WATCH: Coach Jans Postgame Presser - No. 21 Arkansas
February 07, 2026 | Men's Basketball
2025-26 Mississippi State Men's Basketball Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State vs. No. 21 Arkansas – February 7, 2026
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Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: They had a 20-2 run during the first half. I know you saw it on film leading up to the game, but how big of an issue was Arkansas' length today on both ends of the court?
CJ: "You can talk until you're blue in the face about facing a team like that, but until you get on the court and get a feel for it, it's like walking out in the cold. I said that before, and you've got to adjust to it quickly or not. Obviously, we knew their length, their athleticism, and the quality of players that they have. It was hard to overcome, it was hard to overcome."
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Q: What do you think has been the biggest issue for the team defensively, not just today, but this whole season?
CJ: "I would say off the top of my head, and it sounds trite and boring, but just point of attack defense. We're just not doing a good enough job on a consistent basis with just old fashioned guarding of the basketball. There are too many times that the offense is getting where they want to go. They're getting us in rotation whereas this defense is built to not be in rotation. We're just not providing as much resistance that's needed to just keep the offense from where they're trying to get."
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"We talk about paint touches offensively all the time, but certainly on the other end, we're trying to limit those if at all possible. Everybody that understands and follows the game knows that if you get that ball in the heart of the defense, you can have all the rotations you want and schemes, but it just breaks the defense down. It gives the offense plenty more options than they would have if you could figure out a way to guard the ball square and keep it in front of you at all times."
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Q: With the team's struggles in conference play, how do you keep these guys going in the right direction?Â
CJ: "That's a good question. We've got to find a way to keep our practices at the level that's required. We've got to instill confidence in them, which is something that we're trying to do every single day. We've played better, right? We played better in some of the wins that we've had in our league at home or even on the road."
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"We've just got to keep them together. We've got to keep fighting, keep scratching and keep clawing. I'm confident that we will. I don't feel like this team will be led astray that way or won't come to work and won't work on their individual games. And our team improving and trying to get ready to obviously beat another good basketball team in Tennessee."
Mississippi State vs. No. 21 Arkansas – February 7, 2026
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Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: They had a 20-2 run during the first half. I know you saw it on film leading up to the game, but how big of an issue was Arkansas' length today on both ends of the court?
CJ: "You can talk until you're blue in the face about facing a team like that, but until you get on the court and get a feel for it, it's like walking out in the cold. I said that before, and you've got to adjust to it quickly or not. Obviously, we knew their length, their athleticism, and the quality of players that they have. It was hard to overcome, it was hard to overcome."
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Q: What do you think has been the biggest issue for the team defensively, not just today, but this whole season?
CJ: "I would say off the top of my head, and it sounds trite and boring, but just point of attack defense. We're just not doing a good enough job on a consistent basis with just old fashioned guarding of the basketball. There are too many times that the offense is getting where they want to go. They're getting us in rotation whereas this defense is built to not be in rotation. We're just not providing as much resistance that's needed to just keep the offense from where they're trying to get."
Â
"We talk about paint touches offensively all the time, but certainly on the other end, we're trying to limit those if at all possible. Everybody that understands and follows the game knows that if you get that ball in the heart of the defense, you can have all the rotations you want and schemes, but it just breaks the defense down. It gives the offense plenty more options than they would have if you could figure out a way to guard the ball square and keep it in front of you at all times."
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Q: With the team's struggles in conference play, how do you keep these guys going in the right direction?Â
CJ: "That's a good question. We've got to find a way to keep our practices at the level that's required. We've got to instill confidence in them, which is something that we're trying to do every single day. We've played better, right? We played better in some of the wins that we've had in our league at home or even on the road."
Â
"We've just got to keep them together. We've got to keep fighting, keep scratching and keep clawing. I'm confident that we will. I don't feel like this team will be led astray that way or won't come to work and won't work on their individual games. And our team improving and trying to get ready to obviously beat another good basketball team in Tennessee."
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