Five Things To Know: State-Arkansas

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball will look to continue its recent winning ways as the Bulldogs come off a midweek bye to face Arkansas on Saturday afternoon in-front of an anticipated sold-out Humphrey Coliseum crowd.

The Bulldogs (16-8, 5-6 SEC) dialed up victories over Georgia and Missouri last week. The 24-point triumph at Missouri matched State's fourth-largest SEC road win and was the program's largest dating back to a 79-54 victory at Florida on 02/21/1990.

State is one of three SEC schools (South Carolina, Texas A&M) and one of 12 schools in the country (Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Seton Hall, TCU) to capture a pair of Associated Press Top 10 wins in conference play.

The Bulldogs did their heavy lifting with a 77-72 victory over No. 5 Tennessee on 01/10 followed by a 64-58 triumph over No. 8 Auburn on 01/27. The last time the Maroon and White accomplished the feat was in 2001-02 when State knocked off No. 6 Kentucky and No. 5 Alabama in the regular season coupled with another win over No. 8 Alabama in the SEC Tournament Championship Game.

State'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 State, Gonzaga 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 was the nation's only team to play eight of their first nine league games as NCAA NET Quad 1 opportunities. Overall, the Bulldogs and Vanderbilt are the only SEC squads slated to play 10+ NCAA NET Quad 1 games with seven of those matchups on the road during league action. The Maroon and White's first five SEC road foes – South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama – enter Saturday with a combined 59-8 (.881) when playing on its home floors this season.

State featured a suffocating defense in year one under Chris Jans being one of two teams to rank inside the nation's top 25 last season in scoring defense (61.0 – 2nd SEC – 9th nationally), field goal percentage defense (39.4 – 3rd SEC – 10th nationally) and steals (8.6 – 2nd SEC – 23rd nationally).

This season, the Bulldogs possesses national top 50 rankings in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.8 – 1st SEC – 11th nation), rebound margin (+6.5 – 3rd SEC – 25th nation), field goal percentage defense (40.4 – 3rd SEC – 29th nation), total rebounds (39.46 – 4th SEC – 36th nation) and steals (8.3 – 3rd SEC – 47th nation).
State also has dialed up top 50 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (94.0 – 7th), effective field goal percentage defense (46.4 – 28th) and steal percentage (11.9 – 36th).

SERIES HISTORY
State has won eight of the last 10 in the series since 2015-16, the last four at Humphrey Coliseum and 23 of the 30 all-time meetings in Starkville. Overall, the Razorbacks hold a 35-33 series edge.

The Bulldogs captured a 70-64 road win during the lone meeting last season. The quartet of Dashawn Davis, Cameron Matthews, Shakeel Moore and Tolu Smith III combined for 50 of the team's 70 points headed by Davis' team-leading and SEC career-best 17 points. Matthews provided a key tip-in and free throws down the stretch to salt away the 6-point win.

A win Saturday would improve State's mark to 11-2 this season and 19-4 over the last two seasons under Coach Jans during day games. A Bulldog victory also would even State's SEC mark at 6-6.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (16-8, 5-6 SEC) vs. Arkansas (12-12, 3-8 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum – Starkville, Mississippi
When: Saturday, February 17, 1:05 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/46WCb2B)

TV: ESPNU
Channels: Ch. 208 (DirecTV); Ch. 141 (Dish); Ch. 1162 (MaxxSouth); Ch. 206 C-Spire
App: ESPN App (Subscription Required – https://hailst.at/3SCK0FI)
Talent: Kevin Fitzgerald, Daymeon Fishback

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/3I2czXa); 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 in league history to amass at least 21 victories and secure a NCAA Tournament berth during their first season in 2022-23.

Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .735 winning percentage (180-65) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .735 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State), Bill Self (Kansas), 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.
During 11 games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 70.3 percent of the team's points (556-of-791). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 28.71 bench points per contest which is 5th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 23rd nationally.

