Five Things To Know: State vs. LSU

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Mississippi State men's basketball team turns its attention to the SEC Tournament where a second-round matchup with LSU awaits the Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL's Nashville Predators.

The winner between State (19-12, 8-10 SEC) and LSU (17-14, 9-9 SEC) advance to face top seed and No. 5 Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC) during Friday's quarterfinal action. Both Thursday and Friday's games are on-tap for 12 p.m. CT tipoff.

The Bulldogs faced one of the SEC's toughest schedules in the regular season as their 18 league opponents amassed 177 victories and tallied NCAA NET ranking of 60.6. Both feats were the hardest among the top 10 in the SEC standings.

Overall, State and Vanderbilt were the only SEC squads scheduled to play 10+ NCAA NET Quad 1 games in league action. In fact, the Bulldogs are one of five teams in the country (BYU, Iowa State, TCU, UCF) to play seven of their first 9 conference games as NCAA NET Quad 1 opportunities.

State is one of three SEC schools (South Carolina, Texas A&M) and one of 16 schools in the country (Connecticut, Creighton, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, North Carolina, 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.

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 55 rankings in three-point field goal percentage defense (29.4 – 1st SEC – 7th nation), rebound margin (+6.2 – 3rd SEC – 24th nation), offensive rebounds (12.68 – 4th SEC – 32nd nation), total rebounds (38.71 – 5th SEC – 45th nation) and steals (7.9 – 4th SEC – 55th nation).

State also has dialed up top 45 marks from KenPom.com in two additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (97.6 – 24th) and steal percentage (11.4 – 44th).

SERIES HISTORY
State and LSU will meet for the 219th time in a series that dates back to 1908-09, the inaugural season of State basketball. The Bulldogs have the last two meetings under Coach Jans and five of the seven matchups played at the SEC Tournament. Overall, LSU possesses a 114-104 series advantage.

Earlier this season, State captured an 87-67 victory over the Tigers behind a 47-point second half. Josh Hubbard piled up 32 points followed by near double-doubles courtesy of Tolu Smith III (19 points, 9 rebounds) and KeShawn Murphy (19 points, 9 rebounds).

The Matchup: Mississippi State (19-12, 8-10 SEC) vs. LSU (17-14, 9-9 SEC)
Where: Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tennessee
When: Thursday, March 14, 12:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/3hCr1YE)

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/49XpOnU)
Talent: Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Marty Smith

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/3wX4Pn6); 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 .726 winning percentage (183-69) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is sixth among NCAA active coaches with a .729 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State), John Calipari (Kentucky) and Darian DeVries (Drake).

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 as he's attempting to join John Calipari (Kentucky) and Eric Musselman (Arkansas) as the only SEC active coaches to post consecutive 20+ win seasons in their first two seasons with their respective 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 18 games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 69.5 percent of the team's points (939-of-1352). The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 27.16 bench points per contest which is 5th on the SEC leaderboard and checks in 29th 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 (16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.3 APG) was showered with numerous preseason accolades headed by the Karl Malone and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists. He also is the only SEC player to be named a consensus 2022-23 and 2023-24 All-SEC First-Team pick.

For Smith III, he gives the Maroon and White an All-SEC First-Team pick in five of the last six seasons. He also became the 15th player in program history to pick up multiple All-SEC First-Team selections. The last State player to accomplish the feat was Jarvis Varnado, the NCAA's all-time leading shot blocker, during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.

Smith III has racked up 1,519 points (11th) and 835 rebounds (8th) and has started 99 of 104 games at State. He is joined by Kansas' Hunter Dickinson, Purdue's Zach Edey and Miami's Norchad Omier as the only Power 6 players in college basketball to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and shoot 55.0+ percent from the floor this season.

Smith III has ripped off 18 double-doubles over his last 35 games dating back to mid-January of last season. He produced his SEC-leading 33rd double-double among active players with 14 points and 10 rebounds versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09). Smith III's season's best is 26 points at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17), whereas his last 20-10 outing was a 21-point, 10-rebound performance during the Kentucky game (02/27).

Matthews (9.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.1 SPG) has showcased his as the only Power 6 player and one of two players nationally (Robert Ford – Montana State) to dial up at least 9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season.

