Five Things To Know: State-No. 11 Auburn

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – March has arrived for Mississippi State men's basketball as the Bulldogs turn its attention to its sixth ranked opponent of the SEC slate with a trip to No. 11 Auburn for a Saturday afternoon matinee on The Plains.

The Bulldogs (19-9, 8-7 SEC) have won five of their last six games and enter the weekend's action in sole possession of 7th place in the SEC standings, two games back of Auburn (21-7, 10-5 SEC), Florida and Kentucky for a share of 4th place.

State has won its last two SEC road outings over Missouri (75-51) and LSU (87-67) to give the Bulldogs a pair of conference road victories 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.

The Bulldogs are the only SEC school and one of three teams in the country (Iowa State, UCF) to play seven of their first 9 conference games as NCAA NET Quad 1 opportunities. State's first five SEC road foes – South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama – have racked up a combined 65-11 (.855) when playing on its home floors this season. Overall, the Bulldogs are joined by Florida and Vanderbilt as the only SEC squad scheduled to play 10+ NCAA NET Quad 1 games.

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 (28.5 – 1st SEC – 5th nation), rebound margin (+6.4 – 3rd SEC – 25th nation), offensive rebounds (12.64 – 4th SEC – 31st nation and total rebounds (39.07 – 4th SEC – 37th nation) and field goal percentage defense (41.2 – 3rd SEC – 48th nation).

State also has dialed up top 40 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (95.5 – 17th), effective field goal percentage defense (47.0 – 36th) and steal percentage (11.6 – 38th).

SERIES HISTORY
State will square off with a ranked Auburn squad for the seventh time during the last nine meetings since 2017-18. The Bulldogs picked up a 64-58 triumph over then No. 8 Auburn earlier this season. Josh Hubbard scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half of his first college start. He drained a late shot clock triple to stretch State's lead from 55-54 to 58-54 with 1:37 to go.

Overall, Auburn possesses an 81-71 series advantage over the Bulldogs which includes an 8-4 mark under Bruce Pearl. State's last win on The Plains was a 78-71 decision in 2014-15. The last four meetings at Auburn have all been decided by single digits by an average of 6.0 points.

State will look to break another streak on Saturday as the Bulldogs have dropped their last 21 outings on the road to ranked opponents. The last ranked road win for the Maroon and White was an 80-75 decision at No. 14 Ole Miss on 01/09/2010.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (19-9, 8-7 SEC) at No. 11 Auburn (21-7, 10-5 SEC)
Where: Neville Arena – Auburn, Alabama
When: Saturday, March 2, 3:05 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/3XazepB)

TV: ESPN2
Channels: Ch. 209 (DirecTV); Ch. 143 (Dish); Ch. 1024 (MaxxSouth); Ch. 202 C-Spire
App: ESPN App (Subscription Required – https://hailst.at/48hxhgo)
Talent: Roy Philpott, Dane Bradshaw

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/3uAPNCF); 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 .735 winning percentage (183-66) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .735 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) and John Calipari (Kentucky).

Jans has piled up 40 victories during his first two seasons at State which is at the top of the class among the six SEC second-year coaches.

The team's next victory will give Jans back-to-back 20-win seasons with the Bulldogs which will enabled him to join John Calipari (Kentucky) and Eric Musselman (Arkansas) as the only SEC active coaches with consecutive 20-win seasons in their first seasons at their current schools.

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 15 games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 70.0 percent of the team's points (785-of-121). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 28.71 bench points per contest which is 4th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 21st 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, 8.3 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 1,483 points (14th) and 811 rebounds (9th) and has started 96 of 101 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey as the only two players in college basketball to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and shoot 60.0+ percent from the floor this season.

Smith III has ripped off 16 double-doubles over his last 32 games dating back to mid-January of last season. He produced his SEC-leading 31th double-double among active players with 21 points and 10 rebounds versus No. 16 Kentucky (02/27), coupled with a season's best 26 points at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17). His last 20-10 outing was a 21-point, 10-rebound performance during the Kentucky game (02/27).

