Five Things To Know: No. 14 State-No. 6 Kentucky

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball starts a potential run of four straight games versus Associated Press Top 25 opponents as the Bulldogs meet No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday evening at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Bulldogs (14-1, 2-0 SEC) have won 14 of their first 15 games for the fifth time in program history and for the first time since State's 2003-04 SEC regular season championship campaign.

The Bulldogs have won their opening two SEC outings for the first time since 2012-13 and have posted the program's third-best margin of victory during their first two SEC games.

The Maroon and White will play the program's third matchup between AP Top 15 teams at Humphrey Coliseum. It marks the ninth time that a ranked vs. ranked matchup has taken place in Starkville. State has split the previous eight ranked vs. ranked outings with its last win coming during a 92-84 triumph over then No. 16 Auburn in 2018-19.

The Bulldogs check in at No. 14 in this week's Associated Press and moved to No. 13 in this week's USA Today Top 25 rankings which were released earlier this week. Both marks are program-highs under Coach Jans.

At some point, State has been ranked inside both polls during each of Coach Jans' three seasons and over the last three weeks in both polls this season. The last time the Maroon and White achieved the feat of being ranked during three straight seasons was in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 under Rick Stansbury.

State is one of two SEC programs (Auburn) and one of three teams (Oregon) in the country to amass at least five non-conference victories and a 5-1 record or better against NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 non-conference opponents.

The Bulldogs also are joined by Tennessee as the only teams in the nation to collect a pair of true non-conference road wins over NCAA NET Quad 1 foes. Overall, State is one of four SEC programs and one of 14 programs nationally with at least six combined NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins.

With their victories over No. 18 Pitt (80-57) and No. 21 Memphis (79-66), the Bulldogs have won two games over AP Top 25 foes before January for the third time in program history. State also accomplished the feat in 2002-03 and 2011-12 with Stansbury at the helm.

Respectively, the Pitt and Memphis triumphs are State's largest home and largest road wins over AP Top 25 opponents in program history. The Bulldogs also posted a 35-point win over South Carolina which was the program's second-largest margin of victory for a SEC opener.

In total, the Maroon and White have captured seven victories over AP Top 25 opponents under Coach Jans. The seven wins are already the most ranked victories for a State coach during his first three seasons in Starkville.

State has secured back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances fueled by a pair of 21-win campaigns with Coach Jans at the helm. The last time the Bulldogs collected back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids was during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons under Stansbury. State will look to secure three straight NCAA Tournament trips for the third time in program history this season.

The Bulldogs have piled up 83.5 points per game which is the third-highest mark in program history through 15 games and the program's highest mark going back to 1990-91. The Maroon and White also has racked up a program-best 152 steals and canned 131 triples which is third-most in program history after 15 games.

After selling out seven contests and boasting the program's fifth highest attendance average for season in 2023-24, Humphrey Coliseum has averaged 8,263 fans which is the program's highest mark through the team's first seven games dating back to the 2008-09 season.

Fans can purchase single game tickets for the program's remaining home games through Mississippi State's Athletic Ticket Office at www.HailState.com/tickets or by calling (662) 325-2600 / (888) 463-2947 (GO DAWGS).

SERIES HISTORY
Kentucky has won the 18 regular season meetings between the two programs dating back to the 2008-09 season. State's last win in the series was a 74-73 victory at the 2021 SEC Tournament. Overall, the Wildcats hold a 103-21 series advantage.

Last season, the Bulldogs erased a 9-point deficit inside the final minute behind Josh Hubbard's trio of three-pointers and career-best 34 points. Kentucky emerged with the 91-89 decision on a Reed Sheppard midrange jumper in the closing seconds.

The Matchup: No. 14 Mississippi State (14-1, 2-0 SEC) vs. No. 6 Kentucky (12-3, 1-1 SEC)
Where: Starkville, Mississippi – Humphrey Coliseum
When: Saturday, January 11, 7:31 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/MBKLiveStats)

TV: SEC Network
Stream: ESPN App (Subscription Required)
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/4iKaMHl
Talent: Dave Neal, 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 and The Varsity Network Apps
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/4gF7aVs

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT STATE
1. Chris Jans, one of the nation's premier bench bosses, leads the State program. He is assisted by George Brooks, David Anwar, Patrice Days, Scott Padgett and Dillon Elder.
Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .734 winning percentage (199-72) in his 9th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is sixth among NCAA active coaches with the aforementioned .734 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State), John Calipari (Arkansas) and Darian DeVries (West Virginia).

