Five Things To Know: State-SMU

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

DALLAS, Texas – Mississippi State men's basketball continues a stretch of four straight games away from home as the Bulldogs face their first true road test of the young 2024-25 season versus SMU inside Moody Coliseum on Friday evening in Dallas.

State (4-0) and SMU (4-1) head into Friday's SEC/ACC battle averaging close to 90 points per contest and have both averaged over a 20-point margin of victory over their first four wins.

The 88.5 points per contest through four games is a program-best for the Maroon and White since 2002-03, while the 82 assists for State in its first four games are a program-high going back to the 2001-02 campaign. The Bulldogs have connected for 37 three-pointers through four games, a program watermark dating back to 2009-10.

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 boasting top 5 SEC marks in scoring and scoring margin, the Bulldogs also are ranked among the league leaders in steals per game (12.25 – 2nd), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.08 – 2nd), turnover margin (+8.25 – 2nd), assists per game (18.75 – 3rd), three-pointers made per game (9.25 – Tied for 4th) and offensive rebounds (12.50 – Tied for 5th).

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 and SMU square off for the first time on the hardwood during Friday's matchup. The Bulldogs also will face off with Pittsburgh during next month's SEC/ACC Challenge on Wednesday, December 4th at Humprey Coliseum.

Overall, the Maroon and White have combined for a 33-59 mark against California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest who also are members of the ACC.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (4-0, 0-0 SEC) at SMU (4-1, 0-0 ACC)
Where: Dallas, Texas – Moody Coliseum
When: Friday, November 22, 7:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

Stream: ACC Network Extra (Cable Subscription Required) or ESPN+ (Subscription Required); ESPN App – www.ESPN.com/watch
Talent: John Liddle, Jim Haller, Breanna Sorensen
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/3Abvfn3

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/3ZcRkuV

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 .727 winning percentage (189-71) in his 9th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is sixth among NCAA active coaches with a .727 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 46 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 685 points through 39 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). Hubbard has sunk multiple triples in 34 of 39 career games and has hit at least one three-pointer in 17 consecutive games.

The Madison native has picked up where he left off a season ago and has poured in 21.8 points per game which is 3rd on the SEC leaderboard. He fired in 20 of his 23 points after halftime versus Utah (11/17) last time out and amassed 26 points fueled by six three-pointers against West Georgia (11/04) in the 2024-25 season opener.

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 10 of the team's last 17 outings since the Georgia game on 02/07/2024. He posted 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 and 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 20-7 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points. He dialed up a season's best 12 points fueled by a 5-of-6 mark at the foul line down the stretch to salt away the 78-73 victory over Utah (11/17).

Matthews has posted 25 career outings with at least five rebounds, multiple assists and multiple steals. He has garnered at least one steal in 77 of his 106 outings over the last four seasons. His 201 career steals are tied for 3rd 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 44 career games and made his first career starts during the opening three games this season. He has dialed up 10.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest. The Alabama native matched his career-high with 18 points and wiped the glass clean with a career-best 14 rebounds versus Utah (11/17).

Murphy has improved his scoring and his rebounding averages during each of his last three seasons. An ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2021, his other 18-point scoring effort came against North Texas (12/17/2023). State has won seven of eight games over the last three seasons 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 59 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 7.7 points, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals over his last three outings in Maroon and White. He drained 8-of-9 at the foul line en route to a season's best 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 1,361 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 651 points between State and Florida.

Kugel has managed 31 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. Kugel provided a season-high 12 points off the bench versus Utah (11/17).

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 94 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. The Puerto Rico native tallied a season-high 10 points during the Georgia State game (11/08).

Nwoko made 33 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 scoring performance with the Maroon and White was eight points versus Georgia State (11/08) followed by career-bests of 11 rebounds, three blocks and two assists against Utah (11/17).

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 four 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 27 of 31 games versus non-SEC opponents and have held 20 of those opponents to 60 points or less during the Jans era.
State has posted a 9-3 mark against fellow non-conference Power 6 basketball schools (ACC • BIG EAST • Big Ten • Big 12 • Pac-12) under Coach Jans.

Eight of the nine wins have come on road/neutral floors with the Bulldogs posting an average 9.4 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: State-SMU

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Players Mentioned

Dashawn Davis

Cameron Matthews

Mississippi State University Athletics