Five Things To Know: State-Ole Miss

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

OXFORD, Mississippi – One of the nation's most-played rivalries gets renewed on the hardwood as Mississippi State and Ole Miss meet for the first of two meetings over the next three weeks on Tuesday evening at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion.

The Bulldogs (14-6, 3-4 SEC) are in the midst of their second straight stretch of four consecutive NCAA NET Quad 1 games during the league's first half.

In fact, State will be playing its seventh NCAA NET Quad 1 conference outing and is the only program in the country slated to have eight of its first nine league games slotted for quad one. The Bulldogs are joined by Vanderbilt are the only schools scheduled to have 10-plus NCAA NET Quad 1 games during SEC play.

Last time out, State got back to its defensive roots and grinded out a 64-58 victory over No. 8 Auburn on Saturday. Keys to the victory for the Bulldogs were limiting the Tigers to season-lows in points (58), field goals made (19), field goal percentage (33.9) and rebounds (30).

The win for the Bulldogs was their second over an Associated Press Top 10 opponent this season, the first time State has accomplished the feat since 2001-02. The Maroon and White handed No. 5 Tennessee its only SEC loss, 77-72, on Jan. 10.

The Bulldogs are one of three SEC programs (Auburn, Tennessee) and one of 29 programs nationally to earn at least six combined NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins on the season.

State's non-conference resume is headlined by a quartet of Power 5 neutral court victories over Arizona State (Pac-12), Northwestern (Big Ten), Rutgers (Big Ten) and Washington State (Pac-12). Only the Bulldogs and Memphis possess at least four non-conference wins over Power 5 opponents on road/neutral floors this season.

State is joined by Florida Atlantic as the only teams in the country to amass six neutral court victories in 2023-24. The Bulldogs also defeated North Texas (American) and Tulane (American) en route to their six neutral court triumphs by an average of 15.7 points per contest.

State featured a suffocating defense in year one under Chris Jans being one of two teams to rank inside the nation's top 25 last season in scoring defense (61.0 – 2nd SEC – 9th nationally), field goal percentage defense (39.4 – 3rd SEC – 10th nationally) and steals (8.6 – 2nd SEC – 23rd nationally).

This season, the Bulldogs possesses national top 50 rankings in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.7 – 1st SEC – 6th nation), bench points (30.85 – 4th SEC – 17th nation), rebound margin (+6.8 – 3rd SEC – 27th nation), field goal percentage defense (40.1 – 3rd SEC – 32nd nation) scoring defense (66.0 – 3rd SEC – 44th nation) and total rebounds (39.50 – 5th SEC – 47th nation).
State also has dialed up top 40 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (94.1 – 11th), effective field goal percentage defense (45.6 – 22nd) and steal percentage (119 – 40th).

SERIES HISTORY
State and Ole Miss will meet for the 269th time in a series that dates back to the 1913-14 season. The 269 meetings are tied with Kansas and Missouri for the 12th-most played series in college basketball history.

The Bulldogs hold a 149-119 series advantage and will be looking for their fourth straight victory over the Rebels. The last time State held a four-game winning streak in the series was when the Bulldogs won five in a row from March 7, 2009 to Feb. 19, 2011 under Rick Stansbury.

State completed its series sweep with a 69-61 overtime victory against the Rebels last season in Oxford. Tolu Smith III and Cameron Matthews delivered 17 points apiece, while Smith III tacked on 12 rebounds for a double-double. Dashawn Davis and D.J. Jeffries gave the Maroon and White four players in double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (14-6, 3-4 SEC) vs. Ole Miss (17-3, 4-3 SEC)
Where: Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss – Oxford, Mississippi
When: Tuesday, January 30, 7:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/3Ms0tcp)

TV: SEC Network
Channels: Ch. 611 (DirecTV); Ch. 404/408 (Dish); Ch. 1026 (MaxxSouth); Ch. 220 C-Spire
App: ESPN App (Subscription Required – https://hailst.at/3vw7lzW)
Talent: Dave Neal, Jon Sundvold

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/3SycVe1); 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 was one of 10 SEC coaches in league history to amass at least 21 victories and secure a NCAA Tournament berth during their first season in 2022-23.

Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .739 winning percentage (178-63) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .739 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State), Bill Self (Kansas), 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.

During seven games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 67.7 percent of the team's points (333-of-492). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 30.85 bench points per contest which is 4th on the SEC leaderboard and check in 17th nationally.

3. Tolu Smith III, Shakeel Moore, D.J. Jeffries, Dashawn Davis and Cameron Matthews combined for 85.3 percent of the team's starts (145-of-170) as State's top five scorers in 2022-23.

Smith III (17.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.5 APG) 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 III has racked up 1,347 points and 743 rebounds and has started 90 of 93 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 III has ripped off 13 double-doubles over his last 25 games in double figures dating back to mid-January of last season. He produced his SEC-leading 28th double-double among active players with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Florida (01/24), coupled with a season's best 26 points at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17). His last 20-10 outing was a 25-point, 11-rebound performance during the Vanderbilt game (01/20).

Matthews (9.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.1 SPG) has showcased his as the one of two Power 6 players and one of six players nationally to dial up at least 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season.

Matthews has posted nine outings of 10+ points sparked by a season-high 18 points coupled with 11 rebounds versus Rutgers (12/23). He added a SEC season's best 14 points and 11 rebounds versus No. 8 Auburn (01/27). The Bulldogs are 16-4 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points. He also has handed out multiple assists in 13 outings and secured multiple steals on 10 occasions this season. Matthews has garnered at least one steal in 60 of his 87 outings over the last three seasons.

Moore (7.8 PPG, 2.0 APG) has registered 34 of his 39 career games with 10-plus points over the last three seasons while at Mississippi State. He came away with a season's best 16 points against Murray State (12/13) and has posted 9.0 points per game over his 12 starts.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 77 of 109 career games sparked by 48 times with multiple steals. His 159 career steals are tied for 6th among SEC active players and his 124 steals at State are 17th on the program's all-time list.

Jeffries (6.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG) has found his way into State's starting five in 85 of 88 career games. He eclipsed 700 career rebounds against No. 8 Auburn (01/27) preceded by surpassing 1,200 career points versus Vanderbilt (01/20).

Jeffries secured a season-high 13 points versus North Texas (12/17). He also added a season's best 12 rebounds to go along with 11 points against Murray State (12/13) to tuck away his first double-double of the season. Jeffries secured a SEC season's best 10 points against Vanderbilt (01/20) and a career-high five steals against No. 5 Tennessee (01/10).

Davis (6.4 PPG, 3.1 APG, 1.7 SPG) is ranked 9th in steals and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio among SEC players this season. Five of his six games of 10+ points in 2023-24 have come on the road/neutral floors fueled by season's bests of 13 points and 7 assists against Rutgers (12/23). In those six games in double figures, Davis is shooting 47.1 percent from three-point territory.

Davis posted consecutive games in double figures en route to Hall of Fame All-Tournament Team. Davis came away with a State career-best of 18 points against Utah in the Fort Myers Championship Game, while his SEC career-high is 17 point at Arkansas, both coming last season.

4. The Bulldogs have brought in an impressive group of newcomers which include Jimmy Bell Jr. (West Virginia), Trey Fort (Howard College), Scott (Salt Lake Community College) and Andrew Taylor (Marshall) from the transfer portal and the junior college ranks.

Bell Jr. (7.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG), the SEC's Player of the Week for 12/26, has started 48 games over the last two seasons and was a key member of West Virginia's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament squad. He has already notched six of his 13 career outings of 10-plus points for State this season.

Bell Jr. ripped off a season's best 17 points and hauled down a career-high 18 rebounds against Rutgers (12/23). His 7.1 rebounds per contest are 8th on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions.

Fort (5.7 PPG), one of the nation's top junior college recruits, was a All-America Second-Team honoree at Howard College in Texas last season. His 24.9 points per game was fourth among JUCO players.

Fort has notched double figures three times highlighted by a 21-point explosion versus Arizona State (11/08) on opening night, while his SEC season watermark is a 13-point effort coming at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17).

