Five Things To Know: State-No. 18 Pitt

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball returns to the friendly confines of Humphrey Coliseum as the Bulldogs take on No. 18 Pitt for Wednesday's SEC/ACC Challenge matchup.

State (6-1) is coming off a split at the Arizona Tipoff where the Bulldogs routed UNLV, 80-58, before dropping an 87-77 decision to Butler in the event's championship game.

The Maroon and White is 1-1 in challenge games under Coach Jans. The Bulldogs knocked off No. 11 TCU by an 81-74 scoreline during the 2022-23 SEC/Big 12 Challenge before falling 67-59 at Georgia Tech in last year's inaugural SEC/ACC Challenge.

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.

At some point, the Bulldogs have been ranked inside the AP Top 25 in each of Coach Jans' first three seasons. The last time State achieved that feat was back in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 under Rick Stansbury. The Bulldogs have posted at least a 6-0 start during all three seasons under Coach Jans, a first in program history.

State is ranked among the SEC's top 5 in five categories: steals per game (11.00 – 1st), turnover margin (+7.43 – 2nd), assist/turnover ratio (2.07 – 2nd), offensive rebounds (13.71 – 3rd) and assists per game (17.43 – 5th).

The Bulldogs are one of six SEC squads to be ranked among the nation's top 40 in adjusted offensive efficiency (116.5 – 28th) and adjusted defensive efficiency (97.0 – 36th) according to KenPom. State has been ranked inside the nation's top 40 during all three seasons in defensive efficiency under Coach Jans, and the Maroon and White has vaulted up 148 spots in offensive efficiency going back to Coach Jans' first season in Starkville.

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 the team's opening three games dating 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
Wednesday's matchup marks the first time that State and Pitt will meet during the regular season. The Bulldogs came away with a 66-61 victory during the 2001 NIT Round of 16, while the Panthers took a most recent 60-59 decision in the 2023 NCAA Tournament First Four Round.

State has already defeated SMU, 84-79, from the ACC earlier this season. Overall, the Maroon and White have combined for a 34-59 mark against California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest who also are members of the Mountain West Conference.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (6-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. No. 18 Pitt (7-1, 0-0 ACC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Wednesday, December 4, 8:15 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

TV: SEC Network (Ch. 611 – DirecTV; Ch. 404/408 Dish; Ch. 1026 MaxxSouth; Ch. 220 C-Spire)
Stream: Watch ESPN App (Subscription Required)
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/3YXl2UE
Talent: Dave Neal, Pat Bradley

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/3B2iifK

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 (191-72) in his 9th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is sixth among NCAA active coaches with the aforementioned .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 State, Jans has amassed 48 victories, which is tied for the top spot among the six, SEC third-year coaches with Florida's Todd Golden. He is the only active SEC coach at his respective school to post a pair of 20-plus 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 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments, respectively.

Jans is the last coach to defeat two-time defending national champion UConn led by Dan Hurley at the 2022 NCAA Tournament while at New Mexico State and was the last coach to defeat the Huskies on a neutral court, a span of 984 days, until Memphis defeated UConn at the 2024 Maui Invitational.

As a junior college head coach, Jans won the 1997-98 NJCAA Division II National Championship at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jans 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 before he won the 2015 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year during his first season as a NCAA Division I head coach at Bowling Green.

Jans ushered in an unprecedented run of success over a five-year span at New Mexico State where he guided the Aggies to a 122-32 record sparked by three NCAA Tournament trips. The program was in-line for a 4th NCAA Tournament appearance before the 2019-20 postseason was cancelled.

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

Hubbard, a Bob Cousy Award, a Wooden Award and Lute Olson Award Preseason Watch List member, registered 17.1 points per game which was tops among SEC freshmen last season.

Hubbard's 732 points through 42 games is third in program history for freshmen and sophomores trailing only Rickey Brown and Rich Knarr from the 1970s. He has racked up double figures in 37 of 42 outings fueled by 17 efforts of 20+ points. His 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 freshmen record of 68 from 2006-07. He also surpassed Darryl Wilson's single-season watermark of 97 in 1995-96 during the regular season finale versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2023).

Hubbard has sunk multiple triples in 36 of 42 career games and has hit at least one three-pointer in 20 consecutive games. In total, he has already buried 134 treys which is already 14th on State's list.

The Madison native picked up where he left off from a season ago and has poured in 19.1 points per game this season which is tied for 3rd among the SEC leaders. He fired in 20 of his 23 points after halftime versus Utah (11/17) and amassed a season-high 26 points fueled by six three-pointers against West Georgia (11/04) during the 2024-25 season opener.

