Wednesday, February 7
Starkville
8:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Georgia
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Five Things To Know: State-Georgia
February 06, 2024 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball makes the turn and begins the second half of the SEC slate as Georgia visits Humphrey Coliseum for a Wednesday night tilt.
Both programs will look to return to the win column as State (14-8, 3-6 SEC) dropped back-to-back road decisions at Ole Miss and Auburn last week, while Georgia (14-8, 4-5 SEC) has lost three in a row to Florida, Alabama and South Carolina.
State was the nation's only team to play eight of their first nine league games as NCAA NET Quad 1 opportunities. In fact, the Bulldogs first five SEC road opponents – South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama – are a combined 54-7 when playing on its home floors this season.
Overall, State and Vanderbilt are the only SEC squads slated to play 10+ NCAA NET Quad 1 games during league action.
State is one of two SEC schools (South Carolina) and one of 10 schools in the country (Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, 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 the Bulldogs 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.
Last time out, State was handed a 99-67 defeat at No. 24 Alabama. Keys to the Crimson Tide victory were scoring 27 of the game's 34 points off turnovers coupled with 19-5 and 19-8 advantages in fastbreak points and second-chance points, respectively.
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 (28.7 – 1st SEC – 9th nation), bench points (29.91 – 4th SEC – 17th nation), rebound margin (+6.2 – 3rd SEC – 31st nation) and total rebounds (39.32 – 5th SEC – 44th nation).
State also has dialed up top 50 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (96.0 – 20th), effective field goal percentage defense (46.8 – 37th) and steal percentage (11.9 – 48th).
SERIES HISTORY
A win during Wednesday's matchup would enable State to even the all-time series at 59-59. The Maroon and White has won five of the last six dating back to the 2017-18 season sparked by three straight outings in Starkville.
State has won those three aforementioned meetings all by double figures, highlighted by a 91-59 triumph in 2019-20, the series largest margin of the victory. Last season, Georgia took a 58-50 decision in Athens.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (14-8, 3-6 SEC) vs. Georgia (14-8, 4-5 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum – Starkville
When: Wednesday, February 7, 8:05 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/492RuYP)
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/3NRn7LN)
Talent: Mike Morgan, Mark Wise
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/3uc9GQ4); 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 .733 winning percentage (178-65) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .733 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 nine games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 69.0 percent of the team's points (442-of-641). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 29.91 bench points per contest which is 4th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 18th 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 (16.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.4 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 1,379 points (18th) and 755 rebounds (11th) and has started 92 of 95 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey as the only returning college players in 2023-24 to average at least 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 55-plus percent from the floor last season.
Smith III has ripped off 13 double-doubles over his last 26 games in double figures dating back to mid-January of last season. He produced his SEC-leading 28th double-double among active players with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Florida (01/24), 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, 7.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.0 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 upped his marks to 10.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest over his last four sparked by a pair of double-doubles: 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 14 times and secured multiple steals on 10 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 61 of his 89 outings over the last three seasons. His 162 career steals are tied for 5th among SEC active players and tied for 7th on State's all-time list.
Moore (8.4 PPG, 2.1 APG) has registered 36 of his 41 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) and has posted 9.6 points per game with 9 games in double figures over a 14-game stretch as a member of State's starting five.
Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 78 of 111 career games sparked by 49 times with multiple steals. His 163 career steals are 4th among SEC active players and his 128 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 is expected to miss Wednesday's game with Georgia 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 (6.6 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG) is ranked tied for 12th 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) and 7 assists against Rutgers (12/23). In those seven games in double figures, Davis is shooting 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from three-point territory.
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 Jaquan Scott (Salt Lake Community College) from the transfer portal and the junior college ranks.
Bell Jr. (6.8 PPG, 6.6 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 6.6 rebounds per contest are 12th on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions.
Fort (5.7 PPG), one of the nation's top junior college recruits, was a All-America Second-Team honoree at Howard College in Texas last season. His 24.9 points per game was fourth 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 two games (01/30-02/03) 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. He secured nine points and nine rebounds versus Southern Miss in a charity exhibition game, while 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 326 points through his first 22 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 was 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. (5.1 PPG) wrapped up 2022-23 on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. He carried that momentum into 2023-24 with a trio of 8-point efforts versus Arizona State (11/08), UT Martin (11/11) and Washington State (11/18).
Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/23), whereas his 2023-24 season's best is 10 points at No. 24 Alabama (02/03). He has tallied six of his seven outings with multiple assists and four of his eight performances with multiple steals this season.
Murphy (5.4 PPG) made his season debut returning from injury against Nicholls (11/24). His top performance in 2023-24 is a career-best 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus North Texas (12/17). His SEC best are 11 points versus No. 8 Alabama (12/28/22) last season. Murphy has not played due to a personal matter since State's SEC opener at South Carolina (01/06).
Chol (2.7 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 made his SEC debut at No. 24 Alabama (02/03).
SCOUTING GEORGIA
Georgia's top two scorers, Jabri Abdur-Rahim (13.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG) and Noah Thomasson (12.0 PPG, 1.7 APG) have drained a combined 93 three-pointers on the season. Abdur-Rahim has amassed three of his top four scoring performances on the season during SEC action. He poured in 34 points at No. 8 Kentucky (01/20) in addition to 21-point and 20-point efforts versus No. 5 Tennessee (01/13) and South Carolina (02/03).
R.J. Melendez (11.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has started UGA's last two outings following a 35-point outburst at Florida (01/27) sparked by six treys. He has pumped home double figures in six of his last eight outings and secured a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against No. 24 Alabama (01/31).
The Bulldogs top two options off the bench have been Justin Hill (8.8 PPG, 3.7 APG) and Blue Cain (7.2 PPG). Hill racked up a season's best 19 points against Arkansas (01/10), whereas Cain has dialed up double-digit points in two of his last three appearances.
Silas Demary Jr. (9.7 PPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG) and Russel Tchewa (7.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG) join Abdur-Rahim and Thomasson as starters for all 22 games. Tchewa has secured all three of his double-doubles against SEC opponents, most recently 15 points and 11 rebounds at Florida (01/27).
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.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball makes the turn and begins the second half of the SEC slate as Georgia visits Humphrey Coliseum for a Wednesday night tilt.
Both programs will look to return to the win column as State (14-8, 3-6 SEC) dropped back-to-back road decisions at Ole Miss and Auburn last week, while Georgia (14-8, 4-5 SEC) has lost three in a row to Florida, Alabama and South Carolina.
State was the nation's only team to play eight of their first nine league games as NCAA NET Quad 1 opportunities. In fact, the Bulldogs first five SEC road opponents – South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama – are a combined 54-7 when playing on its home floors this season.
Overall, State and Vanderbilt are the only SEC squads slated to play 10+ NCAA NET Quad 1 games during league action.
State is one of two SEC schools (South Carolina) and one of 10 schools in the country (Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, 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 the Bulldogs 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.
Last time out, State was handed a 99-67 defeat at No. 24 Alabama. Keys to the Crimson Tide victory were scoring 27 of the game's 34 points off turnovers coupled with 19-5 and 19-8 advantages in fastbreak points and second-chance points, respectively.
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 (28.7 – 1st SEC – 9th nation), bench points (29.91 – 4th SEC – 17th nation), rebound margin (+6.2 – 3rd SEC – 31st nation) and total rebounds (39.32 – 5th SEC – 44th nation).
State also has dialed up top 50 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (96.0 – 20th), effective field goal percentage defense (46.8 – 37th) and steal percentage (11.9 – 48th).
SERIES HISTORY
A win during Wednesday's matchup would enable State to even the all-time series at 59-59. The Maroon and White has won five of the last six dating back to the 2017-18 season sparked by three straight outings in Starkville.