3. Tolu Smith III, Shakeel Moore, D.J. Jeffries, Dashawn Davis and Cameron Matthews combined for 85.3 percent of the team's starts (145-of-170) as State's top five scorers in 2022-23.

Smith III (16.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.3 APG) was 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 III has racked up 1,411 points (17th) and 778 rebounds (10th) and has started 94 of 97 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey and Norchad Omier of Miami as the only college basketball players to average at least 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and shoot 60.0+ percent from the floor this season.

Smith III has ripped off 15 double-doubles over his last 28 games in double figures dating back to mid-January of last season. He produced his SEC-leading 30th double-double among active players with 13 points and 11 rebounds at Missouri (02/10), coupled with a season's best 26 points at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17). His last 20-10 outing was a 25-point, 11-rebound performance during the Vanderbilt game (01/20).

Matthews (9.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.2 SPG) has showcased his as the only Power 6 player and one of three players nationally (Robert Ford – Montana State; Dillon Jones – Weber State) to dial up at least 9.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season.

Matthews has posted 10 outings of 10+ points sparked by a season-high 18 points versus Rutgers (12/23) coupled with a pair of 12-rebound efforts against North Texas (12/17) and at Ole Miss (01/30). He has a pair of double-doubles in SEC action: 14 points, 11 rebounds versus No. 8 Auburn (01/27) and 16 points, 12 rebounds at Ole Miss (01/30). The Bulldogs are 16-5 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points.

Matthews has handed out multiple assists 16 times and secured multiple steals on 12 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 63 of his 91 outings over the last three seasons. His 172 career steals are 3rd among SEC active players and are 6th on State's all-time list. Matthews posted 7 steals, tied for the 3rd most by a State player in a game, at Missouri (02/10).

Moore (8.7 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG) has registered 38 of his 43 career games with 10-plus points over the last three seasons while at Mississippi State. He came away with a season's best 16 points against Murray State (12/13). Moore has posted 12.8 points per game over five straight games in double figures and has piled up 11 total outings with 10+ points over a 16-game stretch as a member of State's starting five this season.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 80 of 113 career games sparked by 49 times with multiple steals. His 165 career steals are tied for 6th among SEC active players and his 130 steals at State are 16th on the program's all-time list.

Jeffries (6.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG) has found his way into State's starting five in 87 of 90 career games. He eclipsed 700 career rebounds against No. 8 Auburn (01/27) preceded by surpassing 1,200 career points versus Vanderbilt (01/20). The Olive Branch native has missed State's last two games (02/07-02/10) due to injury.

Jeffries secured a season-high 13 points versus North Texas (12/17). He also added a season's best 12 rebounds to go along with 11 points against Murray State (12/13) to tuck away his lone double-double of the season. Jeffries secured a SEC season's best 10 points against Vanderbilt (01/20) and a career-high five steals against No. 5 Tennessee (01/10).

Davis (6.4 PPG, 3.1 APG, 1.5 SPG) is ranked 10th in steals and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio among SEC players this season. Six of his seven games of 10+ points in 2023-24 have come on the road/neutral games fueled by season's bests of 15 points at Ole Miss (01/30). In those seven games in double figures, Davis is shooting 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from three-point territory. He matched his State career-best with eight dimes against Georgia (02/07).

Davis posted consecutive games in double figures versus Washington State and Northwestern en route to Hall of Fame All-Tournament Team (11/19). Davis also came away with a State career-best of 18 points against Utah in the Fort Myers Championship Game, while his SEC career-high is 17 point at Arkansas. Both of those marks came last season.

4. The Bulldogs have brought in an impressive group of newcomers which include Jimmy Bell Jr. (West Virginia), Trey Fort (Howard College) and Scott (Salt Lake Community College) from the transfer portal and the junior college ranks.

Bell Jr. (6.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG), the SEC's Player of the Week for 12/26, has started 48 games over the last two seasons and was a key member of West Virginia's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament squad. He has notched six of his 13 career outings of 10-plus points for State 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 6.5 rebounds per contest are 13th on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions this season.

