Five Things To Know: Mississippi State-Georgia State

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball continues its season-opening three-game homestand when Georgia State visits Humphrey Coliseum on Friday.

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.

State captured a convincing 95-60 victory over West Georgia during Monday's season opener. The Maroon and White drained 14 three-pointers which was a watermark under Coach Jans, and the most treys hit by State in a game since 2018-19. On the defensive end, the Bulldogs racked up 17 steals which matched the 8th highest total for State in a game.

After selling out seven contests and boasting the program's fifth highest attendance average for a season in 2023-24, Humphrey Coliseum was rocking during Monday's season opener with an announced crowd of 9,125 which marked the fourth-largest attendance for a season opener.

Fans can purchase single game tickets 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
The Bulldogs have won all four previous meetings with Georgia State, most recently a 79-50 triumph in 2021-22. State has won the aforementioned four matchups by average of 21.0 points per contest.

State has amassed a combined 82-19 mark against Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State and Troy who are members of the Sun Belt Conference.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Georgia State (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Friday, November 9, 6:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

Stream: SEC Network+ (Cable Subscription Required); ESPN+ (Subscription Required)
App: ESPN App, www.ESPN.com/watch
Talent: Bart Gregory, Charlie Winfield
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/3YAZCg5

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/4f64tM3

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 .724 winning percentage (186-71) in his 9th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is sixth among NCAA active coaches with a .724 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 43 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 Preseason Watch List member and a consensus All-SEC Second-Team preseason pick, registered 17.1 points per game which was tops among SEC freshmen last season. His 598 points were 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 which shattered Barry Stewart's program freshmen record of 68 in 2006-07. He also surpassed Darryl Wilson's single-season watermark of 97 in 1994-95 in the regular season finale versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2023).

The Madison native picked up where he left off a season ago and poured in 26 points fueled by six three-pointers against West Georgia (11/04) in the 2024-25 season opener. He has sank multiple triples in 31 of 36 career games and has hit at least one three-pointer in 14 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 14 outings since the Georgia game on 02/07/2024. He has posted four of his top seven scoring efforts on the road or neutral floors.

Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/2023). His non-conference career-bests are eight-point efforts versus West Georgia (11/04), Arizona State (11/08/2023), UT Martin (11/11/2023) and Washington State (11/18/2023).

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 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 24 career outings with at least five rebounds, multiple assists and multiple steals. He has garnered at least one steal in 73 of his 102 outings over the last three seasons. His 194 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 41 career games and made his first career start during the West Georgia (11/04) season opener. He made the most of the nod with six points, seven rebounds, equaled a career-high four assists and secured two blocks.

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). State is 5-1 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 56 games where he garnered 505 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).

Foumena has seen action in 29 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 1,348 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 in 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 72 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 622 points between State and Florida.

Kugel has managed 29 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).

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 at Illinois.

Melendez has played in 91 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 30 appearances at State and Miami where two of his top three efforts were 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 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 who will look to build on his freshman campaign.

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 Adrian Myers are expected to redshirt the 2024-25 season.

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 three steals and three assists in 10 minutes of action during the West Georgia (11/04) season opener.

Chol has made 17 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.

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 24 of 28 games versus non-SEC opponents and have held 19 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 8 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-Georgia State

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Players Mentioned

Dashawn Davis

Cameron Matthews

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