Murphy Made The Most Of His Minutes
November 29, 2022 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball coach Chris Jans issued a challenge to his players prior to Monday night's game against Omaha.
Jans told his team to make his job harder in terms of who to put out there on the floor. Redshirt freshman forward KeShawn Murphy received that message loud and clear.
Murphy had not played in the two previous games and had only made one shot in 17 minutes of action this season and was determined to prove his worth to his new head coach. The 6-foot-10, 235-pounder poured in a career-best performance with eight points, four rebounds, three blocks, one assist, one steal and zero turnovers in 16 minutes on Monday.
"When I got in, I had to instantly take advantage of the opportunity that I had," Murphy said. "That's all that I've asked God for was an opportunity. He gave it to me and I showed my true skills, my talent and what I can bring to the team."
With 6:49 remaining in the first half on Monday and the Bulldogs clinging to a 18-17 lead, Jans called Murphy's number off the bench. The Birmingham, Alabama native – who had only appeared in the first half in one other game - played the remainder of the half, scoring four points along with a pair of rebounds, one assist and a block as MSU as closed out on a 16-7 run before halftime.
"It felt great," Murphy said. "Just to be back on the court and hearing people shouting and rooting for me after all that I've been through is a blessing."
It was more of the same in the second half for Murphy, who finished the game shooting 4 of 6 from the floor and a plus/minus of 18.
"He's got a lot of talent for his size," Jans said. "He shoots a soft ball and a high-arching 3. He's quick around the basket. I'm not comparing him to Tolu (Smith), but one of Tolu's best qualities is how quick he is around the basket and KeShawn has that quality as well. He really moves and is comfortable in traffic, there's no question about it."
A former ESPN Top 100 prospect, Murphy missed all of last season due to various injuries which resulted in him being redshirted. In fact, injuries hampered him at the beginning of Jans' tenure as well but lately has shown signs of returning to the same form he showcased as a high school senior when he averaged 17.2 points, 11 boards, 3.2 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
"He was behind the eight-ball basically when I arrived," Jans said. "He didn't get to practice with us much this summer and had some setbacks in the fall. Now he's stacked some weeks together and has been healthy and been practicing every day so he's starting to get in that game shape that is required to play the way that we're trying to play."
In order for Murphy to continue increasing his playing time, he will have to keep producing at both ends of the floor. The Bulldogs could use a boost on offense but it's the defensive end that has been Jans' calling card during his successful 7-0 start at State.
"The defensive end is the ticket for him," Jans said. "He's been better lately and I've told him that. He's been in his stance and has more grit to him. He's trying to do the right things and that's why he got rewarded with more minutes (Monday night) and he took advantage of it. Obviously with a team that struggles to score, there's space for someone that can put the ball in the hole."
And while Murphy was elated with his performance against the Mavericks on Monday, he is maintaining a meticulous mentality so he can continue to grow his game and stay prepared for the next time Jans and the Bulldogs require his services.
"I'm not going to get out of character," Murphy said. "I'm still going to work hard and give Jans what he's expecting out of me. But this does give me a little bit of confidence and I know what my role is now."
