Five Things To Know: State vs. No. 16 Kentucky

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball takes the ESPN Super Tuesday stage as No. 16 Kentucky visits a sold-out Humphrey Coliseum for a SEC showcase matchup.

The Bulldogs (19-8, 8-6 SEC) head into the contest on a five-game winning streak featured by wins over Georgia (75-62), Missouri (75-51), Arkansas (71-67), Ole Miss (83-71) and LSU (87-67). The Maroon and White enter this week's action in sole possession of 7th place in the SEC standings, one game behind Kentucky (19-8, 9-5 SEC) and Florida (19-8, 9-5 SEC) for a share of 5th place.

State's road triumphs over Missouri and LSU give the Bulldogs a pair of SEC road wins by 20-plus points. This year's squad is joined by the 1958-59 and 1961-62 squads as the only teams to accomplish the feat in program history.

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 are joined by Florida and Vanderbilt as the only SEC squads slated to play 10+ NCAA NET Quad 1 games. State and Vandy face seven of those NCAA NET Quad 1 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 64-10 (.865) 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 35 rankings in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.3 – 1st SEC – 5th nation), rebound margin (+6.4 – 3rd SEC – 26th nation), field goal percentage defense (40.6 – 3rd SEC – 29th nation), offensive rebounds (12.62 – 4th SEC – 32nd nation and total rebounds (39.26 – 4th SEC – 35th nation).

State also has dialed up top 40 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (94.9 – 11th), effective field goal percentage defense (46.2 – 23rd) and steal percentage (11.7 – 37th).

SERIES HISTORY
State will look to snap an 18-game losing streak to the Wildcats in the regular season going back to the 2008-09 season. Overall, Kentucky possesses a 102-21 series advantage. The Wildcats claimed a 90-77 decision back in mid-January. UK's Antonio Reeves (27 points) and State's Tolu Smith III (26 points) were the game's top scorers for their respective teams.

State's last win over the Wildcats was a 74-73 victory at the 2021 SEC Tournament in Nashville. Iverson Molinar led the way with 21 points followed by a Tolu Smith III double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. D.J. Stewart Jr. dished out 10 assists.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (19-8, 8-6 SEC) vs. No. 16 Kentucky (19-8, 8-6 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum – Starkville, Mississippi
When: Tuesday, February 27, 6:01 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/46ZgYEA)

TV: ESPN
Channels: Ch. 206 (DirecTV); Ch. 140 (Dish); Ch. 1023 (MaxxSouth); Ch. 200 C-Spire
App: ESPN App (Subscription Required – https://hailst.at/3Ukf1Q1)
Talent: Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Marty Smith

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/3TclpIh); 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 .738 winning percentage (183-65) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .738 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 14 games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 70.7 percent of the team's points (730-of-1032). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 29.26 bench points per contest which is 4th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 15th 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 1,462 points (14th) and 801 rebounds (10th) and has started 95 of 100 games at State. He is joined by Kansas' Hunter Dickinson, Purdue's Zach Edey and Miami's Norchad Omier as the only Power 6 players to average at least 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and shoot 55.0+ percent from the floor this season.

Smith III has ripped off 15 double-doubles over his last 31 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, 7.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.1 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 19 times and secured multiple steals on 13 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 65 of his 94 outings over the last three seasons. His 176 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 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 11.3 points per game with six of his last eight outings in double figures and has piled up 12 total outings with 10+ points over an 19-game stretch as a member of State's starting five this season.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 82 of 116 career games sparked by 51 times with multiple steals. His 168 career steals are 7th among SEC active players and his 133 steals at State are 16th on the program's all-time list.

Jeffries (6.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has found his way into State's starting five in 87 of 93 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, 1.5 SPG) is ranked tied for 10th 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) earlier this season. 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. (5.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG), the SEC's Player of the Week for 12/26, has started 50 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 6.1 rebounds per contest are 12th on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions this season.

Fort (5.2 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 a hand 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 (15.3 PPG, 1.8 APG), a five-time SEC Freshmen of the Week most recently on 02/26 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 holds the top spot among SEC players and tied for 2nd nationally with 7 games of 20+ points among true freshmen this season. His 15.3 points per contest also are 1st among SEC freshmen, while his 412 points through 27 games are 5th-most for a State freshmen and the most since Rickey Brown (1976-77).

Hubbard's SEC top scoring efforts are 32 points at LSU (02/24) followed by 26 points at Florida (01/24) and 25 points against No. 5 Tennessee (01/10) during his SEC home debut. The 32 points are the most scored by a State player under Coach Jans, and the most by a State true freshmen since a 32-point outing by Raymond Brown versus Florida in 1984-85. The Madison native also 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).

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.

Hubbard's non-conference best of 29 points versus Northwestern (11/19) is the most for 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 the most by a State player since 1988-89.

Jones Jr. (5.0 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 five games, Jones Jr. has posted 5.4 points per contest.

Murphy (6.7 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 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over the five-game stretch (02/07-02/24).
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) coupled with an 11-point performance at LSU (02/24). State is 5-1 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 KENTUCKY
Kentucky ranks among the nation's top 10 in three offensive categories: three-point field goal percentage (41.0 – 1st), scoring offense (88.7 – 3rd), blocks (6.2 – 3rd) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.70 – 9th). The Wildcats have scored at least 81 points in 21 of the team's 27 games.

Kentucky has five players averaging in double figures led by Antonio Reeves (19.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG) who has poured in 15 games of 20-plus points on the season. Reeves has eclipsed the 20-point barrier in three straight and five of his last six outings. The 27 points versus State in Lexington are his SEC watermark on the season.

Rob Dillingham (15.0 PPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG) and Reed Sheppard (11.7 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.7 SPG) have done a majority of their damage off the bench during their freshmen campaigns. The duo has combined for 11 efforts of 20 or more points. Dillingham racked up a season's best 35 points versus No. 5 Tennessee (02/03), while Sheppard garnered a stat sheet stuffing 24 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks against Florida (01/31).

Tre Mitchell (12.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG), D.J. Wagner (10.2 PPG, 3.4 APG) and Justin Edwards (8.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG) have been mainstays in the UK starting five throughout the season. Mitchell has posted four double-doubles on the season fueled by a 20-point, 14-rebound effort versus Missouri (01/09). Last time out, Edwards broke out with a season-high 28 points on a flawless 10-for-10 shooting effort against No. 13 Alabama (02/24) that earned him a share of the SEC Freshman of the Week accolades released on 02/26.

Kentucky is coached by John Calipari who has racked up 406 wins over his 15 seasons in Lexington. He is the standard bearer among NCAA active coaches in NCAA Tournament wins (57), NCAA Sweet 16 trips (15) and 30-win seasons (10).

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 vs. No. 16 Kentucky

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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