Five Things To Know: State-LSU

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The most anticipated SEC Tournament in league history begins for Mississippi State as the Bulldogs face off with LSU to open the night session on Wednesday evening at Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL's Nashville Predators.

State (20-11) enters the five-day event as the No. 10 seed with the winner advancing to Thursday's second round to meet No. 21 Missouri. The Bulldogs have won both of their SEC Tournament openers under Coach Jans and are coming off a semifinals appearance last year before bowing out to the eventual champion in Auburn.

Everyone talks about their SEC schedule being a gauntlet, but the Bulldogs have had to face off with the league's elite this season. State is joined by Georgia as the only teams nationally to have played at least seven conference games against AP Top 10 opponents.

Playing AP Top 25 games is no stranger to State under Coach Jans. The Bulldogs have played 26 SEC ranked opponents over the last three seasons which is good enough for second-most headed by a league-best 16 SEC matchups versus AP top 10 foes.

The Maroon and White are one of seven SEC squads (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M) and are one of 25 teams nationally to produce at least 12 combined NCAA NET Quad 1 and 2 victories on the season.

State has posted an 19-5 mark versus teams outside the Associated Press Top 10. Overall, 14 of the 20 wins for the Bulldogs are against KenPom Top 100 teams fueled by six wins inside the top 50.

State is joined by Memphis and Tennessee as the only teams in the nation to collect at least a pair of true non-conference road wins over NCAA NET Quad 1 foes.

The Bulldogs are one of five programs (Alabama, Auburn, Memphis, Texas A&M) in the country to amass at least six non-conference victories. Only State and Auburn have amassed a 6-1 record or better against NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 non-conference opponents.

Earlier this week, State fell out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in the 2025 calendar year. The Bulldogs were ranked inside the AP poll for the first time in March since 2003-04 and for 11 straight weeks with the last time being in 2018-19. State has secured as high as a No. 14 ranking three times in 2024-25, the latest being 01/27, which remains a program watermark under Coach Jans.

With their victories over No. 18 Pitt (80-57), No. 21 Memphis (79-66), No. 21 Ole Miss (84-81), at No. 19 Ole Miss (81-71) and No. 7 Texas A&M (70-54), the Bulldogs have finished the regular season with five victories over AP Top 25 foes for the first time in program history.

Respectively, the Pitt and Memphis triumphs are State's largest home and largest road wins over AP Top 25 opponents in program history.

In total, the Maroon and White have captured 10 victories over AP Top 25 opponents in three seasons under Coach Jans. The 10 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 Bulldogs will look to secure three straight NCAA Tournament trips for the third time in program history this season. The last time State accomplished the feat was in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 under Rick Stansbury.

The Bulldogs have committed 329 turnovers through 31 games which shatters a program low dating back to at least the 1979-80 season. State has had 11 games of committing single-digit turnovers this season headed by a program-low two miscues at Arkansas (03/08) during the regular season finale.

The Maroon and White has collected 283 steals which is the most, canned 256 three-pointers which is fourth-best, and averaged 79.6 points per game which is fifth-most in program history in addition to the best scoring mark since 1990-91 through 31 games.

State sold out eight games at Humphrey Coliseum this season and boasted an average home attendance of 8,871 fans which is the fourth-highest mark in program history. Two of the program's top six average attendance marks have come under Coach Jans during the last two seasons.

SERIES HISTORY
State has collected four straight wins by double figures over the Tigers under Coach Jans. The Bulldogs dialed up an 81-69 triumph to open March behind a 30-point effort courtesy of Josh Hubbard.

The Maroon and White have emerged with victories over LSU at the SEC Tournament dating back to the 2001-02 season. Overall, the Tigers possess a 114-106 series advantage.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (20-11, 8-10 SEC) vs. LSU (14-17, 3-15 SEC)
Where: Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena
When: Wednesday, March 11, 6:01 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/3hCr1YE)

TV: SEC Network (Ch. 611 – DirecTV; Ch. 404/408 Dish; Ch. 1026 MaxxSouth; Ch. 220 C-Spire)
Stream: ESPN App (Subscription Required)
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/3Ff1iEK
Talent: Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Molly McGrath

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/4bG3NMi

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 .714 winning percentage (205-82) in his 9th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He earned his 200th career victory against Ole Miss (01/18).

Jans is seventh among NCAA active coaches with the aforementioned .714 winning percentage which sits behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), John Calipari (Arkansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State), Randy Bennett (Saint Mary's) and Darian DeVries (West Virginia).

In his three seasons at State, Jans has amassed 62 victories, which is most for a State coach and trails only Florida's Todd Golden among the six, SEC third-year coaches. He is the only active SEC coach at his respective school to post a trio of 20-plus win seasons during his first three seasons inside the league with Calipari in his first season at Arkansas.

