Five Things To Know MSU-South Carolina

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Mississippi State men's basketball turns its attention to its 18-game SEC gauntlet as the Bulldogs face the first of four straight NCAA NET Quad 1 challenges to begin SEC action at South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (11-2, 0-0 SEC) are scheduled to have eight of their first nine SEC games as NCAA NET Quad 1 opportunities. Overall, State is joined by Arkansas and Vanderbilt slated to have 10-plus NCAA NET Quad 1 contests during its league docket.

The Maroon and White'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 capped the non-conference slate with an 85-62 victory over Bethune-Cookman behind a season's best 15 steals. The Bulldogs also canned double-digit treys for the fourth time in 2023-24 and had four players connected on multiple three-pointers.

State features a suffocating defense under second-year coach Chris Jans after being one of two teams to rank inside the nation's top 25 in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense and steals in 2022-23.

Once again, the Bulldogs are back at it as one of five squads nationally among the NCAA's top 30 in three categories: three-point field goal percentage defense (26.3 – 1st SEC – 7th nationally), scoring defense (62.7 – 1st SEC – 17th nationally) and field goal percentage defense (38.7 – 2nd SEC – 25th nationally).

State also possesses national top 15 rankings from KenPom.com in two additional categories: effective field goal percentage defense (43.6 – 10th) and adjusted defensive efficiency (92.6 – 12th).

The Maroon and White has drained 103 three-pointers which is fourth-most in program history over the team's first 13 games. Josh Hubbard, Trey Fort, Dashawn Davis and D.J. Jeffries have each hit 10+ triples on the season and combined for 77 of the team's 103 treys (74.8 percent).

South Carolina (12-1, 0-0 SEC) has already exceeded its win total from 2022-23 under second-year coach Lamont Paris. The Gamecocks have won five straight since their lone setback of the season on the road to in-state rival and No. 16 Clemson.

Three players have secured double figures for Carolina headed by Meechie Johnson (17.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.6 APG) who has provided a quartet of 20-plus performances and double figures in 11 of 12 outings. His season-high of 29 points came against Notre Dame (Nov. 28) in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

A trio of transfers in B.J. Mack (14.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG,), Myles Stute (10.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG,) and Ta'Lon Cooper (9.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.3 RPG) join Johnson and have their fair share of triples. The four players have combined to sink 87 of the team's 115 three-pointers (75.7 percent). Stute, who played at Vanderbilt, has captured double figures in four of his last five outings.

SERIES HISTORY
The two programs will play a home-and-home series for the ninth consecutive season. State has won the last three meetings, six of the last seven outings since 2020-21 and 10 of the last 13 games going back to the 2017-18 season. Overall, the Bulldogs hold a 29-17 series advantage.

Last season, State earned its series sweep behind Skakeel Moore who racked up a career-best 22 points during a 66-51 victory on Jan. 31 in Columbia. He added a 20-point effort as part of a 74-68 win on Feb. 28 in Starkville.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (11-2, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (12-1, 0-0 SEC)
Where: Colonial Life Arena – Columbia, South Carolina
When: Saturday, January 6, 11:00 a.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/47acVWk)

TV: CBS
App: Paramount Plus App (Subscription Required – https://hailst.at/48hEy06)
Talent: John Sadak, Steve Lappas

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/3TKunNo); 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 to amass at least 21 victories and secure a NCAA Tournament berth during their first season in league history during the 2022-23 season.

Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .748 winning percentage (175-59) in his eighth season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .748 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) and John Calipari (Kentucky).

As a junior college head coach, 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.

Through 13 games, State has showcased its depth with its newcomers and bench play. Two of the team's top four scorers are newcomers in Jimmy Bell Jr. and Josh Hubbard. The Bulldogs have piled up 33.15 bench points per game which is 3rd on the SEC and 15th nationally.

