Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Five Things To Know: State vs. Auburn
March 10, 2026 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Mississippi State men's basketball embarks on its SEC Tournament journey and faces off with Auburn on Wednesday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL's Nashville Predators.
The Bulldogs (13-8, 5-13 SEC) are led by Josh Hubbard and Jayden Epps who have combined to rack up 35.8 points per game which is the State's top scoring duo Jeff Malone paired with Terry Lewis to average 42.0 points per contest in 1982-83. The Hubbard-Epps combo is 1 of 4 SEC pairs along with 1 of 11 major conference duos to have two players with over 1570+ career points.
The Tigers (16-15, 7-11 SEC) have dropped 8 of their last 10 games. Keyshawn Hall (20.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.7 APG), Tahaad Pettiford (15.2 PPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 SPG), Kevin Overton (13.3 PPG, 1.2 SPG) and KeShawn Murphy (10.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.0 BPG) have averaged in double figures for Auburn.
Hall, an All-SEC Third-Team pick, has fired double figures in 12 straight games. Pettiford has amassed 20+ points in six of his last nine outings, while Murphy has collected five double-doubles during SEC action, most recently a 25-point, 10-rebound effort against Kentucky (02/21).
As a program, Mississippi State secured its third straight NCAA Tournament bid for the third time in program history during the 2024-25 season. The last time the Bulldogs accomplished the feat was in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05.
This season, State is looking to connect four consecutive NCAA Tournament trips for the 2nd time in program history. The previous 4-year run went from 2001-02 to 2004-05 under Rick Stansbury. The Bulldogs are one of seven SEC teams and one of 25 schools nationally with an active streak of at least three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.
SERIES HISTORY
State dialed up a memorable 91-85 victory over Auburn during the regular season behind Josh Hubbard's program SEC single-game record 46 points. The Bulldogs erased an 8-point deficit over the game's last 3:45. Overall, Auburn holds an 84-72 series advantage.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13 SEC) vs. Auburn (16-15, 7-11 SEC)
Where: Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena
When: Wednesday, March 11, ~2:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (https://hailst.at/4rSUikh)
TV: SEC Network, ESPN app, www.ESPN.com/watch (Subscription Required)
Channels: Ch. 611 DirecTV • Ch. 404/408 Dish • Ch. 1026 MaxxSouth • Ch. 220 C-Spire
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/4bdOnzi
Talent: Roy Philpott, Jon Crispin
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price
Affiliate: WZLA-FM 96.1 Lazer – Your Greatest Hits
Free Online Audio: Hail State and The Varsity Network Apps
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/3Nqj5gw
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT STATE
1. Chris Jans, one of the nation's premier bench bosses, is in his fourth season of leading 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 .682 winning percentage (219-102) in his 10th season as a NCAA Division I head coach.
Jans is 11th among NCAA active coaches at the power 4 conference level (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) with the aforementioned .682 winning percentage. He sits behind Naismith Hall of Fame coaches in Bill Self (Kansas), John Calipari (Arkansas) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) among others with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience.
In his four seasons at State, Jans has amassed 76 victories which trails Florida's Todd Golden and Georgia's Mike White among the six, SEC fourth-year coaches. He is the only active SEC coach at his respective school to post a trio of 20+ win seasons during his first three seasons inside the league.
Jans remains 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 only 4 out of 175 coaches in SEC history to take their squads to three straight NCAA Tournaments with at least 21 wins during their first three seasons inside the league.
Nationally, Jans is joined by Jon Scheyer (Duke) as the only NCAA fourth-year coaches to take their squads to the 2023, 2024 and 2025 NCAA Tournaments, respectively.
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 a Wichita State assistant coach 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 award as Bowling Green's head coach.
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. and Dellquan Warren.
Hubbard, a three-time All-SEC selection, is joined by Erick Dampier as the only State players to notch All-SEC status during their freshmen, sophomore and junior seasons. He has had his fair share of recognition for all of his work off the court after being named the 2026 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup winner for his exceptional leadership, his character and his commitment to community service.
Hubbard is 1 of 4 major conference players (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) to amass at least 675 points and 100 assists this season. The elite list includes AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke) and PJ Haggerty (Kansas State).