Matthews has posted 14 outings of 10+ points sparked by season-highs of 18 points versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09) and Rutgers (12/23) coupled with a pair of 12-rebound efforts against North Texas (12/17) and at Ole Miss (01/30). He has a quartet of double-doubles in SEC action: 18 points, 11 rebounds against No. 17 South Carolina (03/09), 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 18-7 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points.

Matthews has handed out multiple assists 22 times and secured multiple steals on 15 occasions this season. He has garnered at least one steal in 69 of his 98 outings over the last three seasons. His 182 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).

The All-SEC Defensive nod for Matthews enabled him to become the fourth player in program history to etch his name to the record book. His company includes Abdul Ado (2020-21), Greg Carter (1990-91) and Varnado (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10).

Moore (8.2 PPG, 1.9 APG) 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 reached double-digit points in 7 of his last 12 outings and has piled up 13 total outings with 10+ points over a 22-game stretch as a member of State's starting five this season.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 82 of 120 career games sparked by 51 times with multiple steals. His 168 career steals are tied for 9th among SEC active players and his 133 steals at State are 16th on the program's all-time list.

Jeffries (6.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has found his way into State's starting five in 88 of 97 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) and No. 17 South Carolina (03/09) in addition to equaling a season-high 12 rebounds at Texas A&M (03/06).

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 (6.6 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.5 SPG) is ranked tied for 10th in steals among SEC players this season. Seven of his nine games of 10+ points in 2023-24 have come on the road/neutral games. In those nine games in double figures, Davis is shooting 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from three-point territory. His top three SEC scoring efforts are 16 points versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09), 15 points at Ole Miss (01/30) and 15 points at Texas A&M (03/06) The New York native also 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. (5.2 PPG, 5.4 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). He also has 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).

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.

After winning a program-record five SEC Freshman of the Week during the season, Hubbard (16.8 PPG, 1.8 APG) became the second State freshmen to come away with All-SEC Second-Team honors. He joins an illustrious list which includes Erick Dampier in 1993-94.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Hubbard holds the top spot nationally with 11 games of 20+ points among true freshmen in 2023-24. His 16.8 points per game also are 1st among SEC freshmen, while his 521 points are tops for a State freshmen passing Rickey Brown's mark of 520 points from 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 28 points versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09), 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.

The 34 points versus Kentucky are the second-most by a State freshmen in a game, behind only 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 inside 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 98 three-pointers which has already shattered Barry Stewart's program freshmen record of 68 in 2006-07. He surpassed Darryl Wilson's single-season watermark of 97 in 1994-95 in the regular season finale versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09).

Hubbard, 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.

Jones Jr. (4.6 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 eight of the last nine games for State 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 (5.6 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 averaged 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds over a six-game stretch to close February.

Murphy's top career scoring performance is 18 points 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.

SCOUTING LSU
Since the two teams previous meeting in late February, the Tigers have won three of their last four with victories over Georgia (67-66), Vanderbilt (74-61) and Missouri (84-80).

The trio of Jalen Cook (15.6 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG), Jordan Wright (15.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 SPG) and Will Baker (11.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG) have been solid for LSU. Wright has posted double figures in 25 of 31 games headed by a SEC season's best 27 points against Ole Miss (01/17) in addition to a pair of double-double versus Texas A&M (01/06 and 01/20).

Cook has missed LSU's last seven games due to injury, while Baker has dialed up 10-plus points in seven of his last 12 outings. His top two SEC scoring efforts have come at home: 25 points against Arkansas (02/03) and 24 points against No. 16 Alabama (02/10).

Tyrell Ward (9.2 PPG) has ripped off double-digit points in seven of his last nine outings to close the regular season and been inserted into the starting lineup during seven of LSU's last eight games. He posted a season's best 19 points at Arkansas (03/06) and secured a 17-point performance highlighted by the game-winning floater during the closing seconds against No. 17 Kentucky.

As of late, LSU's top scoring options off the bench have been Jalen Reed (8.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and Mike Williams II (7.5 PPG). Reed has notched a trio 13-point efforts at No. 11 South Carolina (02/17), versus No. 17 Kentucky (02/21) and at Vanderbilt (03/02).

Trae Hannibal (6.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.0 APG) fired in 22 points during the first meeting against Mississippi State (02/24). He has started LSU's last 11 games and racked up a season's best 24 points versus Missouri (03/09) during the regular season finale.

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 vs. LSU

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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