Jans is looking to remain in the elite company of Calipari (Kentucky – 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee – 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08) and Tubby Smith (Kentucky – 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000) as the only four coaches in SEC history to take their squads to three straight NCAA Tournaments with at least 21 wins in their first three seasons inside the league.

Nationally, Jans is joined by Jon Scheyer (Duke) and Rodney Terry (Texas) as the only third-year coaches in the nation 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 canceled.

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

Hubbard, a two-time All-SEC Second-Team selection, joined Erick Dampier as the only State players to notch All-SEC status during their freshman and sophomore seasons.

Hubbard is the sixth player in program history to amass 500+ points and 100+ assists during the same season joining All-SEC recipients Jamont Gordon (2006-07, 2007-08), Dee Bost (2011-12), Quinndary Weatherspoon (2017-18), D.J. Stewart Jr. (2020-21) and Iverson Molinar (2021-22).

Hubbard's 1164 points are second most among SEC freshmen and sophomore players during the 2000s trailing only Florida's Nick Calathes (1170 PTS). The 1164 points also are eighth in SEC history for players during their freshmen and sophomore seasons which includes the illustrious company of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (LSU – 1854 PTS), Allan Houston (Tennessee – 1415 PTS), Bernard King (Tennessee – 1290 PTS), and Shaquille O'Neal (LSU – 1219 PTS) among others.

Hubbard is joined by Bailey Howell (1957-58-59) and Gordon (2006-07-08) as the lone State players to rip off back-to-back seasons of 550+ points. He has piled up 1164 career points which is third highest in State history through 66 games behind Howell and Jerry Jenkins (1973-74-75).

Hubbard ranks among the SEC's top 15 in seven categories: points per game (18.26 – 4th), assist-turnover ratio (2.76 – 2nd), three-point field goals made (3.06 – 2nd), free throw percentage (88.5 – 2nd), three-point field goal percentage (34.3 – 8th), assists per game (3.29 – 13th) and field goal percentage (39.7 – 15th).

Hubbard has racked up double figures in 60 of 66 outings fueled by 15 of his 24 efforts of 20+ points versus SEC foes. He has sunk multiple triples in 56 of 66 career games and has hit at least one three-pointer in 42 consecutive games which set a program record breaking Darryl Wilson's mark during the Oklahoma game (02/22). The Madison native has already buried 203 treys which is already 6th on the program's all-time list.

Hubbard exploded for a career-best 38 points against No. 4 Alabama (01/29). The 38 points are the most for a State player during the 2000s, and the most points in program history versus a ranked opponent.

Hubbard's additional top SEC scoring efforts are 34 points versus No. 16 Kentucky (02/27/2024), 32 points at LSU (02/24/2024) and 30 points against LSU (03/01/2025). His best non-con scoring performance was 29 points against Northwestern (11/19/2023).

Over his last 11 outings, Hubbard has dialed up 21.9 points per game sparked by 36 triples. He has led the team in scoring during 31 of his 47 career starts since the Auburn game on 01/28/2024.

Hubbard, a two-time Howell Trophy winner awarded to the state's top collegiate player and 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 77 of his 90 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), while his SEC career-best is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/2023). Jones Jr. dialed up a SEC season's best 10 points versus Texas (03/04).

Matthews is one of college basketball's most versatile players. He is the only player in SEC history and is the only active NCAA player with at least 950 points, 850 rebounds, 350 assists and 250 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 +655 plus/minus cumulative mark when on the floor. He has been a positive plus/minus performer in 72 of 100 games, tallied 37 outings with at least +10 mark and secured at least a +20 rating on 13 occasions.

Matthews, one of 15 finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, has posted 269 career steals which are 1st on State's all-time list, 3rd among NCAA active Power 5 players (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12 SEC) and 6th all-time in SEC history. The Olive Branch native joined Jarvis Varnado (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 as State's only players to earn multiple All-SEC Defensive Team nods.

Matthews dialed up consecutive double-doubles earlier in SEC play this season. He fired in a career-best tying 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and added six steals versus No. 6 Kentucky (01/11). He also stuffed the stats sheet with 10 points, 11 rebounds and four steals against Ole Miss (01/18).

The Bulldogs are 23-11 lifetime when Matthews collects 10+ points. State also has secured a 16-5 mark when Matthews hands out 5+ assists and are 8-1 when Matthews records 5+ steals.

Murphy has played in 71 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 11.6 points and 7.5 rebounds this season.

The Alabama native had double figures in six straight games (01/25-02/15) and has boosted his mark to 13.6 points per contest over his last 15 efforts. Murphy pumped home a career-high 20 points against No. 18 Pitt (12/04) in addition to collecting his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-best 14 rebounds versus Utah (11/17) in the non-conference.