Hubbard has dialed up 22.0 points per game sparked by 64 triples over his last 16 outings. He has led the team in scoring during 17 of his 23 career starts since the Auburn game on 01/28/2024.

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 11 of the team's last 20 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 10 of his 13 shot attempts from two-point territory on the young season.

Matthews is one of college basketball's most versatile players and is the only active NCAA player with at least 800 points, 675 rebounds, 275 assists and 200 steals. 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 2024-25.

During his three seasons under Coach Jans, Matthews has dialed up an impressive +564 plus/minus cumulative mark when on the floor. He has been a positive plus/minus performer in 57 of 76 games, racked up 28 outings with at least +10 mark and secured at least a +20 rating on 11 occasions.

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). State is 4-2 when Matthews provides a double-double.

The Bulldogs are 20-8 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points. He dialed up a season's bests of 14 points fueled by a 6-for-10 shooting clip and four steals against Butler (11/22).

Matthews has posted 26 career outings with at least five rebounds, multiple assists and multiple steals. He has garnered at least one steal in 80 of his 109 outings over the last four seasons. His 211 career steals are 2nd on State's all-time list and 4th among NCAA active Power 5 players (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12 SEC).

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 47 career games and made all three of his career starts in 2024-25. He has improved his points and rebounds per game averages during each of his three seasons culminating with 11.1 points and 9.0 rebounds this season.

The Alabama native has pumped home three of his top four scoring efforts in 2024-25 ignited by his first career double-double of a career-high tying 18 points and a career-best 14 rebounds versus Utah (11/17).

Murphy has been a stats sheet stuffer with three games of multiple blocks and three outings with multiple assists followed by two games of multiple steals this season. His 9.0 rebounds per contest are 3rd sparked by a 6.57 clip on the defensive end which also is 3rd in the SEC rankings.

An ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2021, Murphy's other 18-point scoring effort came against North Texas (12/17/2023) in Tupelo. State has won nine of 10 games over the last three seasons when Murphy scores double-digit points.

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 62 games where he garnered 545 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 at least eight points and handed out multiple assists during four of his last six appearances 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 32 games off the bench during his time at Mississippi 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 1,377 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 during his first two seasons with Charleston Southern.

Harris Jr. made an instant impact with a season's best 20 points fueled by six trifectas in State's opening night win over West Georgia (11/04). He is the only State player since 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 74 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, an ESPN top 75 recruit for the Class of 2022, makes it a full circle moment after he originally committed to the Maroon and White during the November 2021 signing period. He captured 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman-Team honors and totaled 664 points between State and Florida.

Kugel has managed 33 games in double figures headed by nine outings of 20-plus points. His career watermark is 25 points against No. 13 Baylor (11/24/2023), while he posted a SEC career-high of 24 points against Kentucky (02/22/2023) with the Gators.

Kugel has dialed up double figures in three of his last four outings with State. He provided 17 of his season's best 22 points during the second half of the Butler game (11/29). Kugel also secured 13 points highlighted by a two-handed dunk inside the closing minute of State's 84-79 victory at SMU (11/22).

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 at Illinois.

Melendez, an ESPN top 75 recruit for the Class of 2021, has played in 97 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 has tallied 664 career points coupled with 30 career outings with 10-plus points. He came away with 11 of his season's best 15 points during the second half at SMU (11/22).

Nwoko made 36 appearances at State and Miami where two of his top five scoring efforts came against top 15 opponents last season. 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 Bulldogs was 11 points versus Butler (11/29) which were proceeded 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 their freshman campaigns.

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 multiple assists in three of his four appearances in addition to multiple steals on two occasions.

Chol has made 21 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) during the 2024-25 opener in addition to securing six points and four point during the UNLV game (11/28).

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, Myers and Paymon 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 29 of 34 games versus non-SEC opponents and have held 21 of those opponents to 60 points or less during the Coach Jans era.

State has posted a 10-4 mark against fellow non-conference Power 6 basketball schools (ACC • BIG EAST • Big Ten • Big 12 • Pac-12) under Coach Jans.

Nine of the 10 wins have come on road/neutral floors with the Bulldogs posting an average of an 8.9 point margin-of-victory in those road/neutral contests.
State has already signed a trio of ESPN top 100 recruits for the Class of 2025 which include Tee Bartlett, Jamarion Davis-Fleming and King Grace.

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-No. 18 Pitt

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Dashawn Davis

Cameron Matthews

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