Five Things To Know: Mississippi State-Utah

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

SOUTHAVEN, Mississippi – Mississippi State men's basketball steps away from the friendly confines of Humphrey Coliseum for the first time in 2024-25 for a SEC-Big 12 matchup with Utah at the Landers Center on Sunday afternoon in Southaven.

The Bulldogs (3-0) and Runnin' Utes (3-0) enter the Mid-South Showdown averaging over 90 points per game and have won their first three games by an average margin of over 30 points per contest. The last time State has averaged over 90 points during its first three outings was in 2001-02.

Sunday's matinee is the first of three games across the Magnolia State for the Maroon and White this season. Next month, State will take on defending Southland Conference champion and fellow 2023-24 NCAA Tournament participant McNeese State as part of a doubleheader with the women's program on Saturday, December 14th at Cadance Bank Arena in Tupelo. Then, the Bulldogs square off with Central Michigan on Tuesday, December 17th at Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.

State has secured back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances fueled by a pair of 21-win campaigns with Coach Jans at the helm. The last time the Bulldogs collected back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids was during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. State will look to secure three straight NCAA Tournament trips for the third time in program history this season.

In addition to being first and second respectively among SEC squads in scoring margin and points, the Bulldogs boast SEC top three marks in steals per game (13.67 – 1st), turnover margin (+9.00 – 1st), three-pointers made per game (10.33 – 2nd), assists per game (20.00 – 2nd) and field goal percentage (52.8 – 3rd).

After selling out seven contests and boasting the program's fifth highest attendance average for season in 2023-24, Humphrey Coliseum has averaged 8,865 fans which is the program's highest mark through three games going back to the 2007-08 season.

Fans can purchase single game tickets for the program's remaining non-conference home games through Mississippi State's Athletic Ticket Office at www.HailState.com/tickets or by calling (662) 325-2600 / (888) 463-2947 (GO DAWGS).

SERIES HISTORY
State has both of its previous meetings with the Utes, most recently a 52-49 decision to win the 2022 Fort Myers Tipoff under Coach Jans. The Bulldogs also defeated Utah, 78-64, in the 1995 NCAA Tournament Round of 32 with Richard Williams at the helm.

Overall, State has combined for a 22-25 mark against Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU, UCF and West Virginia who also are members of the Big 12 Conference.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (3-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Utah (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Where: Southaven, Mississippi – Landers Center
When: Sunday, November 17, 3:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

TV: ESPN2 (Ch. 209 – Directv; Ch. 143 Dish; Ch. 1024 MaxxSouth; Ch. 202 C-Spire)
Stream: SEC Network+ (Cable Subscription Required) or ESPN+ (Subscription Required); ESPN App – www.ESPN.com/watch
Talent: Kevin Fitzgerald, Dane Bradshaw
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/4fbfmeW

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 and The Varsity Network Apps
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/4ek0xWS

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT STATE
1. Chris Jans, one of the nation's premier bench bosses, leads the State program. He is assisted by George Brooks, David Anwar, Patrice Days, Scott Padgett and Dillon Elder.

Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .726 winning percentage (188-71) in his 9th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is sixth among NCAA active coaches with a .726 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State), John Calipari (Arkansas) and Darian DeVries (West Virginia).

In his three seasons leading Mississippi State, Jans has amassed 45 victories, which is tops among the six, SEC third-year coaches. He is the only active SEC coach at his respective school to post a pair of 20-win seasons in their first two SEC seasons with Calipari entering his first season at Arkansas and Eric Musselman now coaching at Southern Cal.

Jans, Calipari (Kentucky – 2009-10 & 2010-11) and Bruce Pearl (Tennessee – 2005-06 & 2006-07) are the only SEC coaches to take their squads to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments over their first two seasons during the 2000s. Nationally, Jans is joined by Jon Scheyer (Duke) and Rodney Terry (Texas) as the only third-year coaches to take their squads to the 2023 & 2024 NCAA Tournaments.

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. State's returning group is fueled by Josh Hubbard, Shawn Jones Jr., Cameron Matthews and KeShawn Murphy.

