MSU stands in the latest NCAA tournament projections.

Preview and betting analysis for Mississippi State vs Vanderbilt with our prediction, the lines, and what will happen.

MEN: Where Mississippi State basketball stands in updated March Madness bracket predictions MSU has reached the NCAA tournament once in coach Sam Purcell's two seasons. In 2022-23, MSU won in the First Four and the first round before losing to Notre Dame in the second round.