Scott (1.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG) posted 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game at Salt Lake CC last season, and his team was the 2021-22 Runner-Up. He secured nine points and nine rebounds versus Southern Miss in the charity exhibition game. Scott's best regular season outing was six points and six rebounds against Tulane (12/09).

5. Mississippi State's talented freshmen class features Gai Chol, Josh Hubbard and Adrian Myers. The Bulldogs also brought back Shawn Jones Jr. and KeShawn Murphy who will look to build on their freshmen campaigns.

Hubbard (14.9 PPG, 1.5 APG), a three-time SEC Freshmen of the Week on 11/20, 01/15 and 01/29 and an ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2023, 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 is one of two Power 6 freshmen since 2005-06 to average at least 14.5 points off the bench with a minimum of 15 games played, not including games in which the player started, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Hubbard has piled up 298 points through his first 20 games which is 5th-most for a MSU freshman and the most since Rickey Brown (1976-77). His 14.9 points per game are tops among SEC freshmen as he tallied 26 points at Florida (01/24), 25 points versus No. 5 Tennessee (01/10) during his SEC home debut and made the most of his first career start with 15 of his 17 points in the second half against No. 8 Auburn (01/27).

Hubbard's season-high of 29 points versus Northwestern (11/19) is the most for a State player under Coach . It also marked the most points scored by a State player off the bench since Tony Watts also scored 29 points at Ole Miss in 1989-90. His five outings of 20-plus points off the bench is the most by a State player since 1988-89.

Jones Jr. (5.1 PPG) wrapped up 2022-23 on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. He carried that momentum into 2023-24 with a trio of 8-point efforts versus Arizona State (11/08), UT Martin (11/11) and Washington State (11/18). Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/23) and his season's best is 9 points at Florida (01/24).

Murphy (5.4 PPG) made his season debut returning from injury against Nicholls (11/24). His top performance in 2023-24 was a career-best 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus North Texas (12/17). His SEC best is 11 points versus No. 8 Alabama (12/28/22). Murphy has not played in State's last six games due to a personal matter.

Chol (2.9 PPG), a native of South Sudan, took advantage of extended minutes with 11 points and six rebounds against UT Martin (11/11). He also tallied five points versus Nicholls (11/24) coupled with four points and four rebounds during the Tulane game (12/09).

SCOUTING OLE MISS
The Rebels (17-3, 4-3 SEC) have won all 12 of their home games and are 6-0 in games decided by five points or less under first-year coach Chris Beard. Last time out, Ole Miss overcame a 7-point deficit during the game's last four minutes to flip the script for a 71-68 win at Texas A&M.

Matthew Murrell (16.6 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.0 SPG) has poured in double figures in 17 of 20 outings sparked by five performances of 20-plus points. His top two lines in SEC action are 24 points versus Vanderbilt (01/13) and 23 points against Florida (01/10).

Allen Flannigan (15.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.8 SPG), Jaylen Murray (14.7 PPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG) and Jaemyn Brakefield (12.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.2 APG) gives Ole Miss a quartet of players averaging double-digit points.

Murray secured 16 points, five assists and hit on the game-winning trey inside the final 30 seconds at Texas A&M (01/27), while Flannigan has ripped off 16 consecutive games with 10 or more points. He has secured four double-doubles, most recently 10 points and 11 rebounds, versus Arkansas (01/24).

The top options for Ole Miss off the bench have been T.J. Caldwell (5.8 PPG), Brandon Murray (5.6 PPG and Jamarion Sharp (3.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 BPG). Defensively, Sharp has been a force with 15 games with multiple blocked shots.

Mississippi State is selling single-game tickets for remaining SEC home contests. Visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information.

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.

Five Things To Know: State-Ole Miss

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Players Mentioned

Jimmy Bell Jr.

Gai Chol

Dashawn Davis

Trey Fort

Josh Hubbard

D.J. Jeffries

Shawn Jones Jr.

Cameron Matthews

Shakeel Moore

KeShawn Murphy

Adrian Myers

Tolu Smith III

Mississippi State University Athletics