Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Five Things To Know MSU-UT Martin
November 10, 2023 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State makes it much-anticipated home debut of the 2023-24 campaign as UT Martin is the first foe to visit a renovated Humphrey Coliseum during a Saturday matinee.
The Bulldogs (1-0) were the last SEC squad to take the hardwood and delivered the league's first win over a fellow Power 5 squad en route a convincing 71-56 victory over Arizona State, a fellow 2023 NCAA Tournament team, at the Barstool Sports Invitational.
Mississippi State seized control of the contest behind a 30-8 flurry over the last 11:58 of the opening half. State turned an early 10-9 deficit into a 39-18 halftime spread. The Bulldogs posted a 12-of-18 shooting clip, while forcing Arizona State to misfire on 10 of its 12 shot attempts during the opening stanza's last 12 minutes.
Conversely, UT Martin came away with a 104-76 win over Champion Christian. The Skyhawks had six players pile up double figures led by Justus Jackson's 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
SERIES HISTORY
After splitting the first two meetings in the early 1980s, Mississippi State has won the last eight in the series by an average of 23.0 points to grab a 9-1 series edge dating back to the 1991-92 season.
The last meeting between the two programs came in 2017-18 which resulted in a 92-61 rout for State. Quinndary Weatherspoon and Aric Holman poured in 21 points apiece and combined for a 15-for-22 shooting clip. Weatherspoon also added eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while Holman grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. UT Martin (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Saturday, November 11, 4:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
Stream: SEC Network+ (Cable Subscription Required); ESPN+ (Subscription Required)
App: ESPN App, www.ESPN.com/watch
Talent: Charlie Winfield, Marcus Grant
(https://hailst.at/3Q10eWw)
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Jim Ellis, Richard Williams
Affiliates: Affiliates: WKBB-FM 100.9 Starkville/West Point [All other affiliates carrying football]
Free Online Audio: Hail State App (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); The Varsity Network App
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM – COACH JANS
"I'm not going to be the spoiler guy. I'm going to let everyone see it on their own, but that's all I know is the Hump under construction. Since I've arrived, it's been under construction. So, to me, it's the norm. So, I'm looking forward to the abnormal, if you will, which it'll be a finished product."
"Jimmy [Bell Jr.] is a vet. He's been around the block a couple times. He started 34 games in the Big 12 [at West Virginia]. So, he's been there and done that. I don't think we've done anything or said anything that's surprised him since he's arrived. I love his approach. He's very business-like. You know what you're going to get when he's on the court."
"That's something with all of our guys that we're trying to get them to understand. It's not a grab bag, right? We want to know, for the most part, what we're going to get when we put you in the game. We're still trying to figure that out with a lot of our guys. But with Jimmy, we're pretty comfortable with his adjustment to our scheme, our vocabulary and how we like to play."
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Chris Jans, one of the nation's premier bench bosses, leads State's program. He is assisted by James Miller, David Anwar and George Brooks. The Iowa native is one of 10 SEC coaches to amass at least 21 victories and secure a NCAA Tournament berth during their first season in league history.
Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .743 winning percentage (165-57) in his eighth season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .743 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) and John Calipari (Kentucky).
As a junior college head coach, Jans won the 1997-98 NJCAA Division II National Championship at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He also played a vital role as an assistant coach at Wichita State which was headed by a 2013 NCAA Final Four run, five NCAA Tournament trips and four Missouri Valley Conference regular season crowns.
2. The Maroon and White are among the nation's leaders returning 80.9 percent of its points, 72.4 percent of its rebounds, 83.8 percent of its assists, 83.6 percent of its steals and 75.2 percent of its blocks from last season.
However, it was the newcomers who racked up 44 of the team's 71 points (61.9 percent) against Arizona State during the season opener. Trey Fort and Jimmy Bell Jr. did the heavy lifting and teamed up for 34 points on 11-for-18 shooting for the Maroon and White.
3. Tolu Smith (15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.7 APG), Shakeel Moore (9.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG), D.J. Jeffries (8.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG), Dashawn Davis (8.7 PPG, 3.5 APG, 1.7 SPG) and Cameron Matthews (6.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG) combined for 85.3 percent of the team's starts (145-of-170) from last season.