Matthews (9.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.1 SPG) has showcased his as one of two players nationally (Dillon Jones – Weber State) to dial up at least 9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 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 20 times and secured multiple steals on 14 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 66 of his 95 outings over the last three seasons. His 179 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 (8.8 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG) has registered 40 of his 45 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 11.1 points per game with seven of his last nine outings in double figures and has piled up 13 total outings with 10+ points over a 20-game stretch as a member of State's starting five this season.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 82 of 117 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, 5.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has found his way into State's starting five in 87 of 94 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 over a 3-game stretch (02/07-02/17) 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 only 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 (6.0 PPG, 2.9 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). 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. (5.7 PPG, 5.9 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 5.9 rebounds per contest are 15th 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 (15.9 PPG, 1.7 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. He broke a state 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 1st nationally with 8 games of 20+ points among true freshmen this season. His 15.9 points per contest also are 1st among SEC freshmen, while his 446 points through 28 games are 5th-most for a State freshmen and the most since Rickey Brown (1976-77).

Hubbard's SEC top scoring efforts are 34 points versus No. 16 Kentucky (02/27), 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. With his back-to-back outings of 30-plus points during the LSU and Kentucky games, he is joined by Alabama's Brandon Miller (2022-23) as the only SEC freshmen to accomplish the feat in the last 20 seasons, according to Elias.

The 34 points versus Kentucky are the second-most by a State freshmen in a game, trailing only Rickey Brown's 40-point performance against Auburn on 03/07/1977. He exploded for 22 points in the second half which included a trio of three-pointers that allowed State to erase an 8-point deficit in the final minute.

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. 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).

Hubbard has drained 83 three-pointers which has already shattered Barry Stewart's program freshmen record of 68 in 2006-07. He heads into Saturday's action 15 treys away from Darryl Wilson's single-season mark of 97 in 1994-95.

Jones Jr. (4.9 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 started State's last six games and secured 10 of his top 12 scoring efforts this season fueled by 4 of his top 6 on the road/neutral floor.
Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/23). He also tallied his 2023-24 season watermark of 10 points at No. 24 Alabama (02/03) and 9 points at Florida (01/24). State has posted an 8-4 mark over the last two seasons when Jones Jr. reaches at least 7 points.

Murphy (6.6 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 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds over the six-game stretch (02/07-02/27).

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 AUBURN
The Tigers have won five of their last eight outings since the first meeting with State in late January. Auburn has its 16-game home winning streak come to a close against No. 22 Kentucky on 02/17. Offensively, the Tigers are averaging 82.8 points per game, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and has six players averaging at least seven points per contest.

Johni Broome (16.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG) has racked up 12 double-doubles which include three straight outings most recently 23 points and 10 rebounds at No. 4 Tennessee (02/28). He has garnered seven outings of 20+ points fueled by a quartet of those versus ranked SEC foes. Broome posted 24 points and 5 blocks against No. 16 Alabama (02/07).

Jaylin Williams (12.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.0 APG) is back into the Auburn rotation after missing a game due to injury. Him and Aden Holloway (8.1 PPG, 2.8 APG) have combined for 26 outings in double figures. Williams has provided double figures in six of his last eight appearances sparked by 26 points versus No. 16 Alabama (02/07) and 23 points against No. 11 South Carolina (02/14).

Auburn's top performers off the bench for a majority of the season have been Chad Baker-Mazara (10.3 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.1 SPG), KD Johnson (7.6 PPG, 1.3 SPG) and Tre Donaldson (6.7 PPG, 3.2 APG). Baker-Mazara has ripped off double-digit points in seven of his last eight games since the State game. He pumped home a season's best 25 points at Georgia (02/24) in his first start of the season.

Denver Jones (8.0 PPG, 1.3 APG) has started Auburn's last eight games and 26 of 28 outings on the season. He has chipped in 10-plus points during five of those last eight outings. His top scoring effort of 19 points was against Vanderbilt (01/31).

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-No. 11 Auburn

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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