Hubbard, a Bob Cousy Award and a Wooden Award Preseason Watch List member, registered 17.1 points per game which was tops among SEC freshmen last season. His 662 points through 38 games are third in program history during their freshmen and sophomore seasons trailing only Rickey Brown and Ray White from the late 1970s. Hubbard's freshman campaign of 598 points was tops for a State freshmen and 8th overall for a single-season.
Hubbard's SEC top scoring efforts are 34 points versus No. 16 Kentucky (02/27/2024), 32 points at LSU (02/24/2024) and 28 points versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2024). His best non-con scoring effort was 29 points against Northwestern (11/19/2023) as State won the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Hubbard drained 108 three-pointers last season which shattered Barry Stewart's program freshmen record of 68 from 2006-07. He also surpassed Darryl Wilson's single-season watermark of 97 in 1995-96 in the regular season finale versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2023).

The Madison native has picked up where he left off a season ago and has poured in 21.3 points per game which is 3rd on the SEC leaderboard. He fired in 26 points fueled by six three-pointers against West Georgia (11/04) in the 2024-25 season opener. Hubbard has sunk multiple triples in 33 of 38 career games and has hit at least one three-pointer in 16 consecutive games.

Hubbard, 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. He broke a state record that stood for 37 years previously held by Mississippi State's Robert Woodard.

Jones Jr. has been inserted into the starting lineup in nine of the team's last 16 outings since the Georgia game on 02/07/2024. He is coming off a non-conference career-best of nine points against Southeastern Louisiana (11/12).

Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/2023). He has made eight of his nine attempts from two-point territory on the young season.

Matthews is one of college basketball's most versatile players, was one of only three players in the country to dial up at least 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game a season ago. He is one of five SEC players and one of 22 players among the Power 5 hoops conferences (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) to play their fifth season at the same school in 2023-24.

Matthews dialed up a quartet of double-doubles in SEC action last season: 18 points, 11 rebounds against No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2024), 14 points, 11 rebounds versus No. 8 Auburn (01/27/2024), 16 points, 12 rebounds at Ole Miss (01/30/2024) and 17 points, 10 rebounds against Arkansas (02/17/2024). The Bulldogs are 19-7 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points.

Matthews has posted 25 career outings with at least five rebounds, multiple assists and multiple steals. He has garnered at least one steal in 76 of his 105 outings over the last four seasons. His 199 career steals are 4th on State's all-time list.

The All-SEC Defensive nod for Matthews last season enabled him to become the fourth player in program history to etch his name to the record book. His company includes Abdul Ado (2020-21), Greg Carter (1990-91) and Varnado (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10).

Murphy has played in 43 career games and made his first career starts during the opening three games this season. He made the most of the nods with 8.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.

Murphy has improved his scoring average during each of his last three seasons. An ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2021, his top scoring performance is an 18-point effort versus North Texas (12/17/2023). He produced 10 points and six rebounds against Southeastern Louisiana (11/12) as State improved to 6-1 when Murphy scores double figures.

3. State's talented six-member transfer class combined for 57.2 points per game at their previous stops last season. The group includes Kanye Clary (Penn State), Jeremy Foumena (Rhode Island), Claudell Harris Jr. (Boston College), Riley Kugel (Florida), RJ Melendez (Georgia) and Michael Nwoko (Miami • Florida).

Clary has played in 58 games where he garnered 528 career points between Mississippi State and Penn State. He amassed 16.7 points per game last season which ranked eight on the Big Ten leaderboard with the Nittany Lions. Clary's career-high is 29 points against Rider (12/29/2023), while his Big Ten best was 27 points against No. 11 Wisconsin (01/16/2024).

Clary has notched 11.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals over his last two outings in Maroon and White. He drained 8-of-9 at the foul line en route to a 12-point outing versus Southeastern Louisiana (11/12)

Foumena has seen action in 31 games off the bench during his time at State and Rhode Island after a redshirt season with the Rams in 2022-23. His career-high is 16 points versus Wagner (11/14/2023) whereas his Atlantic 10 scoring watermark was 13 points against Fordham (01/24/2024).