Smith has been showered with numerous preseason accolades headed by the Karl Malone and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists. He also was a consensus 2022-23 All-SEC First-Team pick and a consensus 2023-24 All-SEC Preseason First-Team selection joined by Texas A&M's Wade Taylor IV. Smith has racked up 1,210 points and 679 rebounds and has started 84 of 85 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey as the only players to average at least 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 55-plus percent from the floor. Smith is expected to return during SEC action.
Moore provided 12.0 points per contest over the team's last 17 games and earned the starting nod on 15 occasions down the stretch last season. He has registered 27 of his 32 career games with 10-plus points while at Mississippi State. Defensively, Moore has accounted for multiple steals in 44 of 91 career games and his 1.7 steals per game were 10th on the SEC leaderboard in 2022-23.
Jeffries has found his way into State's starting five in 66 of 69 career games. He started the 2022-23 campaign on a strong note with double figures in eight of his first 10 outings. Jeffries came away with a non-conference season's best 15 points versus Akron in last year's Barstool event.
Davis rated among the SEC's top 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95 – 6th), steals (1.68 – 9th) and assists (3.52 – 10th) last season. Three of his top four scoring performances came away from Humphrey Coliseum headed by 18 points against Utah in the Fort Myers Tipoff Championship Game and a SEC season-high 17 points during a signature road win at Arkansas. He started 2023-24 with 10 points versus Arizona State.
Matthews was joined by Davis and Moore in 2022-23 as the first trio in program history to accumulate 50-plus steals during the same season. He showcased his versality as one of eight Power 5 players to dial up at least 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Matthews stuffed the stats sheet with eight points, nine rebounds and three steals during the Arizona State game. The three steals moved him into a 16th place tie with Greg Lockhart (1986-87-88-89).
4. The Bulldogs have brought in an impressive group of newcomers which include Jimmy Bell Jr. (West Virginia), Trey Fort (Howard College), Jaquan Scott (Salt Lake Community College) and Andrew Taylor (Marshall) from the transition portal and junior college ranks.
Bell Jr. started all 34 games for West Virginia's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament squad. He notched two of his top three scoring performances against top 15 competition in TCU and Auburn. His 15.8 offensive rebounding percentage was third among Power 5 players a season ago.
Fort, one of the nation's top junior college recruits, was a NJCAA All-America Second-Team honoree last season. His 24.9 points per game was fourth among junior college players. Fort, who began his collegiate career at UT Martin, exploded for 21 points fueled by five treys versus Arizona State to take advantage of the starting nod. The 21 points are the most scored by a MSU player during a season opener since Tyson Carter secured 23 points against Florida International in 2019-20.
Scott posted 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. His team was the 2021-22 NJCAA Runner-Up. He secured nine points and nine rebounds versus Southern Miss in the charity exhibition game.
Taylor was dubbed a SEC Impact transfer by CBS' Jon Rothstein. His 1,609 career points are second among SEC active players. Last season, Taylor joined by St. John's Shamorie Ponds in 2017-18 as the only college players over the last decade to average at least 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
5. Mississippi State's talented freshmen class features Harrison Alexander, Gai Chol, Josh Hubbard and Adrian Myers. The Bulldogs also bring back Shawn Jones Jr., KeShawn Murphy and Martavious Russell who will look to build on their freshmen campaigns.
Hubbard capped his high school career as the state of Mississippi's all-time leading scorer with 4,367 career points which broke a record that stood for 37 years previously held by Mississippi State's Robert Woodard. He also was an ESPN top 100 recruit.
Jones Jr. wrapped up the 2022-23 campaign on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. His lone outing with double-digit points was an 11-point effort against South Carolina during the regular season home finale. Jones Jr. registered a non-con best eight points, all during the second half, against Arizona State in the opener.
Mississippi State is selling season tickets, $96 mini plans and non-conference single game tickets for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign. Visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information.
Humphrey Coliseum will become one of the nation's premier arenas as major renovations continue ahead of the upcoming season. If interested in making contributions to Humphrey Coliseum, please contact the Bulldog Club at (662) 325-3074.
