WATCH: Coach Jans Media Session
February 06, 2025 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE - Head coach Chris Jans spoke with the media on Thursday to preview this weekend's matchup at Georgia.
2024-25 Mississippi State Men's Basketball
Media Session – February 6, 2025
Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: How important has this week off been in terms of getting your guys healthy, since some of them have had some bumps and bruises so far?
CJ: "It's that time of year. I can't speak for all the coaches in the SEC, but since our challenge changed from the Big 12 to the ACC, I know that I like this format better. We have a seven-day stretch [between games] right in the middle of the conference season. I would imagine most coaches and players look forward to it. Certainly, it hasn't been as enjoyable as maybe it could've been if we would've played better in our two-game homestand going into it."
"It's been welcomed for a number of reasons like you mentioned the bumps and bruises. At this point in the season, if you're 100 percent healthy and feel in tip-top shape, you're very fortunate. It's a long, grueling season. There's a lot of mileage that's put on all of our players. It can become a tired game at times. On top of that, we've had 'the crud' [illness] going through our program, starting on Saturday and Sunday. It's kind of bounced around a little bit. Fortunately, we've been able to manage that probably better than we would've if we had a game to prepare for."
Q: What have you seen from Georgia forward Asa Newell, and how difficult is it to hold down the post with him?
CJ: "Once you go deeper into the video, it's very remarkable how mature he is as a basketball player. I don't know him personally, didn't even watch him play on the circuit. So, my familiarity with him was by reputation until this season and watching him recently the most. He plays the post better than most freshmen do. He's got a mature game. He's obviously very developed physically and mentally, and he's very skilled and very comfortable on the court. He's made a huge impact for their program and for their team. They've got a lot of good players, like everybody in this league, but it starts with him at the top."
Q: In your first two years, your team was under .500 in the first half of the season, but you picked it up in the end. What's it going to take for it to happen again this year, and what gives you confidence that it can happen?
CJ: "Yeah, we've been there, done that. We haven't really talked to the team about that. I've contemplated if we need to or should. We'll make the decision here shortly. The experience, you can't teach it. It's obviously helpful in a number of situations. Hopefully, it will be in this one for the coaching staff and some of the players who have been through it. Unfortunately, just because that was the case in years past that we've been on mini runs in the second half to put ourselves in position, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen again. You can't just rely on that just because our teams in the last couple of years have done that."
"That will be the expectation, obviously. Each game is going to be huge for the rest of the season. Certainly, like everyone, we're focused on the next one, but we're in a position now where we've got to win basketball games. Regardless of who we're playing or where we're playing, we've got to win basketball games. It starts on Saturday."
Q: What's been done this week to address your poor perimeter defense?
CJ: "We've done a deep dive and gone through some film reviews of games prior because we've had the time. We've tried to pinpoint some things that we were not doing or were doing, for that matter, that have led to the large number of three's in an efficient manner that they've been shooting against us."
"We're not going to overhaul what we do. Unfortunately, it wasn't just one thing that you could say, 'Hey, let's do this differently, and everything will be rosy.' It doesn't work that way. One time, it was no urgency to contest. One time, it was that we didn't guard the ball well. One time, it was that the offensive rebound was a great opportunity for other teams to catch-and-shoot inside- out three's. So, there were a number of issues that we saw. Certainly, we're tweaking certain actions that we guard to try and put our kids in a better position. Hopefully, it'll work."
Q: RJ Melendez, Riley Kugel, and Claudell Harris Jr. haven't had their best shooting performances lately. What can you do on that end of the court to help those guys?
CJ: "We need those guys to play better. We all can play better, but the three you mentioned are guys who are all capable scorers. They've shown the ability here and even elsewhere for that matter to be able to shoot and score the basketball. We need all three of them to do what they do best."
"I think it starts with just confidence. That's the vibe, and that's the feel that all players seek. We, as a staff and teammates and everybody in our walls, need to figure out ways to help them. I believe that all three of them in their own way are mentally capable of understanding and not sitting in it or not letting it take control of them and beat them down. I just don't see that happening."
"Off topic, when you go through what we did in our last game as a coach, you certainly have in your mind what the response should be in practice. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work the way that you want it to. You do your best to figure out a message and a game plan for a day, for a week or for a season for that matter. At this point, it's day-to-day. I've been pleasantly pleased that the response thus far on the floor on Monday and Tuesday was what we wanted it to be. They've had a good approach, and they've done what we asked them to do. Hopefully, that will help us be a better basketball team going forward."
