'A Huge, Huge Valuable Asset For Us'
December 16, 2023 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE – When Mississippi State coach Chris Jans was mapping out his plan for this season, he contemplated redshirting freshman center Gai Chol.
Jans' decision had nothing to do with Chol's abilities on the court and more to do with the limited amount of minutes the 6-foot-11, 245-pounder might see behind Tolu Smith III, Jimmy Bell Jr. and KeShawn Murphy. But when Smith and Murphy both went down with foot injuries during the preseason and were expected to miss an extended stretch, Chol's timeline onto the court was quickly sped up.
"With (Chol's) years of eligibility remaining, his age and where he was at basketball-wise, it just made sense to redshirt a 6'11 kid fresh out of high school," Jans said. "But when the injuries mounted up, it became a daily tutorial with him."
Chol has seen action in all 10 games for the Bulldogs this year, coming off the bench as a reserve behind Bell. He currently leads the team shooting 64.7 percent from the field and is averaging 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game.
The native of Juba, South Sudan endeared himself to the MSU faithful right from the start, scoring 11 points and grabbing six boards in 17 minutes in a win over UT Martin in the Bulldogs' home opener last month.
"The reason he's having success early is because of who he is," Jans said. "He's just a sponge and is not afraid. He gets knocked down every other day in practice by Jimmy and gets up off the ground ready to fight back. You can see his skill. He's got great touch, makes free throws and has the ability to stretch the floor. He can make a jumper and is getting better every single day. He's been a huge, huge valuable asset for us right now."
Battling against Bell and now Murphy - who has since returned from injury - or even Smith during the summer has helped expedite Chol's transition to college basketball. Those daily wars in the paint at practice have prepared the former four-star prospect for what life is like at this level.
"Every day they make me better," Chol said. "I keep learning from them every day. They teach me and show me ways to get better. It's a big advantage for me so I'm trying to use it."
The old adage that anything worth having doesn't come easy certainly holds true for Chol. All the blows and bruises he's endured while matched up against the other Bulldog bigs during practices are already paying dividends and will continue to do so as he develops into the future as well.
"One day he's going to write a book and remember the lessons that he's being taught every day because he's going against some veterans like Tolu Smith, Jimmy Bell and even Cameron Matthews when we play small ball," Jans said. "He's had some rough days. He's had his nose broke and gotten hit inadvertently a few times. When he's been roughed up, I just tell him it's just part of the deal and to stick with it. You're going to grow from these scars and look back someday and be the player that you are because he's going to be a good player. He's a good player right now, but I think he's got a chance to be really, really good."
Chol speaks six languages and grew up swimming and playing soccer in South Sudan before his genes caught up with him and forced him to focus solely on basketball.
"I liked basketball, eventually," Chol said. "My family are all tall people. My dad is 7'2. So when I started growing tall, my position in soccer started changing. I started off as a striker on the wing, then I moved to midfield before I started to outgrow my peers. Once my position kept changing, I decided to just stick to basketball and give it my full attention."
It was a wise choice that eventually led him to the U.S. as a high school freshman in. By the time his junior year rolled around, Chol was averaging 9.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game and helped lead Greenforest Mccalep Christian Academy in Decatur, Georgia to the Class 1A Private School State Championship.
Proof of his stellar play on the court coupled with his size helped Chol garner over a dozen scholarship offers during the recruiting process. From the SEC alone, he generated offers from Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt but it was his closeness with the coaching staff at MSU then helped him feel right at home in Starkville.
"The Mississippi State coaches recruited me since Day 1, made me feel like family and that's why I chose them," Chol said. "When I came here, it was just as I expected. Everything was family based and good. It's been a long journey of hard work and dedication. Coming from South Sudan, it's been a really good journey and I've enjoyed it. I've been working hard."