Fort (5.7 PPG), one of the nation's top junior college recruits, was a All-America Second-Team honoree at Howard College last season. His 24.9 points per game was 4th among JUCO players.

Fort has notched double figures three times highlighted by a 21-point explosion versus Arizona State (11/08) on opening night, while his SEC season watermark is a 13-point effort coming at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17). He missed State's last four games (01/30-02/10) due to injury.

Scott (1.3 PPG, 1.6 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. His top regular season outing is six points and six rebounds against Tulane (12/09).

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 (14.8 PPG, 1.7 APG), a three-time SEC Freshmen of the Week most recently on 01/29 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.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Hubbard is tied for the nation's lead with 6 games of 20+ points among true freshmen this season. His 14.8 points per contest are 2nd among SEC freshmen, while his 356 points through 24 games are 5th-most for a State freshmen and the most since Rickey Brown (1976-77).

When he came off the bench, Hubbard's 14.8 points per game were the most by a Power 6 freshmen going back to 2005-06 with a minimum of 15 games played as a reserve, according to Elias. His top SEC scoring efforts are 26 points at Florida (01/24) preceded by 25 points against No. 5 Tennessee (01/10) during his SEC home debut. The Madison native made the most of his first career start with 15 of his 17 points during the second half of State's win over No. 8 Auburn (01/27).

Hubbard's season-high of 29 points versus Northwestern (11/19) is the most for a State 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. His five outings of 20-plus points off the bench are tied for the nation's lead and is the most by a State player since 1988-89.

Jones Jr. (5.3 PPG) made his first career SEC start versus Georgia (02/07) where he turned in a solid all-around effort with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. He has secured nine of his top 11 scoring efforts this season.

Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/23). He also tallied 10 points at No. 24 Alabama (02/03) and 9 points at Florida (01/24). Jones Jr. has notched seven of his eight outings with multiple assists and four of his eight performances with multiple steals this season.

Murphy (6.0 PPG) made his season debut returning from injury against Nicholls (11/24) and returned from an eight-game absence due to a personal matter with a 10-point effort versus Georgia (02/07) sparked by pair of three-pointers.

Murphy's top career scoring performance is 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus North Texas (12/17). His SEC best is 11 points versus No. 8 Alabama (12/28/22) last season. State is 3-1 over the last two seasons when Murphy reaches double figures.

Chol (2.6 PPG), a native of South Sudan, took advantage of extended minutes in non-conference 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). Chol scored his first career SEC basket at Missouri (02/10).

SCOUTING ARKANSAS
The Razorbacks are led by Tramon Mark (17.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG) and Khalif Battle (10.1 PPG). Mark has amassed double figures in 19 of his 22 outings which includes an impressive run of 13 straight games. Mark ripped off a season's best 35 points versus Texas A&M (01/16) and has three additional outings of 20+ points versus SEC opponents.

Jalen Graham (7.4 PPG, 1.1 BPG) has secured double figures in three of his last four outings fueled by 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting at LSU (02/03). Davonte Davis (6.3 PPG) returned to the rotation during the Georgia game (02/10) and played all 40 minutes versus No. 8 Tennessee (02/14).

Off the bench, Makhi Mitchell (6.1 PPG, 1.2 BPG) has been hot of late with 10+ points in four of his last five sparked by a pair of double-doubles. He tucked away 19 points and 14 rebounds at Missouri (01/31).

Trevon Brazile (8.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 BPG) and Keyon Menifield Jr. (8.5 PPG, 1.7 APG) have combined for 14 outings with double-digit points. Brazile hasn't played since the Ole Miss game (01/24) due to injury, while Menifield Jr. posted a 15-point effort off the bench during Arkansas' last victory over Georgia (02/10).

Mississippi State is selling single-game tickets for remaining SEC home contests. Visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information. A student sellout has already been announced for State's next home game versus Georgia on 02/07.

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: State-Arkansas

Next Event

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

Tolu Smith III

Mississippi State University Athletics