Photo by: Mike Mattina/MSU Athletics
Men’s Hoops Geared Up For #SECTipoff ‘26
October 14, 2025 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Josh Hubbard, Jayden Epps and Shawn Jones Jr. will join Chris Jans at the SEC Tipoff '26 event on Wednesday morning at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook, Alabama.
The trio will meet with various media members and media outlets from across the country which include ESPN, CBS, NCAA and Sirius XM.
SEC Now airing on the SEC Network will have live coverage from media days starting at 9 a.m. CT hosted by Dari Nowkhah, Daymeon Fishback and Pat Bradley. The Bulldogs are scheduled to join the SEC Network set from 10:50 to 11:05 a.m. CT.
Press conferences for each head coach will stream in their entirety online via SEC Network+ and the ESPN App. Coach Jans' press conference is slated to begin at 9:35 a.m. CT.
As a program, State was listed among teams receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll and was picked to finish 10th in the SEC Preseason media poll which also was released on Monday.
The SEC placed six teams inside the AP Top 20 which include No. 3 Florida, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 14 Arkansas, No. 15 Alabama, No. 18 Tennessee and No. 20 Auburn. The Bulldogs were joined by Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas and Vanderbilt among the receiving votes category.
Hubbard was chosen as a Preseason All-SEC First-Team pick on Monday. As a program, the Bulldogs have had at least one player secure All-SEC Preseason honors from the media during four of the last five seasons and in nine of the last 11 seasons since 2015-16.
In 22 days, State takes on North Alabama (Nov. 5 – 8 p.m. CT – SEC Network) for its 2025-26 season opener at Humphrey Coliseum and officially embark on the program's fourth season under Coach Jans, who has guided State to three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.
Men's basketball season tickets are on sale now and start at $225, plus fees. Fans interested in purchasing new season tickets can do so by clicking HERE or calling (662) 325-2600.
State secured its third straight NCAA Tournament bid during the 2024-25 season. The last time the Bulldogs accomplished the feat was in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05.
In 2025-26, the Bulldogs are looking to connect four consecutive NCAA Tournament trips for the 2nd time in program history. The previous four-year run went from 2001-02 to 2004-05 under Rick Stansbury.
Since 2022-23 under Coach Jans, State is one of seven SEC teams (Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M) and one of 25 schools nationally with an active streak of at least three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.
State has recorded 10 wins over Associated Press Top 25 squads under Coach Jans which is the program's best three-year total in school history.
Last season, the Bulldogs collected five victories over ranked foes (No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 18 Pitt, at No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 21 Ole Miss, at No. 21 Memphis) for the first time in program history during the regular season.
Heading into 2025-26, State is one of five SEC schools (Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee) and one of 10 schools nationally (Gonzaga, Kansas, Memphis, Purdue, UConn) to win at least 11 non-conference regular season games against NCAA Net Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents over the last three seasons.
Taking it a step further, the Bulldogs have won 9 of those 11 non-conference regular season games on the road or on a neutral floor versus NCAA Net Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents over the last three seasons. State is one of five schools nationally (Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee, UConn) nationally to win at least 80 percent of those games away from home.
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.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Josh Hubbard, Jayden Epps and Shawn Jones Jr. will join Chris Jans at the SEC Tipoff '26 event on Wednesday morning at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook, Alabama.
The trio will meet with various media members and media outlets from across the country which include ESPN, CBS, NCAA and Sirius XM.
SEC Now airing on the SEC Network will have live coverage from media days starting at 9 a.m. CT hosted by Dari Nowkhah, Daymeon Fishback and Pat Bradley. The Bulldogs are scheduled to join the SEC Network set from 10:50 to 11:05 a.m. CT.
Press conferences for each head coach will stream in their entirety online via SEC Network+ and the ESPN App. Coach Jans' press conference is slated to begin at 9:35 a.m. CT.
As a program, State was listed among teams receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll and was picked to finish 10th in the SEC Preseason media poll which also was released on Monday.
The SEC placed six teams inside the AP Top 20 which include No. 3 Florida, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 14 Arkansas, No. 15 Alabama, No. 18 Tennessee and No. 20 Auburn. The Bulldogs were joined by Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas and Vanderbilt among the receiving votes category.
Hubbard was chosen as a Preseason All-SEC First-Team pick on Monday. As a program, the Bulldogs have had at least one player secure All-SEC Preseason honors from the media during four of the last five seasons and in nine of the last 11 seasons since 2015-16.
In 22 days, State takes on North Alabama (Nov. 5 – 8 p.m. CT – SEC Network) for its 2025-26 season opener at Humphrey Coliseum and officially embark on the program's fourth season under Coach Jans, who has guided State to three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.
Men's basketball season tickets are on sale now and start at $225, plus fees. Fans interested in purchasing new season tickets can do so by clicking HERE or calling (662) 325-2600.
State secured its third straight NCAA Tournament bid during the 2024-25 season. The last time the Bulldogs accomplished the feat was in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05.
In 2025-26, the Bulldogs are looking to connect four consecutive NCAA Tournament trips for the 2nd time in program history. The previous four-year run went from 2001-02 to 2004-05 under Rick Stansbury.
Since 2022-23 under Coach Jans, State is one of seven SEC teams (Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M) and one of 25 schools nationally with an active streak of at least three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.
State has recorded 10 wins over Associated Press Top 25 squads under Coach Jans which is the program's best three-year total in school history.
Last season, the Bulldogs collected five victories over ranked foes (No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 18 Pitt, at No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 21 Ole Miss, at No. 21 Memphis) for the first time in program history during the regular season.
Heading into 2025-26, State is one of five SEC schools (Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee) and one of 10 schools nationally (Gonzaga, Kansas, Memphis, Purdue, UConn) to win at least 11 non-conference regular season games against NCAA Net Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents over the last three seasons.
Taking it a step further, the Bulldogs have won 9 of those 11 non-conference regular season games on the road or on a neutral floor versus NCAA Net Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents over the last three seasons. State is one of five schools nationally (Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee, UConn) nationally to win at least 80 percent of those games away from home.
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.
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