Harris Jr. has piled up 1,356 career points over his three stops at State, Charleston Southern and Boston College. He was named 2021-22 All-Big South Freshman Team and 2022-23 All-Big South Second Team in his first two seasons with Charleston Southern.

Harris Jr. made an instant impact with 20 points fueled by six trifectas in State's opening night win over West Georgia (11/04). He is the only State player dating back to at least 1988-89 to fire in 20 points off the bench during a season opener. Harris Jr. and Hubbard made program history as the first set of teammates to connect for at least six three-pointers during the same game.

Overall, Harris Jr. has racked up 73 outings in double figures fueled by 18 performances of 20+ points. His teams are a combined 13-5 when he piles up 20-plus points. His career-high is 34 points against High Point (01/11/2023) at Charleston Southern followed by 2023-24 season's best of 29 points versus Lehigh (12/21/2023) while at Boston College.

Kugel makes it a full circle moment after he originally committed to State during the November 2021 signing period. He captured 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman-Team honors and totaled 639 points between State and Florida.

Kugel has managed 30 games in double figures headed by eight outings of 20 or more points. His career watermark is 25 points against No. 13 Baylor (11/24/2023), while he posted a SEC-high of 24 points against Kentucky (02/22/2023) with the Gators.

Like Kugel, Melendez is no stranger to the SEC after he spent last season at Georgia where the Bulldogs made a run to the 2024 NIT Final Four. He opened his collegiate career with back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips while with Illinois.

Melendez has played in 93 games and improved his scoring average during each of his first three seasons sparked by 9.6 points per game at Georgia. His career-high is 35 points aided by six treys at Florida (01/27/2024) followed by non-con highs of 18 points versus Mercer (12/01/2023) and Mount St. Mary's (12/20/2023) while at Georgia.

Nwoko made 32 appearances at State and Miami where two of his top four scoring efforts coming against top 15 opponents. He tallied eight points and seven rebounds against No. 8 Duke (02/21/2024) coupled with eight points and six rebounds at No. 12 Kentucky (11/28/2023). Nwoko's top performance with the Maroon and White was eight points and five rebounds versus Georgia State (11/08).

Nwoko has international experience representing Team Canada at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship and the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup.

4. State's roster features freshmen EJ Paymon and Dellquan Warren along with Gai Chol and Adrian Myers who will look to build on his freshman campaign.

Warren, an ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2024, played his final prep season at Our Savior Lutheran in New York which is the same prep program as Dashawn Davis who was on State's roster the last two seasons. He chipped in seven assists to go along with five steals through three games.

Chol has made 19 appearances, all coming off the bench, during his first two seasons in Maroon and White. The native of South Sudan started playing basketball around age 10 by attending camps in his home country hosted by NBA player Luol Deng.

Chol's career-highs are 11 points and six rebounds versus UT Martin (11/11/2023). He added eight points on 4-of-5 shooting versus West Georgia (11/04) in the 2024-25 opener.

Paymon was a three-time 4A state champion at Raymond High School and was the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year in Mississippi. As announced by Coach Jans on 11/06, he and Myers are expected to redshirt the 2024-25 season.

5. As a program, State has earned six straight postseason appearances when postseason tournament has been played (3 NCAA • 3 NIT) and 16 postseason appearances (9 NCAA • 7 NIT) during the 2000s.

The Bulldogs have dialed up wins in 26 of 30 games versus non-SEC opponents and have held 20 of those opponents to 60 points or less during the Jans era.

State has posted an 8-3 mark against fellow non-conference Power 6 basketball schools (ACC • BIG EAST • Big Ten • Big 12 • Pac-12) under Coach Jans.

The eight wins on the road/neutral floors with the Bulldogs posting an average 10.0 point margin-of-victory in those road/neutral contests.

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 and Instagram.

Five Things To Know: Mississippi State-Utah

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dashawn Davis

Cameron Matthews

Mississippi State University Athletics