State has won those three aforementioned meetings all by double figures, highlighted by a 91-59 triumph in 2019-20, the series largest margin of the victory. Last season, Georgia took a 58-50 decision in Athens.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (14-8, 3-6 SEC) vs. Georgia (14-8, 4-5 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum – Starkville
When: Wednesday, February 7, 8:05 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/492RuYP)
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/3NRn7LN)
Talent: Mike Morgan, Mark Wise
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/3uc9GQ4); 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 .733 winning percentage (178-65) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .733 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 nine games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 69.0 percent of the team's points (442-of-641). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 29.91 bench points per contest which is 4th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 18th 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 (16.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.4 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 1,379 points (18th) and 755 rebounds (11th) and has started 92 of 95 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey as the only returning college players in 2023-24 to average at least 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 55-plus percent from the floor last season.
Smith III has ripped off 13 double-doubles over his last 26 games in double figures dating back to mid-January of last season. He produced his SEC-leading 28th double-double among active players with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Florida (01/24), 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, 7.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.0 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 upped his marks to 10.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest over his last four sparked by a pair of double-doubles: 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 14 times and secured multiple steals on 10 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 61 of his 89 outings over the last three seasons. His 162 career steals are tied for 5th among SEC active players and tied for 7th on State's all-time list.
Moore (8.4 PPG, 2.1 APG) has registered 36 of his 41 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) and has posted 9.6 points per game with 9 games in double figures over a 14-game stretch as a member of State's starting five.
Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 78 of 111 career games sparked by 49 times with multiple steals. His 163 career steals are 4th among SEC active players and his 128 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 is expected to miss Wednesday's game with Georgia 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 (6.6 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG) is ranked tied for 12th 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) and 7 assists against Rutgers (12/23). In those seven games in double figures, Davis is shooting 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from three-point territory.
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 Jaquan Scott (Salt Lake Community College) from the transfer portal and the junior college ranks.
Bell Jr. (6.8 PPG, 6.6 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 6.6 rebounds per contest are 12th on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions.
Fort (5.7 PPG), one of the nation's top junior college recruits, was a All-America Second-Team honoree at Howard College in Texas last season. His 24.9 points per game was fourth 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 two games (01/30-02/03) 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. He secured nine points and nine rebounds versus Southern Miss in a charity exhibition game, while 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 326 points through his first 22 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 was 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. (5.1 PPG) wrapped up 2022-23 on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. He carried that momentum into 2023-24 with a trio of 8-point efforts versus Arizona State (11/08), UT Martin (11/11) and Washington State (11/18).
Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/23), whereas his 2023-24 season's best is 10 points at No. 24 Alabama (02/03). He has tallied six of his seven outings with multiple assists and four of his eight performances with multiple steals this season.
Murphy (5.4 PPG) made his season debut returning from injury against Nicholls (11/24). His top performance in 2023-24 is a career-best 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus North Texas (12/17). His SEC best are 11 points versus No. 8 Alabama (12/28/22) last season. Murphy has not played due to a personal matter since State's SEC opener at South Carolina (01/06).
Chol (2.7 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 made his SEC debut at No. 24 Alabama (02/03).
SCOUTING GEORGIA
Georgia's top two scorers, Jabri Abdur-Rahim (13.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG) and Noah Thomasson (12.0 PPG, 1.7 APG) have drained a combined 93 three-pointers on the season. Abdur-Rahim has amassed three of his top four scoring performances on the season during SEC action. He poured in 34 points at No. 8 Kentucky (01/20) in addition to 21-point and 20-point efforts versus No. 5 Tennessee (01/13) and South Carolina (02/03).
R.J. Melendez (11.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has started UGA's last two outings following a 35-point outburst at Florida (01/27) sparked by six treys. He has pumped home double figures in six of his last eight outings and secured a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against No. 24 Alabama (01/31).
The Bulldogs top two options off the bench have been Justin Hill (8.8 PPG, 3.7 APG) and Blue Cain (7.2 PPG). Hill racked up a season's best 19 points against Arkansas (01/10), whereas Cain has dialed up double-digit points in two of his last three appearances.
Silas Demary Jr. (9.7 PPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG) and Russel Tchewa (7.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG) join Abdur-Rahim and Thomasson as starters for all 22 games. Tchewa has secured all three of his double-doubles against SEC opponents, most recently 15 points and 11 rebounds at Florida (01/27).
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.
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