Hubbard is 1 of 2 SEC players (Mark Sears – Alabama) and 1 of 12 major conference players with multiple seasons of 640+ points and 100+ assists during the 2000s. The prestigious list includes 5 NBA Draft 1st Round picks (Troy Bell – Boston College, Juan Dixon – Maryland, Ben Gordon – UConn, Nolan Smith – Duke and Jay Williams – Duke).
Hubbard has amassed 1925 career points which ranks 4th on State's all-time list, ranks 5th for SEC players after their junior season and ranks 39th overall in SEC history. He is joined by Bailey Howell (State), Pete Maravich (LSU) and Vernon Maxwell (Florida) as the only SEC players to have 3 of their school's top 10 scoring seasons.
Hubbard has dialed up a SEC-leading 7 games of 30+ points, while his 18 outings of 20+ points are tied for 2nd on the SEC leaderboard. He is ranked among the SEC's top 5 in points (22.10 – 2nd), three-pointers made (3.00 – 3rd) and three-point percentage (35.0 – 5th).
For his career, Hubbard has racked up double figures in 92 of 100 outings fueled by 28 of his 45 efforts of 20+ points and 10 of his 11 performances of 30+ points are versus SEC foes. He dialed up a program SEC record with 46 points against Auburn (02/18) where he exploded for 35 points in the first half, the most for a NCAA Division I player in a first half since Iowa's Luka Garza in 2020-21.
The 46 points during the Auburn game also were one away from Howell's program record of 47 points versus Union in 1958-59. He also added 42 points versus Georgia (March 7) in the regular season finale. He and Howell are the only two State players with multiple SEC outings of 40+ points.
Hubbard has already shattered State's program mark by knocking down 309 career three-pointers. The 309 treys are 10th on the SEC's all-time list. He had a performance for the ages where he buried a program single-game mark of 10 triples during the Auburn game.
Hubbard has sunk multiple triples in 82 of 100 career games and hit at least one three-pointer in a SEC-record 69 consecutive games (02/07/2024-01/31/2026). He enters the Auburn game 3 shy of passing Alabama's John Petty (2018-19-20-21) for 9th place on the SEC's all-time list.
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 prep career as Mississippi's all-time leading scorer with 4,367 points. He broke a mark that stood for 37 years previously by State's Robert Woodard.
Jones Jr. has started 27 of his 30 outings in 2025-26 after he made 80 of his first 93 appearances over his first three seasons off the bench. He has improved his scoring average in all four seasons at State headed by a career-best 5.4 points per contest in 2025-26.
Jones Jr. is 1 of 9 players in program history to see action on three NCAA Tournament squads and is the only SEC rotation player in 2025-26 to play all four seasons at the same school. He became the 31st player in program history to reach 100 steals for his career at LSU (01/28).
Earlier this season, Jones Jr. fired in a career-best 17 points versus Southeastern Louisiana (11/15) on 7-of-10 shooting fueled by a career-high three treys. His SEC career-best is 12 points against Auburn (02/18) where he also matched his career marks with five assists and three blocks.
3. State's transfer class includes Achor Achor (Samford • Kansas State), Amier Ali (Arizona State), Quincy Ballard (Florida State • Wichita State), Jayden Epps (Georgetown • Illinois), Sergej Macura (KK Mega Bemax • Serbia) (Ja'Borri McGhee (UAB) Brandon Walker (UT-Arlington • Montana State).
Achor has collected 1205 points over his two junior college seasons and his four seasons at the NCAA Division I level. His best season came in 2023-24 as a Lou Henson Award finalist where he averaged 16.1 points per contest as one of the nation's top mid-major player while at Samford.
Achor's best effort at State was 18 points at No. 17 Alabama (02/25) and at Ole Miss (02/14) followed by 14 rebounds against Oklahoma (01/07). He has secured 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game over his last 9 outings (02/07-03/07). The Australia native has 5 of 6 games of 10+ points and a pair of double-doubles in SEC action.
Ali had a strong freshman finish at Arizona State with 5 of his 7 outings in double figures against Big 12 foes. He poured in a season's best 16 points versus New Orleans (11/24).
Ballard has started in 94 of his last 98 games for Wichita State and Mississippi State over the last three seasons. He is 3rd among NCAA active players with a 68.9 career field goal percentage. The New York native registered his 1st SEC double-double with a season's best 15 points and 10 rebounds at South Carolina (02/21).
