Five Things To Know: State-Missouri

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

COLUMBIA, Missouri – Mississippi State men's basketball will look to keep its recent momentum going as the Bulldogs travel to Missouri for a Saturday evening tilt.

State (15-8, 4-6 SEC) is coming off a 75-62 win over Georgia on Wednesday where the Bulldogs had four players produce in double figures, scored 15 of the game's 20 points on fastbreak opportunities and connected on a season's best 84.2 percent (16-of-19) at the free throw line.

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.

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 during league action.

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 (29.2 – 1st SEC – 16th nation), rebound margin (+6.4 – 3rd SEC – 29th nation), field goal percentage defense (40.6 – 3rd SEC – 37th nation) and total rebounds (39.48 – 3rd SEC – 39th nation).

State also has dialed up top 50 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (95.5 – 19th), effective field goal percentage defense (46.8 – 36th) and steal percentage (11.5 – 48th).

SERIES HISTORY
The two programs protected their home courts last season and have played a home-and-home in three of the last four seasons. State dialed up a 63-52 win, while Missouri secured a 66-64 overtime decision. Tolu Smith III registered double-doubles during both outings, 25 points and 12 rebounds in Starkville followed by 14 points and 10 rebounds in Columbia.

The Bulldogs have won seven of the last eight since 2018-19 and 12 of the last 14 meetings dating back to 2014-15 over Missouri. Overall, State holds a 13-6 series advantage. The Bulldogs last win in Columbia was 58-56 on 02/20/2022 courtesy of a Shakeel Moore's coast-to-coast go-ahead layup with 10 seconds remaining.

A win during Saturday's matchup would be State's first true road win of 2023-24. The Bulldogs first five SEC road opponents – South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama – enter Saturday's action a combined 55-7 when playing on its home floors this season.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (15-8, 4-6 SEC) at Missouri (8-15, 0-10 SEC)
Where: Mizzou Arena – Columbia, Missouri
When: Saturday, February 10, 7:31 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/3SmBSJP)

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/48PgDWz)
Talent: Roy Philpott, 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/3SOAjEs); 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 .734 winning percentage (179-65) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .734 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 10 games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 70.3 percent of the team's points (503-of-716). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 29.26 bench points per contest which is 5th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 24th 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 (17.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.5 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 1,398 points (18th) and 767 rebounds (11th) and has started 93 of 96 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey and Hunter Dickinson of Kansas as the only college basketball players to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and shoot 55-plus percent from the floor this season.

Smith III has ripped off 14 double-doubles over his last 27 games in double figures dating back to mid-January of last season. He produced his SEC-leading 29th double-double among active players with 19 points and 12 rebounds versus Georgia (02/07), 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, 7.1 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 10.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest over his last five 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 15 times and secured multiple steals on 11 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 62 of his 90 outings over the last three seasons. His 165 career steals are 3rd among SEC active players and tied for 6th on State's all-time list.

Moore (8.5 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG) has registered 37 of his 42 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 9.7 points per game with four straight and 10 outings in double figures over a 15-game stretch as a member of State's starting five.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 79 of 112 career games sparked by 49 times with multiple steals. His 164 career steals are 5th among SEC active players and his 129 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 Saturday's game at Missouri 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 (6.5 PPG, 3.2 APG, 1.5 SPG) is ranked 11th in steals, 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio and 15th in assists 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. (6.5 PPG, 6.4 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 6.4 rebounds per contest are 14th 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 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 State's last three games (01/30-02/07) 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 340 points through 23 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 eight of his top 10 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). Jones Jr. has notched seven of his eight outings with multiple assists and four of his eight performances with multiple steals this season.

Murphy (5.9 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.

Murphy's top career scoring performance is 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus North Texas (12/17). His SEC best is 11 points versus No. 8 Alabama (12/28/22) last season. State is 3-1 over the last two seasons when Murphy reaches double figures.

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 MISSOURI
The Tigers are led by Sean East II (15.6 PPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 SPG) and Tamar Bates (14.2 PPG, 1.3 APG). East II has pumped in seven performances of 15-plus points and 5-plus assists, most recently 21 points and 7 dimes at South Carolina (01/27).

Bates has started the team's last 16 games and upped his mark to 19.8 points per contest during SEC action. His top three scoring efforts are at home: 36 points versus Florida (01/20), 29 points against Arkansas (01/31) and 20 points versus Texas A&M (02/07).

Noah Carter (12.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and Nick Honor (10.7 PPG, 1.9 APG) give Mizzou four players averaging double figures. Carter has tucked away all three of his 20+ point scoring games versus SEC play most recently a 20-point effort at Vanderbilt (02/03), whereas Honor is coming off a season's best 19 points during the Texas A&M game (02/07) and has drained multiple three-pointers in seven straight games.

Missouri's top scorers off the bench are Anthony Robinson II (4.0 PPG), Connor Vanover (3.8 PPG) and Aiden Shaw (3.1 PPG). Robinson II tallied his third outing in double figures with 10 points against Arkansas (01/31). Caleb Grill (8.4 ppg, 5.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG) hasn't played since early December due to injury.

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.

Five Things To Know: State-Missouri

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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