Q: How has Josh Hubbard's confidence increased over these past few games that he's played, coming off a slump?
CJ: "Like we've talked about before, these players are human. It's not a video game, you don't joystick the game. Most individuals and most teams for that matter, a large percentage of them have peaks and valleys each season. When you're in a peak, everything feels good. Everything's going in. It's all good. Certainly, when you're not in one of those, it's as if the world is ending in your basketball world or if your professional life that way."
"Josh, in particular, people were I don't know disappointed in some of his splits and his shooting percentages. I was never concerned about it, and I've got the ultimate faith in that young man. I know what he's put in, what he's invested in his game and how much he loves the game. Certainly, he does have a little different bounce in his step to use your phrase. It hasn't been in wins over the last couple of games, but I think he feels really good about it. I think everyone around him feels good about it."
Q: Georgia has played really well at home this season. What do you think has allowed them to play so well on their home floor, and what's it going to take to get a win?
CJ: "It's going to take us playing one of our best games. They've created a better home-court environment than maybe in recent years because of the success they've had and how they're doing, especially at home. They had another lopsided win last night in the SEC [over LSU], which is hard to come by. They're playing with a lot of confidence in their building."
"They're not an overcomplicated team. They just try to play fundamental and sound basketball. They're very physical on both ends of the floor, both out front and around the basket. We talked about Asa [Newell], but they've got other guys that are rocked up and have a physical approach to their game on the offensive and defensive end. Everything they do is physical. The way they screen, the way they rebound and the way they play offense. We have to understand that it's going to be a battle in that way, from tip to finish."
"Certainly, we've talked about our three-point defense which has been much talked about, we can't be giving up 14, 15, or 16 three's unless they're taking 35-40 of them. It's one thing to give up that many if they're so committed to it that they shoot that so many of them, they're going to make some of them. That's not necessarily their style, not that they wouldn't think that they could make more after looking at us. Who knows how that will unfold? But, this week is about us. This week is about us getting better and about tweaking [some things] here and there. Just getting our mental right. Just feeling good come Saturday when they tip the ball up so we can have that confidence and that swagger back."
2024-25 Mississippi State Men's Basketball
Media Session – February 6, 2025
Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: How important has this week off been in terms of getting your guys healthy, since some of them have had some bumps and bruises so far?
CJ: "It's that time of year. I can't speak for all the coaches in the SEC, but since our challenge changed from the Big 12 to the ACC, I know that I like this format better. We have a seven-day stretch [between games] right in the middle of the conference season. I would imagine most coaches and players look forward to it. Certainly, it hasn't been as enjoyable as maybe it could've been if we would've played better in our two-game homestand going into it."
"It's been welcomed for a number of reasons like you mentioned the bumps and bruises. At this point in the season, if you're 100 percent healthy and feel in tip-top shape, you're very fortunate. It's a long, grueling season. There's a lot of mileage that's put on all of our players. It can become a tired game at times. On top of that, we've had 'the crud' [illness] going through our program, starting on Saturday and Sunday. It's kind of bounced around a little bit. Fortunately, we've been able to manage that probably better than we would've if we had a game to prepare for."
Q: What have you seen from Georgia forward Asa Newell, and how difficult is it to hold down the post with him?
CJ: "Once you go deeper into the video, it's very remarkable how mature he is as a basketball player. I don't know him personally, didn't even watch him play on the circuit. So, my familiarity with him was by reputation until this season and watching him recently the most. He plays the post better than most freshmen do. He's got a mature game. He's obviously very developed physically and mentally, and he's very skilled and very comfortable on the court. He's made a huge impact for their program and for their team. They've got a lot of good players, like everybody in this league, but it starts with him at the top."
Q: In your first two years, your team was under .500 in the first half of the season, but you picked it up in the end. What's it going to take for it to happen again this year, and what gives you confidence that it can happen?
CJ: "Yeah, we've been there, done that. We haven't really talked to the team about that. I've contemplated if we need to or should. We'll make the decision here shortly. The experience, you can't teach it. It's obviously helpful in a number of situations. Hopefully, it will be in this one for the coaching staff and some of the players who have been through it. Unfortunately, just because that was the case in years past that we've been on mini runs in the second half to put ourselves in position, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen again. You can't just rely on that just because our teams in the last couple of years have done that."