3. Tolu Smith, Shakeel Moore, D.J. Jeffries, Dashawn Davis and Cameron Matthews combined for 85.3 percent of the team's starts (145-of-170) from last season.

Smith 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 has racked up 1,226 points and 688 rebounds and has started 84 of 86 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. He made his season debut with a 16-point, 9-rebound efforts versus Bethune-Cookman (12/31).

Moore (7.7 PPG, 1.7 APG) has registered 31 of his 36 career games with 10-plus points while at Mississippi State. He came away with a season's best 16 points against Murray State (12/13) and has posted 10.6 points per game over his five starts. Defensively, Moore has accounted for multiple steals in 46 of 102 career games. His 151 career steals are tied for sixth among SEC active players and his 116 steals at State are tied for 20th on the program's all-time list.

Jeffries (7.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.0 APG) has found his way into State's starting five in 78 of 81 career games. He eclipsed 600 career rebounds against UT Martin (11/11) and followed that up by surpassing 1,100 career points versus Washington State (11/18). Jeffries secured a season-high 13 points versus North Texas (12/17) and has provided double figures in three of his last five outings. He added a season's best 12 rebounds to go along with 11 points versus Murray State (12/13) to tuck away his first double-double of the season.

Davis (8.5 PPG, 3.6 APG, 2.1 SPG) is ranked tied for 5th in steals and 12th in assists 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). Davis also posted consecutive games in double figures en route to Hall of Fame All-Tournament Team. His MSU-best of 18 points came against Utah in the Fort Myers Championship Game last season.

Matthews (9.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.5 SPG) has showcased his as one of two players nationally to dial up at least 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season. He has posted seven outings of 10+ points sparked by a season-high 18 points coupled with 11 rebounds versus Rutgers (12/23). The Bulldogs are 15-3 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points. He also has grabbed 5+ rebounds 10 times, secured multiple steals on eight occasions and handed out multiple assists in eight outings this 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. (9.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.2 BPG), the SEC's Player of the Week for 12/26, has started 47 straight 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 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 9.3 rebounds per contest are tops on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions.

Fort (6.7 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 two times highlighted by a 21-point explosion versus Arizona State (11/08) on opening night. The 21 points were the most scored by a MSU player during a season opener since Tyson Carter secured 23 points in 2019-20.

Scott (1.7 PPG, 1.9 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).

Taylor (3.8 PPG, 1.3 APG) was dubbed a SEC Impact transfer by CBS' Jon Rothstein. His 1,636 career points are third among SEC active players. Last season, Taylor joined by St. John's Shamorie Ponds (2017-18) as the only college players over the last decade to average at least 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He tallied a season's best nine points versus North Alabama (11/14).

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 (14.5 PPG, 1.7 APG), the SEC Freshmen of the Week on 11/20 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 has piled up 189 points through his first 13 games which is 5th-most for a MSU freshman and the most since Rickey Brown (1976-77). His 14.5 points per game are tops among SEC freshmen and 15th overall in the league. Hubbard delivered 10 consecutive games in double figures from 11/11 to 12/17 and tallied three outings of 20-plus points off the bench which is the second-most for a State player over the last 30-plus seasons trailing only Darryl Wilson in 1993-94.

Hubbard's season-high of 29 points versus Northwestern (11/19) is the most for a MSU 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. He dialed up a pair of 22-point efforts against UT Martin (11/11) during his Humphrey Coliseum debut and versus Tulane (12/09) where all 22 points came in the first half.

Jones Jr. (5.4 PPG) wrapped up the 2022-23 campaign on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. He has carried that momentum into the start of the 2023-24 campaign with a trio of 8-point efforts versus Arizona State (11/08), UT Martin (11/11) and Washington State (11/18).

Murphy (5.6 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). Murphy also posted a career-high 10 rebounds versus Tulane (12/09).

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).

Mississippi State is selling single game tickets and $96 mini plans for the 2023-24 campaign. 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 MSU-South Carolina

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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

Mississippi State University Athletics