On the defensive end, Ballard has racked up 205 career blocks fueled by 57 performances with multiple blocks and 6 efforts of five-plus rejections. His 1.16 blocks per game are 13th in the SEC rankings. Ballard has collected 37 of his 38 games of 10+ points and 12 of his 14 double-doubles over the last two seasons.
Epps has piled up 1573 career points over his 116 appearances sparked by 83 outings in double figures, 25 performances of 20-plus points and 7 efforts of 30 or more points. He has drained 211 career three-pointers highlighted by 58 games with multiple treys. The Virginia native has connected for multiple treys in 8 of his last 13 games (01/21-03/07) and 16 times this season.
Epps is complete combo guard with 26 career games with multiple steals and 18 performances with five-plus assists. He has piled up double figures in 12 of his 18 SEC outings sparked by a season's best is 27 points at Texas (01/03).
Macura's KK Mega Bemax (Serbia) fellow starting five members are all playing major conference basketball this season with Andrija Jelavic (Kentucky) and Filip Jovic (Auburn) inside the SEC. He represented his native Slovenia at multiple FIBA events and won a silver medal at the 2024 U20 EuroBasket Championships.
Macura provided a season's best 12 points against Long Island (12/16) and grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds versus North Alabama (11/05) during the non-conference. He amassed his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds at LSU (01/28).
McGhee has ripped off double figures 11 times in the Maroon and White this season. State and UAB have won 21 of 32 games over the last two seasons where he scored 10 or more points. He has posted 10.8 points per contest over his last five outings (02/21-03/07) fueled by a SEC season's best of 20 points versus Georgia (03/07).
Overall, McGhee has amassed 1,683 career points which includes two junior college seasons. He exploded for 19 of his career-high 29 points against Utah (12/13) during the second half. The 29 points are tied with Josh Hubbard and Tony Watts for the most scored by a State player off the bench going back to 1989-90.
Walker, a two-time All-Big Sky Honorable Mention pick, has dialed up 52 of his 60 career outings over his last three seasons. Overall, he has produced 1,183 points over his four-year career. Walker poured in a season's best 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting at Texas A&M (01/21).
4. State's freshmen class features King Grace, Jamarion Davis-Fleming, Tee Barlett and Cameren Paul were ranked No. 12 nationally and fifth-best among SEC schools by ESPN's Classes for 2025.
Davis-Fleming is consensus four-star prospect as the state of Mississippi's top prospect while playing at Canton High School. He was rated No. 97 in ESPN's Top 100 for the Class of 2025 and was the 2024-25 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year after he posted 24.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.
Davis-Fleming has secured a block in 22 games sparked by multiple blocks on 13 occasions. His 1.29 blocks per game are 12th on the SEC leaderboard. The 1.29 blocks also are 2nd among SEC freshmen behind Kentucky's Malachi Moreno in addition to being 7th among major conference freshmen (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC).
Davis-Fleming fired in a season-high 13 points against Ole Miss (01/17). He collected a season's best 10 rebounds at No. 17 Alabama (02/25) and versus Oklahoma (01/07).
Grace is another four-star prospect who played his final high school season at Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy based in Dallas, Texas. He ranked No. 75 in ESPN's Top 100 for the Class of 2025 and posted 24.3 points per game as a senior.
Grace's top scoring effort is 14 points against Alabama State (12/29) followed by a SEC season's best 13-point efforts at No. 17 Alabama (02/25) and at Texas A&M (01/21). He has posted 8.0 points per game over his last 4 games (02/21-03/03) but missed the Georgia game due to injury.
5. As a program, State has earned seven straight postseason appearances when postseason tournament has been played (4 NCAA • 3 NIT) since 2017-18 and 17 postseason appearances (10 NCAA • 7 NIT) during the 2000s.
The Maroon and White have been one of the SEC's more consistent programs going back to the 2017-18 season. Entering this season, State is joined by Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee as the five SEC programs to secure at least 8 league wins during each of the last 8 seasons.
The Bulldogs have had to face off against the SEC's elite under Coach Jans. State has had to play a league-high tying 32 regular season games against ranked SEC opponents which is highlighted by a league-best 16 SEC regular season matchups versus AP Top 10 foes over the last four seasons.
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.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Mississippi State men's basketball embarks on its SEC Tournament journey and faces off with Auburn on Wednesday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL's Nashville Predators.
