More Than Hoops
August 01, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Grateful Bulldogs continuing to build a special bond in Portugal.
Shakeel Moore had never in his life been to a big-time soccer game. Last Sunday that all changed.
As part of the Mississippi State men's basketball team's tour of Portugal, Moore and his teammates took in a matchup between Sporting CP and Villarreal. Moore couldn't help but look around at the sea of fans and be amazed at the atmosphere.
"The vibes were unmatched," the Bulldog guard said. "I don't think I've ever seen energy like that. It was incredible."
Come November, if Moore and the Dawgs get their way, the Humphrey Coliseum will be equally as electric. The last several days overseas have certainly increased those chances thanks to a chemistry that is growing at a rapid pace, both on and off the court.
"We're already so much closer now than when we left Starkville," Jimmy Bell, Jr. said. "As the summer has gone on, we've been growing and getting closer, but here, it's turned into even more of a brotherhood. It really feels like all of us have known each other for years and years now. Young guys, older guys, new guys – we've all been bonding and joking and laughing about anything and everything."
By now, you've surely seen the success MSU has been having on the court in Portugal. They've rolled to wins in the first two games of the tour, holding both the Lisbon All-Stars and Portugal All-Stars to 50 or fewer points while sinking a total of 28 3-pointers in the process. The Dawgs have a 43-point average margin of victory in the two games.
Numbers can tell that story. What statistics can't measure though is the unity that is being fostered by doing things like using the sand of a Portugal beach to bury head coach Chris Jans' entire body from the neck down.
"Doing that, it allowed us all to see something I've never really seen coach do – smile more than not," Moore said. "He's usually all about business. He means business. But to see him want to get buried under the sand and get stuck, it was such a blast to see that side of him."
Yes, everyone from the top down is jelling as one – from the head coach, to the older players, to the youngsters like freshman Josh Hubbard (or "Little Hub" as he's become affectionately known by D.J. Jeffries and some of the veterans).
"I'm the youngest on the team, so they have to pick on me a little bit," Hubbard said. "It's great though because I love fitting in with this team."
Let 'em know.
— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) July 30, 2023
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On this adventure, everyone has learned they indeed fit in and have a place on the squad. It's a camaraderie that will surely be relied upon in the ebbs and flows of a grueling basketball season.
"All this is so great for us," Moore said. "A trip like this, you really have no choice but to interlock with each other and that starts building a path for us to get back to the NCAA Tournament. That's everyone's goal."
Adds Andrew Taylor: "This is definitely an experience none of us will ever forget. We're building relationships that will absolutely help us as we go through this coming season."
Season aside though, don't forget this is also a trip of a lifetime for the Bulldogs, full of all kinds of sights and sounds. They've toured Lisbon. They've been on guided cruises. They're scheduled for surfing lessons and further sightseeing in the coming days. What a trip this has been and all the Dawgs are thankful for it.
"I was just thinking the other day about how Mississippi State and basketball has afforded me the chance to do things and go places I'd have never experienced otherwise," Cameron Matthews said. "Being here and learning how other people move and operate is such a great experience for me."
Bell has similar sentiments.
"I feel so blessed to be in this position," Bell said. "Me personally, this is the most fun I've had in my 23 years of living. Not a lot of people get to go out of the country like this. I've got a lot of people I've been sending pictures and videos to, and they've just been amazed and so happy for me. I'm so grateful to Mississippi State."
The Bulldogs are set for one more game in Portugal and will return back to Starkville this coming weekend after another couple of days of compiling unforgettable memories and further building bonds. Soon enough, the 2023-24 season will arrive and MSU will surely have a leg up because of the team's days spent across the pond.
"This is all hopefully just the beginning of something special for sure," Hubbard said.
