Did Michigan State's AJ Hoggard Start NCAA Tournament With Shorts On Backwards?

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Sure, the First Four technically represents the start of the NCAA Tournament and March Madness. However, everyone knows that the tournament REALLY starts on Thursday afternoon. The first game on Thursday features the #9 Michigan State Spartans against the #8 Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

The 8-seed vs. 9-seed games are usually some of the best of the Round of 64 because the teams, theoretically, are the most evenly-matched. That's the case in the Spartans' matchup against the Bulldogs, with the game closing with Michigan State as just a 1.5-point favorite in the battle of the MSUs. 

Of the two teams, Michigan State started much hotter, turning out a big run in the middle of the first half to stretch out a double-digit lead over Mississippi State. One of the catalysts for the strong offensive start was senior guard A.J. Hoggard. He was dishing out assists left and right, grabbed a couple steals on defense and hit a big three-point shot early in the contest. 

Michigan State guard A.J. Hoggard reacts during the first half of an NCAA Tournament game against Mississippi State.

Michigan State guard A.J. Hoggard reacts during the first half of an NCAA Tournament game against Mississippi State.

(Getty Images)

But fans noticed something strange about Hoggard's attire. The Spartan logo is on the left leg of the Michigan State players' shorts, while the right leg features white zig-zag piping. However, Hoggard apparently put his shorts on backwards before his team's NCAA Tournament opener. 

Someone must have alerted him to this because, later in the first half, it looked like he turned them around. 

Look, the NCAA Tournament is a huge sporting event and the players involved have an opportunity to turn themselves into stars. But they are still just people like you and me. They put their pants on one leg at a time. 

Except, when A.J. Hoggard puts his pants on, he puts them on backwards, apparently. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.