WATCH: Coach Jans Media Session
February 27, 2025 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE - Head coach Chris Jans held his weekly media session leading into Thursday practice to preview this weekend's matchup with LSU.
2024-25 Mississippi State Men's Basketball
Media Session – February 27, 2025
Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: Don't know if you've had a chance to see the team since the game on Tuesday, what has the vibe been like in the locker room over the last few days?
CJ: "I've seen a couple of them, but we have our mandatory day off that sometimes people forget about, per the NCAA rules. We can't have any required activities. So, we don't have any meetings, practice, weights or any of that stuff."
"Hopefully, some of them got in the gym like they always do and continued to work on their craft, in terms of shooting shots, etcetera. We'll see them here this afternoon. Like we talked about after the Alabama game, it's going to be on us to refocus, get the setting right and move our focus towards LSU and certainly the rest of the season."
Q: LSU has had some close games with good teams this season. What impresses you most about the Tigers?
CJ: "They've got a nice combination of what you would like in a team in terms of they've got a guard that can really score the ball with Cam Carter and his ability to just go get buckets in a variety of ways. They've got size around the basket with athleticism and shot blocking. [Daimion] Collins and [Vyctorius] Miller are the bigger guys that play the majority of the minutes, [Corey] Chest as well. They're athletes. They can protect the rim, they can run and they can score the ball. From watching the tape, they've improved in their skillset as the season has progressed."
"Then, they've got wings that can slash and shoot and run the court. I know that their record isn't what they would like it to be, but I'm just impressed with how they've continued to be able to compete at the highest level. They're in games, even the ones they're losing. They're have opportunities to win, and their record could easily be different than it is right now. I can't imagine they're not going to be here Saturday at 2:30 rearing to go. We've just got to get our guys ready to go as well."
Q: Have there been any discussions about changing your defensive scheme due to the high three-point percentage against your team recently?
CJ: "We talked about that a couple of weeks ago, prior to the two-game mini win streak that we had. We did a deep dive in that week off. We did tweak some things defensively that, for a couple of games, it helped us in terms of numbers of attempts and in terms of efficiency or inefficiency by your perspective. Obviously, here in the last game, it didn't work. A lot of that has to do with who we played, their style of play and where we played it at. I think it's a situation where we're not happy with the outcome obviously or how it went down. But a lot of it had to do with how well they played, and how well they shot the ball and moved the ball. It became contagious, and it just ran through their team. You could see it, unfortunately, developing right in front of us."
"They played awfully well. They played really, really well. The first seven or eight minutes of the game unfolded how we needed it to unfold, other than getting some guys in some foul issues. Then, it just changed. We could never get any momentum back, and we could never slow them down. It just got to the point where, unfortunately, you realize that we're just not going to win this game. At that point, you're just trying to continue to compete and to fight and not have any give up. It's a helpless feeling when that happens, and it's no fun at all. But it happens, especially in this league and especially this year."
"I'm not happy about it, nobody is happy about it, but this league and some of the teams in this league are capable of having unbelievable nights like that. What you can't do is just let it completely demoralize you and beat you down to the point where it affects you going forward. I've got full confidence in our leadership, this group and these kids that on this afternoon, then Friday, and then at 2:30 on Saturday, we'll be ready to go."
Q: Do you ever look at bracketology predictions for March Madness and discuss it with the team, or do you just ignore it?
CJ: "Fortunately, I've been able to answer that question three years in a row now at this point of the year. Certainly, I can't sit here and lie to you. I don't know what other coaches say because I don't pay that much attention, but I don't know how you can't see it, unless you just shut down social media. That's probably not a bad alternative to be honest with you, but it's in your face. The people I follow obviously are for the most part college basketball folks."
"So, it's hard to avoid it, but I know where we stand more importantly with our metrics. I've talked about that for a while now. I pay attention to that. I think I need to know where our team is. I don't break it down with our guys to all the details, but we talk about it. We've been talking about it for weeks, about our metrics and our stock if we look at it that way. Just how important it is and how everything matters. Do we go into the minutia of what other people are projecting us to be? No, we don't do that. I do tell them, 'Look, I don't know how far down the rabbit hole you go. I would advise you to not.' But at the same time, I can't control what they're doing, and how much they're paying attention to that. But, because of with the world we're living in now, I don't understand how you don't talk about it to an extent because like I just said there's so much exposure to it. There's so many people giving their opinion about it and writing about it. We talk about it in our room, but we don't dwell on it. Certainly, we're try to focus on getting better for our next game."
Q: Josh Hubbard is a finalist for his second Howell Trophy. From a coaches' perspective, how has he improved in ways that can't be seen from outside?
CJ: "Well, I think there are a couple of ways to look at it. One, just the raw data. Look at his assist-to-turnover ratio and how much better it is this year than it was last year. His decision making with the ball in his hands has improved drastically. His focus on defense has been much better than it was a year ago. His attention to detail, and his ability off the ball to be in the right spot more often than not. He's improved his overall game."
"What you don't see is the behind-the-scenes leadership stuff, finding his voice and using it. As a sophomore on a team that has a bunch of older guys, he's earned the respect. Nobody looks at him funny when he starts talking about what we need to be doing or repeating some of the things that a coach said a day or two before that comes out of his mouth. Certainly, there's data to support that he's better, like I mentioned. But, at the same time, there's all the things that maybe the layman wouldn't see behind the scenes. I know he's a better player, and he knows he's a better player. Josh is not satisfied. I mean he's one of those guys that continues to strive for more, and that's why it makes him such a really good player."
