Hubbard Chosen As Howell Trophy Finalist

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

JACKSON, Mississippi – Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard was selected as one of three finalists for the Bailey Howell Trophy announced Tuesday by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

The Howell Trophy presented by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort is awarded annually to the best male college basketball players in the Magnolia State. Hubbard is joined by Matthew Murrell of Ole Miss and Austin Crowley of Southern Miss.

Named after Mississippi State legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Bailey Howell, the Bulldogs have won the Howell Trophy during five of the last six seasons.

Quinndary Weatherspoon was a two-time winner during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons followed by Reggie Perry in 2019-20, Iverson Molinar in 2021-22 and Tolu Smith III in 2022-23.

This year's winner will be announced during a luncheon at the Golden Moon Casino at the Pearl River Resort in Choctaw on Monday, March 11.

Hubbard, a five-time SEC Freshman of the Week recipient, leads the league's freshmen at 15.3 points per game. He has racked up 412 points, which is fifth-most for a State freshman through 27 games and the most since Rickey Brown in 1976-77.

Hubbard has amassed 22 games in double figures and drained 76 of his 128 field goals from beyond the three-point line this season. His top three 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).

Hubbard's 32-point performance at LSU are the most scored by a State player under Coach Jans, and the most by a State true freshman since another 32-point outing by Raymond Brown versus Florida in 1984-85.

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. When he came off the bench, Hubbard's 14.8 points per game were the most by a Power 6 freshmen since the 2005-06 campaign with a minimum of 15 games played as a reserve, also 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 going back to 1988-89 season.

Hubbard, the 2022-23 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, capped his high school career at Madison-Ridgeland Academy under Richard Duease as the state's all-time leading scorer with 4,367 career points.

Hubbard broke a scoring record that stood for 37 years previously held by Mississippi State's Robert Woodard. Hubbard's MRA squad was the 2021 MAIS Class 6-A state champions and the 2022 MAIS Class 6A runner-up

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The Bulldogs welcome No. 16 Kentucky for an ESPN Super Tuesday showcase matchup in-front of a sold-out Humphrey Coliseum. Tip time is on-tap for 6 p.m. CT, and the game also will be available online courtesy of the ESPN app.

Mississippi State is selling single-game tickets for its remaining home games, fans are encouraged to 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.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Hubbard Chosen As Howell Trophy Finalist

Players Mentioned

Josh Hubbard

Tolu Smith III

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