A Good Problem To Have
January 05, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Chris Jans doesn’t mind having to figure out where and how to play all his talented pieces.
STARKVILLE – Only a few minutes into Mississippi State's New Year's Eve game against Bethune-Cookman last Sunday, it became official. Tolu Smith III was back on the court for the Bulldogs.
The All-Southeastern Conference center made his grand return to action after missing this year's first 12 games due to a foot injury sustained in a preseason practice.
Yet for as celebrated as Smith's comeback is, there's no denying it does cause head coach Chris Jans a question or two. How does Jans fit Smith in, while at the same time continuing to benefit from the massive production State has gotten from Jimmy Bell Jr. in Smith's absence? How does Smith's return impact the rest of the Dawgs' rotation?
Not even Jans is sure at the moment, but what he is sure of is that he's glad he gets to make those decisions.
"I haven't figured it out yet," Jans admitted earlier this week. "It's going to be a work in progress. We're going to have to figure it out in practice and certainly in [our upcoming] games. But certainly, it's a good problem to have."
A good problem, indeed.
You won't find a good coach or team that'll ever complain about having too many talented players. In State's case, it's a testament to the incredible roster Jans and his coaching staff constructed that they now face tough decisions regarding who to play, when to play them and how much.
Fortunately, while choices are made, State should benefit tremendously from both the character and versatility of this group of Dawgs.
Consider Bell. While MSU eagerly anticipated Smith's season debut, Bell stepped in and made sure State didn't miss a beat. He averaged nearly a double-double in the dozen games Smith missed and Bell currently sits at 9.3 points and 9.2 rebounds a contest.
Now, it'd be easy to think a guy like that might get discouraged after performing so well only to now know his playing time could get adjusted somewhat upon the return of Smith. But with Bell, that's simply not the case according to Jans.
"People asked me, 'When Tolu is back, how's Jimmy going to handle it?'" Jans said. "I didn't even have to think about it. He's such a great guy. He's been encouraging Tolu and excited for Tolu.
"I think [Bell's] mindset is, 'Hey, when I'm not in there now, there's another guy that's going to keep wearing them down. He's going to keep pounding them like I do, and maybe that will soften them up a little bit.'"
On the flip side, Smith is proud to have a presence like Bell to tag team with down in the post.
"It's been great to have someone like him side by side," Smith said of his relationship with Bell over the last few months. "We've had some discussions. When I'm out [of the game] or when he's out, the other is in [and] there's no let up in us. There's no let up for the other team. That's what we plan to do."
It bears noting that Jans hasn't dismissed the notion that there could be opportunities for Bell and Smith to be on the floor at the same time. Pretty much anything is possible.
It goes back to that Bulldog versatility. MSU has options. Many of them in fact. Its roster affords it such and Jans is thrilled to now have the chance to figure out what's ideal for the Maroon and White.
"I'm not sure yet [about how our rotation will now work]," Jans said. "We've got some movable parts. With [Cameron Matthews'] knowledge of the system and his skillset, he can play the three, four or five. [D.J. Jeffries] can play the two, three or four.
"Will there be a possibility of playing Tolu and Jimmy together? Yes. We've done it in practice. We've talked about it. It's not a problem on offense, but [it can be] on defense if you have two fives on the court together at the same time. That's what we're trying to figure out, but I'm not sure. Those problems are good ones to have."
They sure are.
The best questions are the ones that have multiple answers, and it appears Jans has potential solutions aplenty. It's just about finding out which ones work the best.
