WATCH: Coach Jans Media Session

STARKVILLE - Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans held his weekly media session prior to Monday's practice to preview this week's games against No. 16 Kentucky and No. 11 Auburn.

2023-24 Mississippi State Men's Basketball Quotes
Media Session – February 26, 2024

Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: Looking back at the trip you guys had to Lexington last month in the game where [Antonio] Reeves played really well, what stands out to you about him? How tough is it to defend a guy like that?
CJ: "Yeah, it hasn't been that fun looking back on that trip. I think that was our fourth game in the SEC, and we didn't play them there last year. So, it was a new experience for a majority of our staff and some of our players. Obviously, it didn't go very well."

"[Antonio] Reeves, obviously, is one of the best players in the league. He's played well against a lot of teams. I've got a lot of respect for his game. From what I can read, see and hear, he's a hard worker. From outside looking in, he's a guy that's gotten better each and every year. You can tell he's put the time in. So, everybody respects that. But again, it wasn't a good experience [the first meeting in Lexington]. We didn't play well, and we've got a lot to learn from it."

Q: It's easier said than done when people play Kentucky they say you want them to slow down the tempo and make them play your style. What makes it so hard to get Kentucky out of their rhythm and to play more your style?
CJ: "Like I've said before, that's something that's talked about a lot. But the other team is trying to impose their style on you, and they're doing things within the game to ensure that they get the possessions up. You get into some up-and-down situations with them, and it's hard. Two teams that have different styles obviously in this particular game."

"We're certainly going to be trying to play our style, and they're going to try to play theirs. We're hoping that for the majority of minutes the game unfolds where we'd like to unfold. I'm sure they've got a different opinion of that. It's easy to talk about, and it's easy to gameplan for. But it's not practice. You can't stop and explain why we shouldn't have taken that shot, or why we should have don't this or that. It just plays out like it plays out."

"So, it's difficult. They're really good at what they do. I don't know if they're the lead scoring team in the nation, but if not they're right there … Certainly, our job is to try to figure out a way to slow them down some."

Q: Throughout the year, you've made tough decisions with rotation changes and lineup changes. For you as a coach, how easy is it to make those calls? On the flip side, how important to your season turnaround has it been with the fact that these guys are accepting their changing roles?
CJ: "Like I've said earlier, I understand what starting means for some kids. But for me, it's always been the same. I've preached this to our team throughout the year even in the summer and in the fall before we're thinking about something like that. No matter who you play for, remember, are you in there when the game is hard? Are you in there when the game's outcome is still in the balance at the end of the game? Because that's when it's most important. That's when you've got the ability to really impact the game. Not that you can't prior to that, but you know there's no more time. So, who's in the game when it's hard? Who's in the game in the closing minutes is where you'll find how much your coach believes in you and trusts you."

"Who starts is a whole other matter. The other thing I always tell them is after the first few minutes of the game everybody comes off the bench. That's what I try to get them to understand. You've got to have the mentality of understanding how to go from sitting on the bench to getting in the game and playing at full speed. Because everybody's going to do it. That's more important than who starts the game. How good are you at sitting for a while and then getting in the flow of the game right away and not having to have two or three possessions to get going? You've got to be able to do it right away."

"It's something that we talk about all the time. I believe in it, and I'm trying to get my players to believe in it. But this year's group has been great. Some groups aren't so great. For some individuals, it means the world to them. We try to educate them and get them to understand. I understand the pageantry of it, and maybe to have a status in your organization. But, there's so much more to it. Like I said, this year's team's been really good about it."

Q: In the game in Lexington, [Josh] Hubbard was 1-of-11 in that game. What did you feel like they did defensively to make it tough on him?
CJ: "It's not something that Josh and I have talked about. He's mature beyond his years. He had some looks that just didn't go down [at Kentucky]. He's obviously had a big impact as a freshman. Sometimes, I think we almost take it for granted that he's going to have a good game each outing. But he's like every other college kid. He has bad nights. He can lose confidence if he misses some shots like everybody else can."

