Mississippi State has played its way back into NCAA Tournament contention. The Bulldogs have won five straight and according to Bracket Matrix - a site that compiles projections from 105 different bracketologists - they're projected to go dancing by 69 of them.

Chris Jans has his squad firmly on the bubble. We didn't expect it after the Bulldogs' 1-7 start in SEC play, but they've turned things around during their five-game winning streak and have bolstered their résumé with quadrant-1 wins over TCU and Arkansas.

The Bulldogs have played some of their best defense during the season during the stretch. They held South Carolina, Missouri and LSU to 53 points or less. The 64 points scored by Arkansas was 10.5 points below their season average, and it helped the Bulldogs jump to #40 in the NET rankings.

The Mississippi State defense is amongst the elite teams in the country. They currently rank 4th in adjusted defensive efficiency by KenPom and have started to gain some national attention. CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein - who has been known for his "Rothsteinisms" - tabbed Jans as "The Dentist" because facing Mississippi State is like "a root canal without novocaine."

Mississippi State has embraced its defensive reputation. They bought in even during the losing skid, and it's been paying off big down the home stretch.

"I think every coach in America will tell you that one of the most rewarding things is your team continues to work even when things are not going your way and they have the right mental approach every single day," Jans said. "I've complimented this group numerous times throughout the year of their approach."

Shakeel Moore has provided the spark Mississippi State needed since being inserted into the starting lineup in favor of Eric Reed. Since making his first start against Alabama six games ago, he's been scoring 11.8 points per game and is shooting 50% from three point range.

"In hindsight I should have done it earlier you can't predict the future like that," Jans said.

The opportunities to improve their résumé are going to keep coming. Kentucky comes to to Starkville tonight in a battle of two bubble teams looking to solidify their postseason position.

To say a Bulldog win would be huge is an understatement, and they've got a good chance to do so. The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back losses to Arkansas and Georgia and will likely be without two starting guards in Sahvir Wheeler and C.J. Fredrick. The Hump should be packed, and Jans wants a big crowd for the Bulldogs' biggest game yet.

"We need a sold out crowd. We need out sixth man," Jans said. "It's a huge game for us."