Five Things To Know No. 25 MSU-Nicholls

Friday, November 24

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

Nicholls

Tickets

UNCASVILLE, CT - November 19, 2023 - Mississippi State Guard/Forward Cameron Matthews (#4) during the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Photo By Mike Mattina

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

Five Things To Know No. 25 MSU-Nicholls

November 23, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Buy Tickets Fan Gameday Info WATCH: No. 25 MSU vs. Nicholls [SECN+]LISTEN: Hail State On-Demand Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)Game Program

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Fresh off a Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament title, newly-minted No. 25 Mississippi State men's basketball returns home for an early afternoon Black Friday matinee with Nicholls at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Bulldogs (5-0) knocked off Washington State (76-64) and Northwestern (66-57) to collect their second and third non-conference victories over Power 6 opponents (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12). The Maroon and White claimed their second multi-team tournament title in as many seasons under Coach Jans.

Only State, Miami and Purdue own at least a 5-0 mark with at least a trio of Power 6 wins on the young season. Baylor and Memphis have an opportunity to join the group with victories over Florida and Arkansas, respectively, on 11/23.

Once again, State has heavily relied on its defensive calling card. The Bulldogs have notched top 20 in scoring defense (58.8 PPG – 1st SEC – 17th nationally), opponent field goal percentage (35.6 – 1st SEC – 18th nationally) and three-point percentage defense (22.9 – 2nd SEC – 11th nationally).

State's offense has canned 43 three-pointers over its first five games which is tied for third in program history. Josh Hubbard and Trey Fort have done the heavy lifting and combined for 24 of the team's 43 treys (55.8 percent)

Nicholls (3-3) has already secured a road win over a SEC opponent, a 68-66 triumph at LSU. The Colonels possesses a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures fueled by Jamal West Jr. (18.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.0 SPG). Diante Smith (13.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.3 SPG) has recorded double figures in five of six outings.

SERIES HISTORY
The Bulldogs have won all seven previous meetings with Nicholls and 52 of 57 outings with current members of the Southland Conference. The last three meetings between the two programs have been decided by single digits, the latest a 68-66 State victory, when the Colonels had a three-point shot during the closing seconds to win last season.

Tolu Smith (15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals), Dashawn Davis (14 points, 6 assists) and Tyler Stevenson (14 points) were State's top performers on last season's game.

The Matchup: No. 25 Mississippi State (5-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Nicholls (3-3, 0-0 Southland)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Friday, November 24, 1:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/3QbZJJx)

Stream: SEC Network+ (Cable Subscription Required)
App: ESPN App, www.ESPN.com/watch
Talent: Bart Gregory, Charlie Winfield
(https://hailst.at/3SqqRqP)

Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WZLA-FM 96.1 Starkville/West Point
Free Online Audio: Hail State App (https://hailst.at/MBKListen); The Varsity Network App

5 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 .748 winning percentage (169-57) in his eighth season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .748 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, State has showcased its depth with its newcomers, who have amassed 55.6 percent of the team's points (212-of-381) over the first five games. In fact, three of the team's top four scorers are newcomers in Jimmy Bell Jr., Trey Fort and Josh Hubbard.

3. Tolu Smith, Shakeel Moore, D.J. Jeffries, Dashawn Davis and Cameron Matthews 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 returning college players in 2023-24 to average at least 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 55-plus percent from the floor last season. Smith is slated to return during SEC action.

Moore has provided double-digit points in eight of his last 14 outings 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 94 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 70 of 73 career games. He started the 2022-23 campaign on a strong note with double figures in eight of his first 10 outings. Jeffries eclipsed 600 career rebounds against UT Martin (11/11). He eclipsed 1,100 career points versus Washington State (11/18) to start the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament.

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 have come 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 posted 11.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in two games en route to Hall of Fame Tipoff All-Tournament Team.

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 last season. This season, Matthews posted a 12-point performance versus UT Martin (11/11) followed up by four points, nine rebounds and six assists against Northwestern (11/19) in the finals of the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament.

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. (9.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.8 BPG) has started 39 straight games over the last two seasons and was a key member of 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. Bell Jr. ripped off 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds during the North Alabama game (11/14). He has fired in six of his top nine scoring efforts against non-conference opponents.

Fort (8.6 PPG), 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 has notched double figures in two of three games highlighted by a 21-point explosion versus Arizona State (11/08) on opening night. 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 at Salt Lake CC last season, and 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 (3.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.5 APG) was dubbed a SEC Impact transfer by CBS' Jon Rothstein. His 1,621 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. He tallied a season's best nine points versus North Alabama (11/14).

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 (16.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.0 APG), the SEC Freshmen of the Week for 11/20 and an ESPN top 100 recruit, 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.

Hubbard has piled up 82 points through his first five games which is 4th most for a MSU freshman and most since Rickey Brown (1996-77). He delivered a signature performance with 29 points versus Northwestern (11/19), the most for a MSU player under Coach Jans. It also marked the most for a State player off the bench since Tony Watts also scored 29 points at Ole Miss in 1989-90.

Hubbard is the third freshmen joining Brad Smith (1989-90) and Barry Stewart (2006-07) as the only State players to produce two 20+ point performances off the bench over the last 30-plus seasons.

Jones Jr. (6.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.8 SPG) wrapped up the 2022-23 campaign on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. He has carried that momentum into the start of the 2023-24 campaign with a trio of 8-point efforts versus Arizona State (11/08), UT Martin (11/11) and Washington State (11/18). Jones Jr. also set a new career-mark with three steals and tied a career-best with two blocks in the UT Martin game.

Chol (4.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG), a native of South Sudan, took advantage of extended minutes with 11 points and six rebounds against UT Martin (11/11). He was 3-of-4 from the floor and a flawless 5-for-5 at the foul line. His 4.2 points per contest are fourth among MSU's bench players.

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.