"Certainly, against LSU he missed some early ones, and he kept going. He got it turned around obviously as the game progressed. I really believe that it was just a bad night for him, not to say that they [Kentucky] didn't have anything to do with it. They certainly did, but only Josh knows how felt internally in terms of the atmosphere, the court, etcetera. In my opinion, I don't think he's afraid of any big moments that he's ever been in."

Q: During this five-game winning streak outside of that first half against Ole Miss, your team has done job defensively. Is there one thing or a couple things you can point your finger on for the increased defensive efforts?
CJ: "It sounds simple. But, in the grand scheme of things, we try to do everything as well as we can within our system. We certainly are harping on details especially at this time of the year. We're trying to be clean, and we try to do it without fouling. 'Trusting the technique' is a term that we use all the time."

"A lot of times, I'll be pointing out things in a video. It's not a lack of effort. You guys are playing hard enough, but you've got to trust the technique. You've got to get the technique into the game. Then, you've got something going, but it always comes down to guarding the ball. It always does in my opinion. We talk the gameplan. Then, at the end, the mistake that's made three or four passes later is because we didn't guard the ball out here. So, that's the thing that we've been harping on the most the last few weeks. Just to be prideful and to understand that there's only five of you out there. When you're sitting on the bench, you want your teammates to be on-point and doing their job. Take it personal, be accountable, be responsible and just do your job out there."

"I think, for the most part, that's what's improved the most is guarding the ball. Because with our guards the majority of them aren't very long. We're more compact, feisty, athletic and strong. But, we don't have a lot of length. So, we talk a lot about doing our work on the ground and doing it out front."
"If we make mistakes and get into a situation where they have an angle and they get six or seven feet away from the basket, there's not much some of our guards can do about it. So, we've got to do our work early and be really good out front, because mistakes out there usually end up costing us."

Q: We talked a lot about Tolu [Smith III] coming off the bench and embracing that change, but just as important I think has been the way KeShawn [Murphy] has been energetic and what he's provided on both ends of the floor. What have you seen from him in this recent stretch?
CJ: "Yeah, he's been a huge addition the last few games. He had the big game against North Texas. Then, obviously, he wasn't with us for a while. Since his return in my opinion, he's changed the look of our team, almost to the point now where it's on both ends. He's still a work in progress on defense like we all are. That was what we were most disappointed with in his early play was that end of the court. But now, he's working at it. He understands that he's got to do his part on that end of the floor. His heads in the right place that way in terms of being coachable and willing to get better at it. Certainly, on the offensive end, what he's bringing to the table is very easy to see. We're just different when he's out there. We got a high-low type look, and he can stretch the defense."

"The thing that's probably been most impressive is his offensive rebounding. That's where he's given us the biggest shot in the arm with his ability to get second and third shots, not only on the defensive backboard but the offensive backboard."

"We're showing him clips where he's rebounding from outside the three. A lot of guys when they're at the three-point line, instead of taking all that effort to go in there and probably not get it will just start going to the defensive end. He's got to point where he's going almost every single time, and it's really helped us on the offensive end. So, I can't say enough good things about what he's added to our team and how different we are with him on the floor."

Q: How have you felt that Trey [Fort] has played since his return, and has he been giving you what you need from him recently?
CJ: "Yeah, he had got the injury to his shooting hand. When you're a shooter, that's a big part of your game. That can really set you back mentally and physically. He's worked diligently with the training staff to get himself in position to be back on the floor. I think he's back in his groove, and he feels good about it. Obviously, he had that big dunk the other day, and he did it with right hand. So, he must be feeling pretty good about it. Hopefully, he can have some moments down the stretch where he helps us."

Q: With [Rob] Dillingham, what have you thought of the way he's played for Kentucky this season, and what have you thought of the guard position throughout the conference?
CJ: "Yeah, Dillingham is a special player. He should just put 'scorer' above his mantle. That's just what he does. He's not a one trick pony. He can do it in a lot of different ways. He can go both directions, he can stop on a dime and pull up from three, pull up from two. He's very, very quick and fast. But, even though he has all those great athletic attributes, he does it under control. You never feel like he's out of control when he gets downhill … It's really, really hard to guard. He's one of those guys that can change the game quickly. He can go on a run. In a lot of their games when it gets to be hard and when it gets to be down the stretch in close games, not every time, but the ball is in his hands a lot. They run stuff from him. They've got a lot of potential go to guys, but he's definitely one of them when it gets really, really hard. He does it without even starting. I don't think he's started all year long for the most part."

