Dancing Again And Blessed Beyond Measure | By Josh Hubbard
By Josh Hubbard
3/18/2025
As I sit here preparing to once again play in an NCAA Tournament, I’m reminded of how blessed I am.
I’m blessed to be a Mississippi State Bulldog. I’m blessed to play for one of the best coaches in the country in Chris Jans. I’m blessed to have another opportunity to represent my home state on a national stage. It’s special. The game of basketball has given me so much and I’m forever grateful.
I fell in love with the game when I was about four years old. I really don’t remember a time when basketball wasn’t a huge part of my life.
I grew up in a basketball family. I was always playing with my immediate family and cousins. Somewhere, my parents have a little mix tape of me in the front yard with a ball and hoop while a little music plays in the background. I had a ball next to me 24/7.
Some of my best memories as a kid were facing off with my brothers. At the time, I’m not sure I considered it a great memory. I’d get so mad at losing.
It’s funny though. Those moments shaped me. They taught me how to deal with frustration or anger or disappointment on the court. They fueled me to be better.
It’s strange to think back at how so much of all I get to experience now is because of lessons I learned in my youth.
A lot of people don’t know this, but when I was only nine, I was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. It’s a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of blood vessels.
I spent 19 days in the hospital. I was young, but all that still sticks with me. It was a scary time for me. To be honest, I didn’t know if I was going to see another day. My parents were worried. It was a chaotic period.
Over a decade later now, I can see how God had a plan for me. Going through all that helped me develop my faith with Christ. It’s made me someone who is grateful for everything and every moment. I take nothing for granted. It’s why I treasured getting to play and get better at basketball all through the years, and it’s why I embrace getting to wear the Maroon and White each day. I love this place.
When I was a senior in high school, I specifically remember watching the Mississippi State game against Kentucky in Coach Jans’ first year. Something about that game and how the guys played stood out. I knew some of the guys already, like Cam Matthews and DJ Jeffries. Watching them all play the way they did that night, it was incredibly motivating. They played so hard. They were having so much fun. I knew I wanted to be a Bulldog.
Coach Jans solidified that for me. He always took the time to talk with me or my parents. He came to my house. He was upfront and honest with me and told me then, ‘If you come to Mississippi State, you’re going to have to earn your spot.’ There was no doubt in my mind that I could be a Bulldog and show what I could do.
My freshman year at State was incredible. All the awards and getting to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time was surreal. But my success – our success – then and now starts with the fans.
Playing in front of our fans at The Hump is something that’s tough to describe. It has to be felt. Our fans help us win. They’re a part of our team and really are our sixth man. They push us over the top and without them, success wouldn’t mean much of anything.
The Mississippi State family has had my back from day one and I’ll never be able to thank them enough. The fans have helped me to become the player that I am.
I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates, too. From the jump, they’ve trusted me. They had and still have a level of confidence in me that, at first, I didn’t even have myself when I arrived here. All my teammates these last couple of years have made me better and pushed me to my limits.
Coach Jans has done the same.
You want a coach that’s honest with you and that’s not going to sugarcoat anything. You want someone that’s not going to tell you what you want to hear but is going to tell you what you need to hear. You can count on that from Coach Jans. Always.
His coaching has helped put MSU basketball back where it’s supposed to be. Once again around here, being in the big dance is our expectation.
Well, here we are. We’re right back in the thick of March Madness.
For a kid that’s always loved basketball, getting to play in March is like Christmas. It’s really indescribable to get to play on the biggest stage in college basketball.
What makes it even better is that it’s not just me getting to experience all this. I get to share it with my team, my family and our fans. I take none of this for granted.
I’m honored to dance again as a Dawg. I really am a blessed young man.
– Josh