The Bulldogs (13-8, 5-13 SEC) are led by Josh Hubbard and Jayden Epps who have combined to rack up 35.8 points per game which is the State's top scoring duo Jeff Malone paired with Terry Lewis to average 42.0 points per contest in 1982-83. The Hubbard-Epps combo is 1 of 4 SEC pairs along with 1 of 11 major conference duos to have two players with over 1570+ career points.
The Tigers (16-15, 7-11 SEC) have dropped 8 of their last 10 games. Keyshawn Hall (20.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.7 APG), Tahaad Pettiford (15.2 PPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 SPG), Kevin Overton (13.3 PPG, 1.2 SPG) and KeShawn Murphy (10.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.0 BPG) have averaged in double figures for Auburn.
Hall, an All-SEC Third-Team pick, has fired double figures in 12 straight games. Pettiford has amassed 20+ points in six of his last nine outings, while Murphy has collected five double-doubles during SEC action, most recently a 25-point, 10-rebound effort against Kentucky (02/21).
As a program, Mississippi State secured its third straight NCAA Tournament bid for the third time in program history during the 2024-25 season. The last time the Bulldogs accomplished the feat was in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05.
This season, State is looking to connect four consecutive NCAA Tournament trips for the 2nd time in program history. The previous 4-year run went from 2001-02 to 2004-05 under Rick Stansbury. The Bulldogs are one of seven SEC teams and one of 25 schools nationally with an active streak of at least three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.
SERIES HISTORY
State dialed up a memorable 91-85 victory over Auburn during the regular season behind Josh Hubbard's program SEC single-game record 46 points. The Bulldogs erased an 8-point deficit over the game's last 3:45. Overall, Auburn holds an 84-72 series advantage.
The Matchup: Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13 SEC) vs. Auburn (16-15, 7-11 SEC)
Where: Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena
When: Wednesday, March 11, ~2:00 p.m. CT
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (https://hailst.at/4rSUikh)
TV: SEC Network, ESPN app, www.ESPN.com/watch (Subscription Required)
Channels: Ch. 611 DirecTV • Ch. 404/408 Dish • Ch. 1026 MaxxSouth • Ch. 220 C-Spire
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/4bdOnzi
Talent: Roy Philpott, Jon Crispin
Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price
Affiliate: WZLA-FM 96.1 Lazer – Your Greatest Hits
Free Online Audio: Hail State and The Varsity Network Apps
Direct Link: https://hailst.at/3Nqj5gw
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT STATE
1. Chris Jans, one of the nation's premier bench bosses, is in his fourth season of leading 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 .682 winning percentage (219-102) in his 10th season as a NCAA Division I head coach.
Jans is 11th among NCAA active coaches at the power 4 conference level (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) with the aforementioned .682 winning percentage. He sits behind Naismith Hall of Fame coaches in Bill Self (Kansas), John Calipari (Arkansas) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) among others with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience.
In his four seasons at State, Jans has amassed 76 victories which trails Florida's Todd Golden and Georgia's Mike White among the six, SEC fourth-year coaches. He is the only active SEC coach at his respective school to post a trio of 20+ win seasons during his first three seasons inside the league.
Jans remains 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 only 4 out of 175 coaches in SEC history to take their squads to three straight NCAA Tournaments with at least 21 wins during their first three seasons inside the league.
Nationally, Jans is joined by Jon Scheyer (Duke) as the only NCAA fourth-year coaches to take their squads to the 2023, 2024 and 2025 NCAA Tournaments, respectively.
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 a Wichita State assistant coach 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 award as Bowling Green's head coach.
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. and Dellquan Warren.
Hubbard, a three-time All-SEC selection, is joined by Erick Dampier as the only State players to notch All-SEC status during their freshmen, sophomore and junior seasons. He has had his fair share of recognition for all of his work off the court after being named the 2026 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup winner for his exceptional leadership, his character and his commitment to community service.
Hubbard is 1 of 4 major conference players (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) to amass at least 675 points and 100 assists this season. The elite list includes AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke) and PJ Haggerty (Kansas State).
Hubbard is 1 of 2 SEC players (Mark Sears – Alabama) and 1 of 12 major conference players with multiple seasons of 640+ points and 100+ assists during the 2000s. The prestigious list includes 5 NBA Draft 1st Round picks (Troy Bell – Boston College, Juan Dixon – Maryland, Ben Gordon – UConn, Nolan Smith – Duke and Jay Williams – Duke).