"That will be the expectation, obviously. Each game is going to be huge for the rest of the season. Certainly, like everyone, we're focused on the next one, but we're in a position now where we've got to win basketball games. Regardless of who we're playing or where we're playing, we've got to win basketball games. It starts on Saturday."
Q: What's been done this week to address your poor perimeter defense?
CJ: "We've done a deep dive and gone through some film reviews of games prior because we've had the time. We've tried to pinpoint some things that we were not doing or were doing, for that matter, that have led to the large number of three's in an efficient manner that they've been shooting against us."
"We're not going to overhaul what we do. Unfortunately, it wasn't just one thing that you could say, 'Hey, let's do this differently, and everything will be rosy.' It doesn't work that way. One time, it was no urgency to contest. One time, it was that we didn't guard the ball well. One time, it was that the offensive rebound was a great opportunity for other teams to catch-and-shoot inside- out three's. So, there were a number of issues that we saw. Certainly, we're tweaking certain actions that we guard to try and put our kids in a better position. Hopefully, it'll work."
Q: RJ Melendez, Riley Kugel, and Claudell Harris Jr. haven't had their best shooting performances lately. What can you do on that end of the court to help those guys?
CJ: "We need those guys to play better. We all can play better, but the three you mentioned are guys who are all capable scorers. They've shown the ability here and even elsewhere for that matter to be able to shoot and score the basketball. We need all three of them to do what they do best."
"I think it starts with just confidence. That's the vibe, and that's the feel that all players seek. We, as a staff and teammates and everybody in our walls, need to figure out ways to help them. I believe that all three of them in their own way are mentally capable of understanding and not sitting in it or not letting it take control of them and beat them down. I just don't see that happening."
"Off topic, when you go through what we did in our last game as a coach, you certainly have in your mind what the response should be in practice. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work the way that you want it to. You do your best to figure out a message and a game plan for a day, for a week or for a season for that matter. At this point, it's day-to-day. I've been pleasantly pleased that the response thus far on the floor on Monday and Tuesday was what we wanted it to be. They've had a good approach, and they've done what we asked them to do. Hopefully, that will help us be a better basketball team going forward."
Q: How has Josh Hubbard's confidence increased over these past few games that he's played, coming off a slump?
CJ: "Like we've talked about before, these players are human. It's not a video game, you don't joystick the game. Most individuals and most teams for that matter, a large percentage of them have peaks and valleys each season. When you're in a peak, everything feels good. Everything's going in. It's all good. Certainly, when you're not in one of those, it's as if the world is ending in your basketball world or if your professional life that way."
"Josh, in particular, people were I don't know disappointed in some of his splits and his shooting percentages. I was never concerned about it, and I've got the ultimate faith in that young man. I know what he's put in, what he's invested in his game and how much he loves the game. Certainly, he does have a little different bounce in his step to use your phrase. It hasn't been in wins over the last couple of games, but I think he feels really good about it. I think everyone around him feels good about it."
Q: Georgia has played really well at home this season. What do you think has allowed them to play so well on their home floor, and what's it going to take to get a win?
CJ: "It's going to take us playing one of our best games. They've created a better home-court environment than maybe in recent years because of the success they've had and how they're doing, especially at home. They had another lopsided win last night in the SEC [over LSU], which is hard to come by. They're playing with a lot of confidence in their building."
"They're not an overcomplicated team. They just try to play fundamental and sound basketball. They're very physical on both ends of the floor, both out front and around the basket. We talked about Asa [Newell], but they've got other guys that are rocked up and have a physical approach to their game on the offensive and defensive end. Everything they do is physical. The way they screen, the way they rebound and the way they play offense. We have to understand that it's going to be a battle in that way, from tip to finish."
"Certainly, we've talked about our three-point defense which has been much talked about, we can't be giving up 14, 15, or 16 three's unless they're taking 35-40 of them. It's one thing to give up that many if they're so committed to it that they shoot that so many of them, they're going to make some of them. That's not necessarily their style, not that they wouldn't think that they could make more after looking at us. Who knows how that will unfold? But, this week is about us. This week is about us getting better and about tweaking [some things] here and there. Just getting our mental right. Just feeling good come Saturday when they tip the ball up so we can have that confidence and that swagger back."
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