In his three seasons at State, Jans has amassed 56 victories, which holds the top spot among the six, SEC third-year coaches. He is the only active SEC coach at his respective school to post a pair of 20-plus win seasons in their first two SEC seasons with Calipari entering his first season at Arkansas and Eric Musselman now coaching at Southern Cal.

Jans, Calipari (Kentucky – 2009-10 & 2010-11) and Bruce Pearl (Tennessee – 2005-06 & 2006-07) are the only SEC coaches to take their squads to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments over their first two seasons during the 2000s.

Nationally, Jans is joined by Jon Scheyer (Duke) and Rodney Terry (Texas) as the only third-year coaches to take their squads to the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments, respectively.

Jans is the last coach to defeat two-time defending national champion UConn led by Dan Hurley at the 2022 NCAA Tournament while at New Mexico State and was the last coach to defeat the Huskies on a neutral court, a span of 984 days, until Memphis defeated UConn at the 2024 Maui Invitational.

As a junior college head coach, Jans won the 1997-98 NJCAA Division II National Championship at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jans 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 before he won the 2015 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year during his first season as a NCAA Division I head coach at Bowling Green.

Jans ushered in an unprecedented run of success over a five-year span at New Mexico State where he guided the Aggies to a 122-32 record sparked by three NCAA Tournament trips. The program was in-line for a 4th NCAA Tournament appearance before the 2019-20 postseason was cancelled.

2. State's returning group is fueled by Josh Hubbard, Shawn Jones Jr., Cameron Matthews and KeShawn Murphy.

Hubbard, a Wooden Award Midseason Watch List recipient along with a Bob Cousy Award and Lute Olson Award Preseason Watch List member, registered 17.1 points per game which was tops among SEC freshmen last season.

Hubbard's 855 points through 50 games is second in program history for freshmen and sophomores trailing only Ray White from the 1970s. He has racked up double figures in 44 of 50 outings fueled by 19 efforts of 20+ points. His freshman campaign of 598 points was tops for a State freshmen and 8th overall for a single-season.

Hubbard's SEC top scoring efforts are 34 points versus No. 16 Kentucky (02/27/2024), 32 points at LSU (02/24/2024) and 28 points versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2024). His best non-con scoring effort was 29 points against Northwestern (11/19/2023) as State won the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Hubbard drained 108 three-pointers last season which shattered Barry Stewart's freshmen record of 68 from 2006-07. He also surpassed Darryl Wilson's single-season watermark of 97 in 1995-96 during the regular season finale versus No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2023).

Hubbard has sunk multiple triples in 42 of 50 career games and has hit at least one three-pointer in 28 consecutive games which is the third-longest streak in State history. In total, he has already buried 155 treys which is already 14th on the program's all-time list.

The Madison native picked up where he left off from a season ago and has poured in 17.1 points per game this season which is 9th among the SEC leaders. He fired in 20 of his 23 points after halftime versus Utah (11/17) and amassed a season-high 26 points fueled by six three-pointers against West Georgia (11/04) during the 2024-25 season opener.

Hubbard has dialed up 20.7 points per game sparked by 85 triples over his last 23 outings. He has led the team in scoring during 19 of his 31 career starts since the Auburn game on 01/28/2024.

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. has made 61 of his 74 appearances off the bench over his three seasons with the Bulldogs. He posted a career-high tying 11 points versus Prairie View A&M (12/08).

Jones Jr. also tallied 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/2023). He has made 23 of his 38 shot attempts from two-point territory this season.

Matthews is one of college basketball's most versatile players and is the only active NCAA player with at least 850 points, 700 rebounds, 300 assists and 225 steals. He is one of five SEC players and one of 22 players among the Power 5 hoops conferences (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) to play their fifth season at the same school in 2024-25.

