The Players Vibe: Bulldog Thoughts Heading Into Opening Night

The Players Vibe: Bulldog Thoughts Heading Into Opening Night

November 08, 2023 | Men's Basketball

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by Thomas Hunt, Student Assistant/Communications

CHICAGO, Illinois – Mississippi State men's basketball starts another journey in a tradition rich program when the Bulldogs take on Arizona State during a SEC/Pac-12 marquee matchup as part of the Barstool Sports Invitational at Wintrust Arena in Chicago's Windy City.

The Maroon and White hope to claim its sixth straight postseason appearance when postseason tournaments have been played and will look to make it back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Where is the team at heading into opening night? Their responses tell this story.

Tolu Smith: "I would say that we've got a lot of fire power. We've got a lot of oomph to us. We've got guys that came in last year that are here with us again this year. We've got some guys like Andrew Taylor that can light it up. Jimmy Bell Jr. is a veteran guy that really can pound the ball inside. Josh [Hubbard] can light it up. I think we've got some surprises too. Adrian Myers is a great shooter. From the juco [junior college] guys, Trey Fort is a really explosive player and can shoot the ball as well. Jaquan [Scott] is a physical player, has a great demeanor, and always wants to win. We've got a lot of good pieces. We've got the head of the snake, Coach Jans. So, we can't go wrong with him."

Andrew Taylor: "Coach Jans and the staff are doing a good job of tying everything together as we get closer to the first game. They're pushing every day and trying to get us to move past our limits and be the best we can be. We're going to be ready."

Dashawn Davis: "We've got a lot of unselfish guys. We like each other personally. So, it's easy to play with each other. Coach Jans puts us in the right position for all of us to flourish."

D.J. Jeffries: "Right now, we're just building chemistry. We're trying to get and do everything that [Coach] Jans wants us to do defensively and offensively. We're trying to be better than last year and trying to grow each and every day."

Jimmy Bell Jr.: "[Chemistry] is very important and especially when you have injuries. You need those leaders on the team to push everybody through and make sure everybody's head is straight on. Chemistry can take you a long way when it gets to March."

Josh Hubbard: "We all have meshed together and built that chemistry on and off the court. It's been so much fun. We're so hungry to make the [NCAA] tournament this year because of the success and what they've done last year. We're all motivated."

Martavious Russell: "Last year's team, we were close. This year's team, I feel like we're even closer."

Trey Fort: "Nothing feels out of the ordinary. Everybody from the jump has come together. We've been laughing and talking to each other. It's been very welcoming and pretty cool."

Jaquan Scott: "I think everybody is just bought in, committed and ready to work."

Shawn Jones Jr.: "Everybody is bought in. We all know what we've got to do. We know defense is what we preach … and to play defense, play as hard as you can. Play 100 percent, make mistakes with 100 percent [effort], and everything will be alright. Coach Jans has got us, [we] just need to do everything at 100 percent, full speed and be a dawg."

Gai Chol: "I'll be ready to give my best whenever I get on the floor. I'll give it my best on defense, offense, rebounding, energy, anything."

KeShawn Murphy: "I feel like we can matchup with any team. If we need to go big or small, we can do that. We can go fast, and we've got shooters. We've got a good team all across the board."

Adrian Myers: "I think we're going to be a really good group this year. We've got people that can shoot and play defense. I mean all of us can play defense, because that's what [Coach] Jans is about. Everybody has their own little thing they can do."

Cameron Matthews: "I feel like this year our team has addressed some of the weaknesses that we had from last year and turned them to strengths. If we implement the same things from last year, we could be even better."

D.J. Jeffries: "We've got a lot of great talent. We've got a lot of people that can do a lot of great things. Once the season starts, everybody will see how great of a team we are."

Andrew Taylor: "Just putting it all together, I think that we all see a common goal. We all see how far we can go with this thing."

Shawn Jones Jr.: "We know what we need to do. Our goal is to always make a run and go as far as we can. We know we've got to step it up, play harder, be more physical, learn more and do more. That's the whole plan is to do more."

KeShawn Murphy: "Hungry is the right word for us. Even with [Coach] Jans and his staff, they're fueled up every day and ready to go. We know where we left off and where we want to be."

Jaquan Scott: "He [Coach Jans] wants to win. That's what I see every day. He just wants to win, and I can't ask for anything more."

Adrian Myers: "When I came on my visit, there was nothing else they [the coaching staff] talked about. They didn't talk about how many points somebody scored. It was win or lose, and that's what I want. I want to win."

Tolu Smith: "It's hard to put into words what this place means to me. If there was a word bigger than everything, I would choose that word. It means the world to me. Anybody that wants to come here wouldn't make a wrong decision. For me personally, it's been amazing. I can almost say that I'm from Starkville, it's a second home to me."

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.