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its official social media accounts by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State makes it much-anticipated home debut of the 2023-24 campaign as UT Martin is the first foe to visit a renovated Humphrey Coliseum during a Saturday matinee.
The Bulldogs (1-0) were the last SEC squad to take the hardwood and delivered the league's first win over a fellow Power 5 squad en route a convincing 71-56 victory over Arizona State, a fellow 2023 NCAA Tournament team, at the Barstool Sports Invitational.
Mississippi State seized control of the contest behind a 30-8 flurry over the last 11:58 of the opening half. State turned an early 10-9 deficit into a 39-18 halftime spread. The Bulldogs posted a 12-of-18 shooting clip, while forcing Arizona State to misfire on 10 of its 12 shot attempts during the opening stanza's last 12 minutes.
Conversely, UT Martin came away with a 104-76 win over Champion Christian. The Skyhawks had six players pile up double figures led by Justus Jackson's 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
SERIES HISTORY
After splitting the first two meetings in the early 1980s, Mississippi State has won the last eight in the series by an average of 23.0 points to grab a 9-1 series edge dating back to the 1991-92 season.
The last meeting between the two programs came in 2017-18 which resulted in a 92-61 rout for State. Quinndary Weatherspoon and Aric Holman poured in 21 points apiece and combined for a 15-for-22 shooting clip. Weatherspoon also added eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while Holman grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. UT Martin (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Saturday, November 11, 4:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)
Stream: SEC Network+ (Cable Subscription Required); ESPN+ (Subscription Required)
App: ESPN App, www.ESPN.com/watch
Talent: Charlie Winfield, Marcus Grant
(https://hailst.at/3Q10eWw)
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Jim Ellis, Richard Williams
Affiliates: Affiliates: WKBB-FM 100.9 Starkville/West Point [All other affiliates carrying football]
Free Online Audio: Hail State App (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); The Varsity Network App
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM – COACH JANS
"I'm not going to be the spoiler guy. I'm going to let everyone see it on their own, but that's all I know is the Hump under construction. Since I've arrived, it's been under construction. So, to me, it's the norm. So, I'm looking forward to the abnormal, if you will, which it'll be a finished product."
"Jimmy [Bell Jr.] is a vet. He's been around the block a couple times. He started 34 games in the Big 12 [at West Virginia]. So, he's been there and done that. I don't think we've done anything or said anything that's surprised him since he's arrived. I love his approach. He's very business-like. You know what you're going to get when he's on the court."
"That's something with all of our guys that we're trying to get them to understand. It's not a grab bag, right? We want to know, for the most part, what we're going to get when we put you in the game. We're still trying to figure that out with a lot of our guys. But with Jimmy, we're pretty comfortable with his adjustment to our scheme, our vocabulary and how we like to play."
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Chris Jans, one of the nation's premier bench bosses, leads State's program. He is assisted by James Miller, David Anwar and George Brooks. The Iowa native is one of 10 SEC coaches to amass at least 21 victories and secure a NCAA Tournament berth during their first season in league history.
Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .743 winning percentage (165-57) in his eighth season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .743 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) and John Calipari (Kentucky).
As a junior college head coach, Jans won the 1997-98 NJCAA Division II National Championship at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He also played a vital role as an assistant coach at Wichita State which was headed by a 2013 NCAA Final Four run, five NCAA Tournament trips and four Missouri Valley Conference regular season crowns.
2. The Maroon and White are among the nation's leaders returning 80.9 percent of its points, 72.4 percent of its rebounds, 83.8 percent of its assists, 83.6 percent of its steals and 75.2 percent of its blocks from last season.
However, it was the newcomers who racked up 44 of the team's 71 points (61.9 percent) against Arizona State during the season opener. Trey Fort and Jimmy Bell Jr. did the heavy lifting and teamed up for 34 points on 11-for-18 shooting for the Maroon and White.
3. Tolu Smith (15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.7 APG), Shakeel Moore (9.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG), D.J. Jeffries (8.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG), Dashawn Davis (8.7 PPG, 3.5 APG, 1.7 SPG) and Cameron Matthews (6.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG) combined for 85.3 percent of the team's starts (145-of-170) from last season.
