WATCH: Coach Jans Media Session
November 18, 2025 | Men's Basketball
2025-26 Mississippi State Men's Basketball Quotes
Media Session – November 18, 2025
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Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: What are your thoughts on the three signees [Willie Burnett III, Jalyn Collingwood, Tristan Reed] who officially signed last week?
CJ: "Yeah, we're thrilled about the recent additions that we've made to our program. Those who have been following us and that know me know that we're not 'Oh my god over the moon' about recruits. We love them, and we offer them a scholarship because we believe in them. We'll see when they get here, and how they'll acclimate to this level, to the demands that are placed upon them and to the expectations that we have every single day. They all know that. It's all been discussed with them prior to making the commitment."
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"But, I want to be clear, we're very thrilled about what we've added for next year. We think we're in a great position that way with the obvious – the quality of play, but equally important, the type of young men that we're adding to our program. They've got work ethics, and they're about the right stuff. I think they're going to fit in very, very well to our culture. Most importantly, I think they are going to improve and keep getting better that way. Hopefully, that's something that will continue with our high school recruiting and continues to get better."
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Q: You've got another tough matchup with Kansas State on Thursday, what about that team catches your eye on film?
CJ: "I mean, up until last night game, they were number one in the country in three-point shooting. It literally felt like every time they shot the three it went in, no matter who it was on their team. They slowed down a little bit last night in a win. They're very offensive minded in terms of scoring the ball. Again, last night, they scored 80-something, but they've scored in the mid-to-high 90s in every game that they've played thus far."
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"They've got a lot of fire power, and it's not just one guy. Certainly, people will talk about [PJ] Haggerty a lot, and deservingly so. But, they've got five guys that are averaging double-figures. I think one of them [David Castillo] comes off the bench. They really spread you out defensively. They put a lot of pressure on you defensively. They push the ball, and they play fast."
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"Then, in the half court, they get the ball in Haggerty's hands a lot. We're familiar with him, obviously, with playing Memphis last year. He's the straw that stirs the drink. But, at the same time, he's got a lot of running mates that can put the ball in the hole as well."
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"Then defensively, they're sound. They're very sound. Some of their numbers may not look as gaudy, but they've also played in very high possession games. So, they [the numbers] can get skewed that way, but they're guarding their yard, if you will. They've got some connectivity to their team. They've got really good size around the basket, especially coming off the bench. It seems like those guys that maybe aren't their leading scorers have really bought into their role identification in doing what they do best to help their particular team."
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Q: How do you feel about the state of the team three games into the season?
CJ: "We're a work in progress like I would expect us to be, to be honest with you, with all the newness. Certainly, there's a lot of teams out there that have a lot of newness that are playing their best at least for November."
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"We're not playing our best, like I just mentioned in the previous question. I feel like there were times when we were better at practice from a competitive standpoint and from an execution standpoint than we are in games. Certainly, there are distractions in games that you have to avoid, that's why you do it sometimes.
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"We're definitely a work in progress. I keep trying to get them [the players] to understand that we've got to be really old school and have a mantra of getting better and soaking up everything we can in every film session, every practice session and every walkthrough. So, we as a group, can get the growth that is required all year long but especially early."
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"We're still trying to find out what our identity is going to be. I've said this before, I know what I want our identity to be, and it's my job to try to get them to grab a hold of it and buy into it. We're not there yet. We're just not there yet, but we're going to keep charging forward and working our tail off. They're going to keep doing the same. Hopefully, in short order, that identity will be formed and everyone will see it. But until then as you can see, we've had a lot of struggles in games, some longer than others. It needs to be figured out sooner than later."
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Q: What do you expect from the atmosphere in Kansas City with it being so close to Kansas State? Do you expect a situation similar to what you all faced against Iowa State in South Dakota earlier this season?
CJ: "Well, we've already done it once. So, it won't be walking out into as freezing cold of weather, using that analogy. But, it'll be bigger, that was an intimate environment at the Pentagon [in South Dakota]. It was really cool, a really neat place to play, but it was very small and intimate. This will be like an NBA arena. It'll be large and the people won't be quite on top of you, but there'll be a lot more people in the gym. It will definitely be more people in purple than maroon with the proximity to their campus. Like always, I'm looking forward to seeing how we compete in that environment and how we stick together in that environment, but it'll definitely feel like a road game for sure."
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Q: Do you have a set number of guys you want to get from the recruiting classes, or do you play it by ear based on the transfer portal outlook?
CJ: "That's a great question, and it varies. A lot of it has to do with where your team's at, and what you think you're going to need. Like you said, it's much more difficult now with the portal looming  not knowing who's going to be in the portal and not knowing who's going to be retained from your own team. There's a lot of guessing that goes on, unfortunately. For me, we recruit a bunch of guys obviously, like everyone does. In the end, if we think they are a priority recruit and we've got a legitimate chance to get them, and the negotiations are where we think it should be, then we're not in a position to be turned down with players that we think can move the needle."
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"We don't necessarily have a number, especially in this day and age. In the past, I think you really did because it was more structured. You knew going into a certain fall or spring that you were going to have to sign a bigger class. In the past, everyone for basketball was like three players signed in the fall. That was when you signed most of your players, and it's changed now drastically. But for us, we could've signed two, three, four or five. It didn't have a set number. We had guys that we believed in, guys that we wanted, guys we identified and guys that we got to know. Obviously, there's still time in signing period, and it isn't over yet."
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Q: What do you think Achor Achor has brought to this team early in the season?
CJ: "He is one that, as I mentioned earlier about our team, hasn't performed as well in the games as he has in practice. He's been around [college basketball] a little bit. So, I fully expect him to get practice into the game a little bit better."
"He's proven that he can shoot the basketball, but I think he's 1-for-6 from three. He's been much better than that in practice. A bright spot for him and for us has been one of the most, if not the most consistent rebounders we've had. Again, not just in games but in practice, he's proven to be a responsible rebounder and a guy that can track the ball down and compete on the backboards, especially on the defensive end. On the offensive end, he does some of that too."
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"Then, for the most part, he makes really good decisions. If he thinks he can get it back up on the glass or depending on traffic or he can kick it out for an open three, which has become very popular in college basketball. So, he kind of mirrors our team, he's a work in progress as well. He's shown some decent things but definitely has got some room where he can help us more."
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