Who are the Michigan State vs. Mississippi State basketball announcers today on CBS? All about NCAA Tournament game's coverage team

Michigan State takes on Mississippi State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The winner will face No. 1 seed North Carolina or 16th seed Wagner in the second round.

CBS will air the Michigan State-Mississippi State encounter. Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (courtside reporter) will be the broadcasting team for the game.

No. 8 Michigan State and No. 9 Mississippi State were among the at-large teams selected by the committee to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs (21-13) struggled in the regular season but stamped its class in the SEC Tournament, beating LSU and Tennessee in the second round and the quarterfinals. Auburn stopped their run in the semifinals by winning, 73-66.

Meanwhile, the Spartans (19-14) beat Minnesota in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament before losing to Purdue in the quarterfinals, 67-62.

Mississippi State averaged 74.8 points in the regular season and the SEC Tournament and held their opponents to 69.1 ppg. In comparison, Michigan State has the better defense, holding their opponents to 65.9 a game and scoring 73.1 ppg.

The Bulldogs have the advantage in rebounds, with 38.4 per game, compared to the Spartans' 34.6. However, Michigan State passes the ball more often, with 16.3 assists per game, compared to Mississippi State (14.1)

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What time is the Michigan State-Mississippi State game today?

AJ Hoggard is expected to step up for Michigan State in its 2024 NCAA Tournament first-round duel with Mississippi State.

Tipoff for the Michigan State-Mississippi State game is slated on Thursday at 12:15 pm ET.

What to expect in the Michigan State-Mississippi State game today?

Mississippi State has made its second-straight NCAA Tournament under Chris Jans.

The 54-year-old former New Mexico State coach will have his hands full against veteran Michigan State tactician Tom Izzo, who is making his 26th-straight appearance in March Madness.

Izzo guided the Spartans to the national championship in 2000 and eight Final Fours, while Jans has made it to the second round once in five attempts.

Hubbard and Tolu Smith form the Bulldogs 1-2 combination on the floor. Hubbard leads Mississippi State's offense at 17.1 points per game, while Smith averages 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds.

Cameron Matthews is another Bulldog to watch out for, as he supports Smith in the forward spot and has an excellent field goal percentage of 62.4%.

Meanwhile, Michigan State can count on four players in scoring with Tyson Walker leading the charge at 18.2 ppg. Malik Hall, Hoggard and Jaden Akins are the other three Spartans averaging in double figures and will provide additional firepower to Tom Izzo's offense.