2024-25 Mississippi State Men's Basketball
Media Session – February 27, 2025
Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: Don't know if you've had a chance to see the team since the game on Tuesday, what has the vibe been like in the locker room over the last few days?
CJ: "I've seen a couple of them, but we have our mandatory day off that sometimes people forget about, per the NCAA rules. We can't have any required activities. So, we don't have any meetings, practice, weights or any of that stuff."
"Hopefully, some of them got in the gym like they always do and continued to work on their craft, in terms of shooting shots, etcetera. We'll see them here this afternoon. Like we talked about after the Alabama game, it's going to be on us to refocus, get the setting right and move our focus towards LSU and certainly the rest of the season."
Q: LSU has had some close games with good teams this season. What impresses you most about the Tigers?
CJ: "They've got a nice combination of what you would like in a team in terms of they've got a guard that can really score the ball with Cam Carter and his ability to just go get buckets in a variety of ways. They've got size around the basket with athleticism and shot blocking. [Daimion] Collins and [Vyctorius] Miller are the bigger guys that play the majority of the minutes, [Corey] Chest as well. They're athletes. They can protect the rim, they can run and they can score the ball. From watching the tape, they've improved in their skillset as the season has progressed."
"Then, they've got wings that can slash and shoot and run the court. I know that their record isn't what they would like it to be, but I'm just impressed with how they've continued to be able to compete at the highest level. They're in games, even the ones they're losing. They're have opportunities to win, and their record could easily be different than it is right now. I can't imagine they're not going to be here Saturday at 2:30 rearing to go. We've just got to get our guys ready to go as well."
Q: Have there been any discussions about changing your defensive scheme due to the high three-point percentage against your team recently?
CJ: "We talked about that a couple of weeks ago, prior to the two-game mini win streak that we had. We did a deep dive in that week off. We did tweak some things defensively that, for a couple of games, it helped us in terms of numbers of attempts and in terms of efficiency or inefficiency by your perspective. Obviously, here in the last game, it didn't work. A lot of that has to do with who we played, their style of play and where we played it at. I think it's a situation where we're not happy with the outcome obviously or how it went down. But a lot of it had to do with how well they played, and how well they shot the ball and moved the ball. It became contagious, and it just ran through their team. You could see it, unfortunately, developing right in front of us."
"They played awfully well. They played really, really well. The first seven or eight minutes of the game unfolded how we needed it to unfold, other than getting some guys in some foul issues. Then, it just changed. We could never get any momentum back, and we could never slow them down. It just got to the point where, unfortunately, you realize that we're just not going to win this game. At that point, you're just trying to continue to compete and to fight and not have any give up. It's a helpless feeling when that happens, and it's no fun at all. But it happens, especially in this league and especially this year."
"I'm not happy about it, nobody is happy about it, but this league and some of the teams in this league are capable of having unbelievable nights like that. What you can't do is just let it completely demoralize you and beat you down to the point where it affects you going forward. I've got full confidence in our leadership, this group and these kids that on this afternoon, then Friday, and then at 2:30 on Saturday, we'll be ready to go."
Q: Do you ever look at bracketology predictions for March Madness and discuss it with the team, or do you just ignore it?
CJ: "Fortunately, I've been able to answer that question three years in a row now at this point of the year. Certainly, I can't sit here and lie to you. I don't know what other coaches say because I don't pay that much attention, but I don't know how you can't see it, unless you just shut down social media. That's probably not a bad alternative to be honest with you, but it's in your face. The people I follow obviously are for the most part college basketball folks."
"So, it's hard to avoid it, but I know where we stand more importantly with our metrics. I've talked about that for a while now. I pay attention to that. I think I need to know where our team is. I don't break it down with our guys to all the details, but we talk about it. We've been talking about it for weeks, about our metrics and our stock if we look at it that way. Just how important it is and how everything matters. Do we go into the minutia of what other people are projecting us to be? No, we don't do that. I do tell them, 'Look, I don't know how far down the rabbit hole you go. I would advise you to not.' But at the same time, I can't control what they're doing, and how much they're paying attention to that. But, because of with the world we're living in now, I don't understand how you don't talk about it to an extent because like I just said there's so much exposure to it. There's so many people giving their opinion about it and writing about it. We talk about it in our room, but we don't dwell on it. Certainly, we're try to focus on getting better for our next game."
Q: Josh Hubbard is a finalist for his second Howell Trophy. From a coaches' perspective, how has he improved in ways that can't be seen from outside?
CJ: "Well, I think there are a couple of ways to look at it. One, just the raw data. Look at his assist-to-turnover ratio and how much better it is this year than it was last year. His decision making with the ball in his hands has improved drastically. His focus on defense has been much better than it was a year ago. His attention to detail, and his ability off the ball to be in the right spot more often than not. He's improved his overall game."
"What you don't see is the behind-the-scenes leadership stuff, finding his voice and using it. As a sophomore on a team that has a bunch of older guys, he's earned the respect. Nobody looks at him funny when he starts talking about what we need to be doing or repeating some of the things that a coach said a day or two before that comes out of his mouth. Certainly, there's data to support that he's better, like I mentioned. But, at the same time, there's all the things that maybe the layman wouldn't see behind the scenes. I know he's a better player, and he knows he's a better player. Josh is not satisfied. I mean he's one of those guys that continues to strive for more, and that's why it makes him such a really good player."
Josh Hubbard - "I'm Back"
Friday, April 17
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans & Players SEC Tournament Postgame vs. Auburn - 3/11/26
Thursday, March 12
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Media Session - 3/9/26
Monday, March 09
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Josh Hubbard & Ja'Borri McGhee Postgame Press Conference vs. Georgia - 3/7/26
Sunday, March 08