Hubbard has amassed 1925 career points which ranks 4th on State's all-time list, ranks 5th for SEC players after their junior season and ranks 39th overall in SEC history. He is joined by Bailey Howell (State), Pete Maravich (LSU) and Vernon Maxwell (Florida) as the only SEC players to have 3 of their school's top 10 scoring seasons.
Hubbard has dialed up a SEC-leading 7 games of 30+ points, while his 18 outings of 20+ points are tied for 2nd on the SEC leaderboard. He is ranked among the SEC's top 5 in points (22.10 – 2nd), three-pointers made (3.00 – 3rd) and three-point percentage (35.0 – 5th).
For his career, Hubbard has racked up double figures in 92 of 100 outings fueled by 28 of his 45 efforts of 20+ points and 10 of his 11 performances of 30+ points are versus SEC foes. He dialed up a program SEC record with 46 points against Auburn (02/18) where he exploded for 35 points in the first half, the most for a NCAA Division I player in a first half since Iowa's Luka Garza in 2020-21.
The 46 points during the Auburn game also were one away from Howell's program record of 47 points versus Union in 1958-59. He also added 42 points versus Georgia (March 7) in the regular season finale. He and Howell are the only two State players with multiple SEC outings of 40+ points.
Hubbard has already shattered State's program mark by knocking down 309 career three-pointers. The 309 treys are 10th on the SEC's all-time list. He had a performance for the ages where he buried a program single-game mark of 10 triples during the Auburn game.
Hubbard has sunk multiple triples in 82 of 100 career games and hit at least one three-pointer in a SEC-record 69 consecutive games (02/07/2024-01/31/2026). He enters the Auburn game 3 shy of passing Alabama's John Petty (2018-19-20-21) for 9th place on the SEC's all-time list.
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 prep career as Mississippi's all-time leading scorer with 4,367 points. He broke a mark that stood for 37 years previously by State's Robert Woodard.
Jones Jr. has started 27 of his 30 outings in 2025-26 after he made 80 of his first 93 appearances over his first three seasons off the bench. He has improved his scoring average in all four seasons at State headed by a career-best 5.4 points per contest in 2025-26.
Jones Jr. is 1 of 9 players in program history to see action on three NCAA Tournament squads and is the only SEC rotation player in 2025-26 to play all four seasons at the same school. He became the 31st player in program history to reach 100 steals for his career at LSU (01/28).
Earlier this season, Jones Jr. fired in a career-best 17 points versus Southeastern Louisiana (11/15) on 7-of-10 shooting fueled by a career-high three treys. His SEC career-best is 12 points against Auburn (02/18) where he also matched his career marks with five assists and three blocks.
3. State's transfer class includes Achor Achor (Samford • Kansas State), Amier Ali (Arizona State), Quincy Ballard (Florida State • Wichita State), Jayden Epps (Georgetown • Illinois), Sergej Macura (KK Mega Bemax • Serbia) (Ja'Borri McGhee (UAB) Brandon Walker (UT-Arlington • Montana State).
Achor has collected 1205 points over his two junior college seasons and his four seasons at the NCAA Division I level. His best season came in 2023-24 as a Lou Henson Award finalist where he averaged 16.1 points per contest as one of the nation's top mid-major player while at Samford.
Achor's best effort at State was 18 points at No. 17 Alabama (02/25) and at Ole Miss (02/14) followed by 14 rebounds against Oklahoma (01/07). He has secured 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game over his last 9 outings (02/07-03/07). The Australia native has 5 of 6 games of 10+ points and a pair of double-doubles in SEC action.
Ali had a strong freshman finish at Arizona State with 5 of his 7 outings in double figures against Big 12 foes. He poured in a season's best 16 points versus New Orleans (11/24).
Ballard has started in 94 of his last 98 games for Wichita State and Mississippi State over the last three seasons. He is 3rd among NCAA active players with a 68.9 career field goal percentage. The New York native registered his 1st SEC double-double with a season's best 15 points and 10 rebounds at South Carolina (02/21).
