Five Things To Know: State-LSU

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

BATON ROUGE – Mississippi State men's basketball looks to extend the SEC's longest active winning streak as the Bulldogs travel to LSU for a Saturday evening matchup at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The Bulldogs (18-8, 7-6 SEC) enter the contest on a four-game winning streak featured by wins over Georgia (75-62), Missouri (75-51), Arkansas (71-67) and Ole Miss (83-71). The Maroon and White head into this weekend's action in sole possession of 7th place in the SEC standings, one game clear of LSU (14-12, 6-7 SEC), Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

State is one of three SEC schools (South Carolina, Texas A&M) and one of 13 schools in the country (Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Seton Hall, TCU, Washington State) 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 – have posted a combined 62-9 (.873) when playing on its home floors this season. Add in State's last three SEC road opponents – LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M – and the mark currently sits at 94-18 (.839) when playing at home.

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 40 rankings in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.5 – 1st SEC – 9th nation), rebound margin (+6.5 – 3rd SEC – 26th nation), field goal percentage defense (40.6 – 3rd SEC – 29th nation), total rebounds (39.35 – 3rd SEC – 35th nation) and offensive rebounds (12.40 – 4th SEC – 37th nation).

State also has dialed up top 40 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (95.1 – 11th), effective field goal percentage defense (46.5 – 27th) and steal percentage (11.8 – 34th).

SERIES HISTORY
State and LSU will meet for the 218th time in a series that dates back to 1908-09, the inaugural season of State basketball. The two programs have split the last 10 matchups in the series since 2016-17. Overall, LSU possesses a 114-103 series advantage.

Last season, the Bulldogs dialed up a 64-53 victory in Starkville behind D.J. Jeffries' SEC career-best 18 points on five three-pointers coupled with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Shakeel Moore and Tolu Smith III chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (18-8, 7-6 SEC) at LSU (14-12, 6-7 SEC)
Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
When: Saturday, February 24, 7:31 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/3FR6xqZ)

TV: SEC Network
Channels: Ch. 611 (DirecTV); Ch. 404/408 (Dish); Ch. 1026 (MaxxSouth); Ch. 220 C-Spire
App: ESPN App (Subscription Required – https://hailst.at/3UkVcIn)
Talent: Dave Neal, Jon Sundvold

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/3wlfE1V); 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 .737 winning percentage (182-65) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .737 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 12 games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 71.6 percent of the team's points (677-of-945). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 28.81 bench points per contest which is 5th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 20th 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 (16.6 PPG, 8.1 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 1,443 points (17th) and 792 rebounds (10th) and has started 95 of 99 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey 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 30 games 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 (9.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.2 SPG) has showcased his as one of 2 Power 6 players (Kadary Richmond – Seton Hall) and one of four players nationally (Robert Ford – Montana State; Dillon Jones – Weber State) to dial up at least 9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season.

Matthews has posted 12 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 trio of double-doubles in SEC action: 14 points, 11 rebounds versus No. 8 Auburn (01/27), 16 points, 12 rebounds at Ole Miss (01/30) and 17 points, 10 rebounds against Arkansas (02/17). The Bulldogs are 18-5 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points.

Matthews has handed out multiple assists 18 times and secured multiple steals on 13 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 64 of his 93 outings over the last three seasons. His 175 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 (8.9 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG) has registered 39 of his 44 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 12.1 points per game with six of his last seven outings in double figures and has piled up 12 total outings with 10+ points over an 18-game stretch as a member of State's starting five this season.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 81 of 115 career games sparked by 50 times with multiple steals. His 166 career steals are 7th among SEC active players and his 131 steals at State are 16th on the program's all-time list.
Jeffries (6.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has found his way into State's starting five in 87 of 92 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 returned to extended action with nine points against Ole Miss (02/21) after he was limited due to injury over a 3-game stretch (02/07-02/17).

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 (6.2 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.6 SPG) is ranked tied for 9th in steals 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. (6.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG), the SEC's Player of the Week for 12/26, has started 49 games over the last two seasons and was a key member of West Virginia's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament squad. He has notched 6 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 6.3 rebounds per contest are 12th on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions this season.

Fort (5.4 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 five games (01/30-02/17) due to injury before returning to action during the Ole Miss game (02/21).

Scott (1.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG) posted 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game at Salt Lake Community College 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 (14.6 PPG, 1.8 APG), a four-time SEC Freshmen of the Week most recently on 02/18 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 top spot among SEC players and tied for 5th nationally with 6 games of 20+ points among true freshmen this season. His 14.6 points per contest also are 2nd among SEC freshmen, while his 380 points through 26 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. (5.2 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 10 of his top 12 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). As a starter over State's last four games, Jones Jr. has posted 6.2 points per contest.

Murphy (6.3 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. He has averaged 8.3 points and 5.0 rebounds over the four-game stretch (02/07-02/21).

Murphy's top career scoring performance is 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus North Texas (12/17). His SEC career-best is 12 points versus Ole Miss (02/21). State is 4-1 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). Chol scored his first career SEC basket at Missouri (02/10).

SCOUTING LSU
The Tigers have fired off consecutive 1-point wins over Associated Press Top 20 squads taking down then No. 11 South Carolina (64-63 on 02/17) and No. 17 Kentucky (75-74 on 02/21).

The trio of Jalen Cook (15.6 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG), Jordan Wright (14.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.8 SPG) and Will Baker (12.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG) have been solid for LSU. Wright has posted double figures in 23 of 26 games headed by a SEC season's best 27 points against Ole Miss (01/17) in addition to a pair of double-double versus Texas A&M (01/06 and 01/20).

Cook has missed LSU's last two games due to injury, while Baker has dialed up 10-plus points in five of his last seven outings. His top two SEC scoring efforts have come at home: 25 points against Arkansas (02/03) and 24 points against No. 16 Alabama (02/10).

Tyrell Ward (8.7 PPG, 1.0 SPG) has ripped off double-digit points in four consecutive games and been inserted into the starting lineup during LSU's last two outings. He is coming off a season-high 17 points against No. 17 Kentucky (02/21) which included the game-winning floater during the closing seconds.

As of late, LSU's top scoring options off the bench have been Jalen Reed (8.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.0 BPG) and Mike Williams II (7.5 PPG). Reed has notched consecutive 13-point efforts at No. 11 South Carolina (02/17) and versus No. 17 Kentucky (02/21).

Mississippi State is selling single-game tickets for remaining SEC home contests. Visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information.

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-LSU

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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