"In terms of freshman, they've got a bunch of them just on their team. Just on their team alone you've got him and [Reed] Sheppard who come off the bench. Obviously, [D.J.] Wagner starts, [Aaron] Bradshaw and [Justin] Edwards. Just on one team, you can talk about their freshman class and what it's done for a top 25 basketball team in our league. There's also a bunch of other ones. Josh is in that conversation. He's obviously been unbelievable for us. I think other teams and programs in our league respect what he's doing as well."

Q: D.J. [Jeffries] is still working his way back from injury, but what do you like about what the look that he gives you in the rotation coming off the bench?
CJ: "What I love most about where D.J.'s at right now is he's embracing his final stretch run. His demeanor, his mood and his energy is as good as it's been since I've arrived. He's all in on this team. He's not worried about how many points he scores. He's not worried about his line. He wants to be a part of whatever we're going to be a part of down the stretch. As a coach, that's all you can ask for. He's coming back from that injury, and he's giving us everything he has. He probably came back a little bit early in the first game that we put him out there. But like I said, at that time, he was cleared and couldn't get hurt any worse."

"I really believe it's helped his game a little bit. It's gotten him to slow down a little bit offensively. He's using his dribbles a little bit better. He's catching and shooting it very well right now. He gives us a different look. When you put him out there on the wing and with his length, the way he can move his feet and his toughness, we're just different defensively. Not that Shawn Jones [Jr.] isn't a good defender either, but D.J.'s got some weight on him, maybe an inch or so, and a little more experience … I just love what D.J.'s doing for this program right now, and I'm really proud of him."

Q: Do you see a similar mentality with Tolu [Smith III] with it being his last ride. Do you feel like winning a being a part of a team that has success in March is his main priority right now?
CJ: "I talked about this with the radio guys before the game that our practices, and our shootaround against Ole Miss wasn't the best we've had. So, as coach you always go, 'Okay, we have no chance. How are we going to win this game?' You walk off the floor, it's four hours before the game and you're like, 'We did all this, and this is where we're at?' So, internally, you struggle with it. Fortunately, I've done it long enough to know that doesn't mean you're not going to play okay. You want to feel good, though, right? And so, it happened. We didn't have a great shootaround or practice leading up to the game, but we played pretty well."

"Then, going into LSU, it was different. Our practices were as good as they'd been the last month. Our shootaround was maybe the best shootaround we had all year. I had a couple buddies that were there in the crowd watching the shootaround, and I'm like, 'It's not always like that, it's not always that energetic,' But they were unbelievable. You want to feel good about it. But, then at the same time, I'm like, 'That doesn't mean we're going to play great. I was trying to talk everybody off the edge like we're in a great spot, blah blah blah. I'm like 'Yeah, unfortunately it doesn't always work that way,' but it did.

"Hopefully, the feeling that they have right now, and our togetherness is really, really good. I just feel like all those guys that have been around here: D.J., Tolu, even though Cam [Cameron Matthews] has another year, he's been with these guys. KeShawn [Murphy], Rams [Dashawn Davis], Shak [Shakeel Moore], Shawn Jones [Jr.]. Certainly, the new additions are buying into it."

"They know where we're at. There's a lot of work left to be done. Look at our schedule, and it's a brutal stretch run. The four games we have left – certainly, we're focused on Kentucky. We know who we have left, and so do they. There's a lot of things that could happen in the next two weeks, good or bad. So, we're just trying to rally the troops and make sure everybody understands how important these games are as we finish the season."

Mississippi State University Athletics

WATCH: Coach Jans Media Session

Players Mentioned

Dashawn Davis

Cameron Matthews

Shakeel Moore

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