Murphy, one of the SEC's most improved players and top sixth men, has drained a SEC-leading 60.4 percent of his field goal attempts in conference games. He has posted 13 of his 18 outings of 10+ points off the bench have come against SEC opponents, while his 7.5 rebounds per contest are 8th and his 1.2 blocks per game are 14th on the SEC leaderboard.

Murphy and Kugel have combined for 28 outings of 10-plus points off the bench which is 3rd among SEC duos trailing only Auburn's Chaney Johnson and Tahaad Pettiford along with Alabama's Aden Holloway and Mouhamed Dioubate of Alabama this season.

An ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2021, Murphy secured a quartet of double-doubles in SEC action fueled by 18-point efforts at No. 6 Alabama (02/25), against No. 4 Alabama (01/29), versus No. 21 Ole Miss (01/18) and against No. 3 Florida (02/11).

State has won 16 of 25 games over the last three seasons when Murphy scores double-digit points and three of his five outings with a double-double in 2024-25. He has been a stats sheet stuffer with 14 outings of multiple assists and 11 games of multiple blocks followed by five games of multiple steals this season.

3. State has received 34.6 points per game from its transfer class of Claudell Harris Jr. (Boston College), Riley Kugel (Florida), RJ Melendez (Georgia) and Michael Nwoko (Miami • Florida)

Harris Jr. has piled up 1,622 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. His career-high is 34 points against High Point (01/11/2023) while at 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) during the non-conference. He is the only State player since at least 1988-89 to fire in 20 points off the bench during a season opener.

Overall, Harris Jr. has racked up 87 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 Louisiana native has drained 263 career three-pointers and hit a trey in 22 of his last 24 games for the Bulldogs.

Harris Jr. has ripped off double figures 16 times at State which is tied for third on the team. The Bulldogs are 12-4 when he reaches double figures. He dropped in a SEC-high 18 points at Arkansas (03/08) during the regular season finale and came away with 12 of his 15 points after halftime during a victory over No. 7 Texas A&M (02/18).

Kugel, an ESPN top 75 recruit for the Class of 2022, has made it a full circle moment after he originally committed to the Maroon and White in November 2021. He captured 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman-Team honors and has totaled 904 points over 95 games between State and Florida.

Kugel has managed 45 games in double figures headed by 11 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 on 16 occasions with State which is tied for third on the team. The Bulldogs are 11-5 in those outings. He has fired in 10+ points in nine of his last 14 games (01/18-03/08) and ripped off a SEC season-high 21 points versus No. 21 Ole Miss (01/04) which included the go-ahead three-pointer in the closing minutes of overtime.

Kugel was on his way to another strong effort with eight points in eight minutes versus No. 6 Kentucky (01/11) before he left the game with multiple injuries. He provided season's best of 22 points against Butler (11/29) and Bethune-Cookman (12/30) during the non-conference.

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 121 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) last season.

Melendez has tallied 896 career points coupled with 44 career outings with 10-plus points. His teams are a combined 27-17 when he provides double figures. The Puerto Rico native piled up a season's best 19 points and seven rebounds at Vanderbilt (01/07) followed by a non-conference season-high of 18 points against McNeese (12/14). He has notched 10 of his 16 outings of 10+ points at State versus SEC opponents.

Nwoko made 60 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).

Nwoko has seven performances of 10+ points on the season where State has posted a 5-2 mark. His first career double-double with career-bests of 18 points and 11 rebounds versus No. 18 Pitt (12/04). The Canadian tacked on his second double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Prairie View A&M (12/08).

Nwoko has secured eight of his top nine scoring performances with State and tallied a conference career-bests of 11 points at Georgia (02/08) and at South Carolina (01/25). He has provided 15 of his 20 outings with 5+ rebounds and all six of his efforts with multiple blocks this season.

Nwoko has international experience representing Team Canada at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship and the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup.

Kanye 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 has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an injury (01/28).

Jeremy 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).

4. State's roster features Dellquan Warren, Gai Chol and Martavious Russell to complete its rotation of players who have seen action in at least 10 games this season.

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 seen action in 23 games off the bench which includes each of State's last 11 SEC games (01/29-03/08). He has chipped in multiple assists in eight of his appearances in addition to multiple steals on three occasions. The freshmen came away with two points, three rebounds and three assists against South Carolina (01/04) during the SEC opener.

Chol has made 30 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. His career-highs are 11 points and six rebounds versus UT Martin (11/11/2023).

Russell has made 10 of his 19 appearances for State this season. He notched a season's best five points against West Georgia (11/04) and versus Central Michigan (12/17) in non-con action.

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 King Grace (No. 70), Tee Bartlett (No. 89) and Jamarion Davis-Fleming (No. 92). The only other time that State has signed three freshmen inside ESPN's top 100 recruits was in 2015-16.

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: State-LSU

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Dashawn Davis

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