Smith has been showered with numerous preseason accolades headed by the Karl Malone and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists. He also was a consensus 2022-23 All-SEC First-Team pick and a consensus 2023-24 All-SEC Preseason First-Team selection joined by Texas A&M's Wade Taylor IV. Smith has racked up 1,210 points and 679 rebounds and has started 84 of 85 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey as the only players to average at least 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 55-plus percent from the floor. Smith is expected to return during SEC action.
Moore provided 12.0 points per contest over the team's last 17 games and earned the starting nod on 15 occasions down the stretch last season. He has registered 27 of his 32 career games with 10-plus points while at Mississippi State. Defensively, Moore has accounted for multiple steals in 44 of 91 career games and his 1.7 steals per game were 10th on the SEC leaderboard in 2022-23.
Jeffries has found his way into State's starting five in 66 of 69 career games. He started the 2022-23 campaign on a strong note with double figures in eight of his first 10 outings. Jeffries came away with a non-conference season's best 15 points versus Akron in last year's Barstool event.
Davis rated among the SEC's top 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95 – 6th), steals (1.68 – 9th) and assists (3.52 – 10th) last season. Three of his top four scoring performances came away from Humphrey Coliseum headed by 18 points against Utah in the Fort Myers Tipoff Championship Game and a SEC season-high 17 points during a signature road win at Arkansas. He started 2023-24 with 10 points versus Arizona State.
Matthews was joined by Davis and Moore in 2022-23 as the first trio in program history to accumulate 50-plus steals during the same season. He showcased his versality as one of eight Power 5 players to dial up at least 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Matthews stuffed the stats sheet with eight points, nine rebounds and three steals during the Arizona State game. The three steals moved him into a 16th place tie with Greg Lockhart (1986-87-88-89).
4. The Bulldogs have brought in an impressive group of newcomers which include Jimmy Bell Jr. (West Virginia), Trey Fort (Howard College), Jaquan Scott (Salt Lake Community College) and Andrew Taylor (Marshall) from the transition portal and junior college ranks.
Bell Jr. started all 34 games for West Virginia's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament squad. He notched two of his top three scoring performances against top 15 competition in TCU and Auburn. His 15.8 offensive rebounding percentage was third among Power 5 players a season ago.
Fort, one of the nation's top junior college recruits, was a NJCAA All-America Second-Team honoree last season. His 24.9 points per game was fourth among junior college players. Fort, who began his collegiate career at UT Martin, exploded for 21 points fueled by five treys versus Arizona State to take advantage of the starting nod. The 21 points are the most scored by a MSU player during a season opener since Tyson Carter secured 23 points against Florida International in 2019-20.
Scott posted 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. His team was the 2021-22 NJCAA Runner-Up. He secured nine points and nine rebounds versus Southern Miss in the charity exhibition game.
Taylor was dubbed a SEC Impact transfer by CBS' Jon Rothstein. His 1,609 career points are second among SEC active players. Last season, Taylor joined by St. John's Shamorie Ponds in 2017-18 as the only college players over the last decade to average at least 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
5. Mississippi State's talented freshmen class features Harrison Alexander, Gai Chol, Josh Hubbard and Adrian Myers. The Bulldogs also bring back Shawn Jones Jr., KeShawn Murphy and Martavious Russell who will look to build on their freshmen campaigns.
Hubbard capped his high school career as the state of Mississippi's all-time leading scorer with 4,367 career points which broke a record that stood for 37 years previously held by Mississippi State's Robert Woodard. He also was an ESPN top 100 recruit.
Jones Jr. wrapped up the 2022-23 campaign on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. His lone outing with double-digit points was an 11-point effort against South Carolina during the regular season home finale. Jones Jr. registered a non-con best eight points, all during the second half, against Arizona State in the opener.
Mississippi State is selling season tickets, $96 mini plans and non-conference single game tickets for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign. Visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information.
Humphrey Coliseum will become one of the nation's premier arenas as major renovations continue ahead of the upcoming season. If interested in making contributions to Humphrey Coliseum, please contact the Bulldog Club at (662) 325-3074.
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its official social media accounts by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
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