On the defensive end, Ballard has racked up 205 career blocks fueled by 57 performances with multiple blocks and 6 efforts of five-plus rejections. His 1.16 blocks per game are 13th in the SEC rankings. Ballard has collected 37 of his 38 games of 10+ points and 12 of his 14 double-doubles over the last two seasons.
Epps has piled up 1573 career points over his 116 appearances sparked by 83 outings in double figures, 25 performances of 20-plus points and 7 efforts of 30 or more points. He has drained 211 career three-pointers highlighted by 58 games with multiple treys. The Virginia native has connected for multiple treys in 8 of his last 13 games (01/21-03/07) and 16 times this season.
Epps is complete combo guard with 26 career games with multiple steals and 18 performances with five-plus assists. He has piled up double figures in 12 of his 18 SEC outings sparked by a season's best is 27 points at Texas (01/03).
Macura's KK Mega Bemax (Serbia) fellow starting five members are all playing major conference basketball this season with Andrija Jelavic (Kentucky) and Filip Jovic (Auburn) inside the SEC. He represented his native Slovenia at multiple FIBA events and won a silver medal at the 2024 U20 EuroBasket Championships.
Macura provided a season's best 12 points against Long Island (12/16) and grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds versus North Alabama (11/05) during the non-conference. He amassed his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds at LSU (01/28).
McGhee has ripped off double figures 11 times in the Maroon and White this season. State and UAB have won 21 of 32 games over the last two seasons where he scored 10 or more points. He has posted 10.8 points per contest over his last five outings (02/21-03/07) fueled by a SEC season's best of 20 points versus Georgia (03/07).
Overall, McGhee has amassed 1,683 career points which includes two junior college seasons. He exploded for 19 of his career-high 29 points against Utah (12/13) during the second half. The 29 points are tied with Josh Hubbard and Tony Watts for the most scored by a State player off the bench going back to 1989-90.
Walker, a two-time All-Big Sky Honorable Mention pick, has dialed up 52 of his 60 career outings over his last three seasons. Overall, he has produced 1,183 points over his four-year career. Walker poured in a season's best 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting at Texas A&M (01/21).
4. State's freshmen class features King Grace, Jamarion Davis-Fleming, Tee Barlett and Cameren Paul were ranked No. 12 nationally and fifth-best among SEC schools by ESPN's Classes for 2025.
Davis-Fleming is consensus four-star prospect as the state of Mississippi's top prospect while playing at Canton High School. He was rated No. 97 in ESPN's Top 100 for the Class of 2025 and was the 2024-25 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year after he posted 24.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.
Davis-Fleming has secured a block in 22 games sparked by multiple blocks on 13 occasions. His 1.29 blocks per game are 12th on the SEC leaderboard. The 1.29 blocks also are 2nd among SEC freshmen behind Kentucky's Malachi Moreno in addition to being 7th among major conference freshmen (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC).
Davis-Fleming fired in a season-high 13 points against Ole Miss (01/17). He collected a season's best 10 rebounds at No. 17 Alabama (02/25) and versus Oklahoma (01/07).
Grace is another four-star prospect who played his final high school season at Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy based in Dallas, Texas. He ranked No. 75 in ESPN's Top 100 for the Class of 2025 and posted 24.3 points per game as a senior.
Grace's top scoring effort is 14 points against Alabama State (12/29) followed by a SEC season's best 13-point efforts at No. 17 Alabama (02/25) and at Texas A&M (01/21). He has posted 8.0 points per game over his last 4 games (02/21-03/03) but missed the Georgia game due to injury.
5. As a program, State has earned seven straight postseason appearances when postseason tournament has been played (4 NCAA • 3 NIT) since 2017-18 and 17 postseason appearances (10 NCAA • 7 NIT) during the 2000s.
The Maroon and White have been one of the SEC's more consistent programs going back to the 2017-18 season. Entering this season, State is joined by Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee as the five SEC programs to secure at least 8 league wins during each of the last 8 seasons.
The Bulldogs have had to face off against the SEC's elite under Coach Jans. State has had to play a league-high tying 32 regular season games against ranked SEC opponents which is highlighted by a league-best 16 SEC regular season matchups versus AP Top 10 foes over the last four seasons.
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.
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/ Men's BasketballMEN'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
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Postgame Press Conference vs. Georgia - 3/7/26
Saturday, March 07
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Postgame Press Conference at Florida - 3/3/26
Wednesday, March 04