During his three seasons under Coach Jans, Matthews has dialed up an impressive +688 plus/minus cumulative mark when on the floor. He has been a positive plus/minus performer in 65 of 84 games, racked up 35 outings with at least +10 mark and secured at least a +20 rating on 13 occasions.

Matthews dialed up a quartet of double-doubles in SEC action last season: 18 points, 11 rebounds against No. 17 South Carolina (03/09/2024), 14 points, 11 rebounds versus No. 8 Auburn (01/27/2024), 16 points, 12 rebounds at Ole Miss (01/30/2024) and 17 points, 10 rebounds against Arkansas (02/17/2024). State is 4-2 when Matthews provides a double-double.

The Bulldogs are 22-8 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points. He dialed up a season's bests of 16 points at Vanderbilt (01/07) followed by solid non-conference showings with 14 points versus Butler (11/22) and 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists at No. 21 Memphis (12/21).

Matthews has posted 30 career outings with at least five rebounds, multiple assists and multiple steals. His 230 career steals are 1st on State's all-time list and 4th among NCAA active Power 5 players (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12 SEC). The Olive Branch native set State's all-time mark during the McNeese game (12/14).

The All-SEC Defensive nod for Matthews in 2023-24 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).

Murphy has played in 55 career games and made all three of his career starts in 2024-25. He has improved his points and rebounds per game averages during each of his three seasons culminating with 9.9 points and 7.7 rebounds this season.

The Alabama native has pumped home six of his top eight scoring efforts in 2024-25 ignited by a career-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting against No. 18 Pitt (12/04). He dialed up his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-best 14 rebounds versus Utah (11/17).

Murphy has been a stats sheet stuffer with nine outings of multiple assists and six games of multiple blocks followed by two games of multiple steals this season. His 7.7 rebounds per contest are 9th sparked by a 5.7 clip on the defensive end which also is 7th in the SEC rankings.

An ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2021, Murphy secured SEC career-bests of 12 points apiece versus South Carolina (01/04) this season and against Ole Miss (02/21/2024) last season. State has won 12 of 13 games over the last three seasons when he scores double-digit points.

3. State's talented six-member transfer class combined for 57.2 points per game at their previous stops last season. The group includes Kanye Clary (Penn State), Jeremy Foumena (Rhode Island), Claudell Harris Jr. (Boston College), Riley Kugel (Florida), RJ Melendez (Georgia) and Michael Nwoko (Miami • Florida).

Clary has played in 62 games where he garnered 545 career points between Mississippi State and Penn State. He amassed 16.7 points per game last season which ranked eight on the Big Ten leaderboard with the Nittany Lions. Clary's career-high is 29 points against Rider (12/29/2023), while his Big Ten best was 27 points against No. 11 Wisconsin (01/16/2024).

Clary has notched at least eight points and handed out multiple assists during four of his last six appearances in Maroon and White. He drained 8-of-9 at the foul line en route to a season's best 12-point outing versus Southeastern Louisiana (11/12). Clary has missed State's last eight games due to a leg injury.

Foumena has seen action in 36 games off the bench during his time at Mississippi State and Rhode Island after a redshirt season with the Rams in 2022-23. His career-high is 16 points versus Wagner (11/14/2023) whereas his Atlantic 10 scoring watermark was 13 points against Fordham (01/24/2024).

Harris Jr. has piled up 1,484 career points over his three stops at State, Charleston Southern and Boston College. He was named 2021-22 All-Big South Freshman Team and 2022-23 All-Big South Second Team during his first two seasons with Charleston Southern.

Harris Jr. made an instant impact with 20 points fueled by six trifectas in State's opening night win over West Georgia (11/04) and tacked on a season's best 21 points versus Prairie View A&M (12/08). He is the only State player since at least 1988-89 to fire in 20 points off the bench during a season opener. Harris Jr. and Hubbard made program history as the first set of teammates to connect for at least six three-pointers during the same game in the 2024-25 opener.

Overall, Harris Jr. has racked up 80 outings in double figures fueled by 19 performances of 20+ points. His teams are a combined 14-5 when he piles up 20-plus points. The Bulldogs are 9-0 this season when Harris Jr. reaches double figures. He dropped in 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting versus South Carolina (01/04) during the SEC opener.

Harris Jr.'s career-high is 34 points against High Point (01/11/2023) at Charleston Southern followed by 2023-24 season's best of 29 points versus Lehigh (12/21/2023) while at Boston College.

Kugel, an ESPN top 75 recruit for the Class of 2022, makes it a full circle moment after he originally committed to the Maroon and White during the November 2021 signing period. He captured 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman-Team honors and totaled 765 points over 80 games between State and Florida.

Kugel has managed 36 games in double figures headed by 10 outings of 20-plus points. His career watermark is 25 points against No. 13 Baylor (11/24/2023), while he posted a SEC career-high of 24 points against Kentucky (02/22/2023) with the Gators.

Kugel has dialed up double figures in three of his last four games and on seven occasions with State. The Bulldogs are 6-1 in those outings. He has fired in 13.3 points per game on 56.1 percent shooting (23-of-41) from the floor over his last four games.

Kugel provided 17 of his season's best 22 points during the second half of the Butler game (11/29). He also secured 15 of his 19 points in the first half at No. 21 Memphis (12/21) and equaled his season-high with another 22-point performance against Bethune-Cookman (12/30).

Like Kugel, Melendez is no stranger to the SEC after he spent last season at Georgia where the Bulldogs made a run to the 2024 NIT Final Four. He opened his collegiate career with back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips at Illinois.

Melendez, an ESPN top 75 recruit for the Class of 2021, has played in 105 games and improved his scoring average during each of his first three seasons sparked by 9.6 points per game at Georgia. His career-high is 35 points aided by six treys at Florida (01/27/2024).

The Puerto Rico native has tallied 752 career points coupled with 35 career outings with 10-plus points. His teams are 24-11 when Melendez provides double figures. He has dialed up 11.0 points per game over his last eight outings headed by a season's best 19 points and seven rebounds at Vanderbilt (01/07). Melendez has rattled home double-digit points in five of his last eight outings.

Nwoko made 44 appearances at State and Miami where two of his top five scoring efforts came against top 15 opponents last season. He tallied eight points and seven rebounds against No. 8 Duke (02/21/2024) coupled with eight points and six rebounds at No. 12 Kentucky (11/28/2023) with the Hurricanes.

Nwoko has four performances of 10+ points on the season where State has posted a 3-1 mark. His first career double-double with career-bests of 18 points and 11 rebounds versus No. 18 Pitt (12/04) over an efficient 18 minutes of action.

Nwoko tacked on his second double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Prairie View A&M (12/08). He has secured seven of his top 10 scoring efforts with State this season.
Nwoko has international experience representing Team Canada at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship and the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup.

4. State's roster features freshmen EJ Paymon and Dellquan Warren along with Gai Chol and Adrian Myers who will look to build on their freshman campaigns.

Warren, an ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2024, played his final prep season at Our Savior Lutheran in New York which is the same prep program as Dashawn Davis who was on State's roster the last two seasons.

Warren has chipped in multiple assists in five of his appearances in addition to multiple steals on two occasions. He came away with two points, three rebounds and three assists during the South Carolina game (01/04).

Chol has made 27 appearances, all coming off the bench, during his first two seasons in Maroon and White. The native of South Sudan started playing basketball around age 10 by attending camps in his home country hosted by NBA player Luol Deng.

Chol's career-highs are 11 points and six rebounds versus UT Martin (11/11/2023). He added eight points on 4-of-5 shooting versus West Georgia (11/04) during the 2024-25 opener in addition to securing six points and four rebounds during the UNLV game (11/28).

Paymon was a three-time 4A state champion at Raymond High School and was the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year in Mississippi. As announced by Coach Jans on 11/06, Myers and Paymon are expected to redshirt the 2024-25 season.

5. As a program, State has earned six straight postseason appearances when postseason tournament has been played (3 NCAA • 3 NIT) and 16 postseason appearances (9 NCAA • 7 NIT) during the 2000s.

The Bulldogs have already signed a trio of ESPN top 100 recruits for the Class of 2025 which include Tee Bartlett, Jamarion Davis-Fleming and King Grace.

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 and Instagram.

Five Things To Know: No. 14 State-No. 6 Kentucky

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