2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Bell Jr., Jimmy
F
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/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
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/ Men's Basketball
Jersey Number 15
Jimmy Bell Jr.
- Position:
- F
- Height:
- 6-10
- Weight:
- 280
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Saginaw, Mich.
- High School/Previous School:
- Bella Vista Prep – Arizona/West Virginia
Bio
HONORS & AWARDS
2023-24 SEC Player of the Week • Dec. 26, 2023 • Mississippi State
2023-24 Gotham Classic Game MVP • Mississippi State
2023-24 SEC Community Service Team • Mississippi State
2023-24 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll • Mississippi State
2020-21 Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll • Saint Louis
CAREER
Bell Jr. started 114 of his 154 career games between Saint Louis (2019-20, 2020-21), Moberly Area Junior College (2021-22), West Virginia (2022-23) and Mississippi State (2023-24) … Came away with 491 points, 479 rebounds, 50 assists, 49 blocks and 44 steals at the NCAA Division I level … Knocked down 46.9 percent from the floor (165-of-332) and 63.4 percent at the free throw line (161-of-254) … Provided 11 of his 13 outings in double figures and all five of his double-doubles over the last two seasons at West Virginia at State … Tallied nine outings with multiple assists and multiple blocks … Secured multiple steals on eight occasions.
2023-24 • GRADUATE SENIOR
Bell Jr. was one of five players to appear in all 35 games … Started the team’s first 14 contests filling in for an injured Tolu Smith III (Nov. 8-Jan. 6) and started 16 games overall … Averaged 5.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game … Converted on 46.9 percent from the floor (61-of-130) and 64.6 percent at the charity stripe (53-of-82) … His six games of 10+ points and his six outings of 10+ rebounds came against non-conference opponents … Tallied 9.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during November and December.
2023-24 • BEST GAMES
Bell Jr. started strong with 13 points and nine rebounds against Arizona State (Nov. 8) … Pumped home 14 points and 14 rebounds versus North Alabama (Nov. 14) … Tucked away 11 points and 10 rebounds against Nicholls (Nov. 24) … Hauled down 13 rebounds during the Georgia Tech (Nov. 28) and Southern (Dec. 3) games … Chipped in 14 points versus Tulane (Dec. 9) … Exploded for a season’s best of 17 points and a career-high 18 rebounds against Rutgers (Dec. 23) en route to Gotham Classic Game MVP honors and the SEC’s Player of the Week award (Dec. 26) … Tallied six points at South Carolina (Jan. 6) in SEC opener … Notched six points and four rebounds versus Ole Miss (Feb. 21) in return to starting five … Registered a SEC season’s best 8 points off the bench during win over No. 5 Tennessee (March 14) in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
BEFORE MISSISSIPPI STATE • WEST VIRGINIA
Bell Jr. started all 34 games in 2022-23 for West Virginia’s NCAA Tournament squad coached by Hall of Famer Bob Huggins … Secured 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game … His 2.4 offensive rebounds were tops among Big 12 players, while his 5.2 total rebounds were 14th on the conference leaderboard … Connected on 54.9 percent from the floor (50-of-91) and 61.4 percent at the foul line (62-of-101) … Garnered a 15.8 offensive rebounding percentage, which was good enough for third place among Power 5 players and ranked 11th nationally … Provided 10+ points on five occasions with two of his top three scoring efforts versus top 15 opponents … Added a pair of double-doubles.
2022-23 • BEST GAMES
Bell Jr. secured 10 points, eight rebounds and a season-high three blocks against Morehead State (Nov. 15) … Notched 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting coupled with six rebounds and a season’s best three assists at Xavier (Dec. 3) … Fired in his first career double-double with a career-high 18 points aided by an 8-for-13 effort at the foul line and grabbed 10 rebounds against Buffalo (Dec. 18) … Registered eight points at Kansas State (Dec. 31) in Big 12 debut … Dialed up Big 12 season’s bests of 15 points and 12 rebounds during victory over No. 14 TCU (Jan. 18) … Tallied solid all-around effort with 15 points, seven rebounds and a season-high three steals in SEC/Big 12 Challenge win over No. 15 Auburn (Jan. 28) … Came away with six points and five boards at No. 5 Texas (Feb. 11) … Picked up four points and eight rebounds against Texas Tech (March 8) at Big 12 Tournament.
BEFORE MISSISSIPPI STATE • JUNIOR COLLEGE
Bell Jr. attended Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Missouri playing for Pat Smith during the 2021-22 season … Averaged 9.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game … Shot 59.1 percent from the floor and 67.5 percent at the free throw line … His 146 offensive rebounds were third, while his 317 total rebounds were 11th among NJCAA players … Team amassed 28 victories and advanced to second round of the NJCAA Championship.
BEFORE MISSISSIPPI STATE • SAINT LOUIS
Bell Jr. began his collegiate career playing the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons at Saint Louis led by Travis Ford … Averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game over 50 career outings … Hit on 48.6 percent from the field (54-of-111) and 64.8 percent of his free throws (46-of-71) … Named to the 2020-21 Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
BEST GAMES • SAINT LOUIS
2020-21: Bell Jr. was inserted into the starting lineup during the team’s last five games (Feb. 26-March 20) as a sophomore which included a NIT Round of 16 matchup with Mississippi State (March 20) … Managed a season-high eight points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 5) along with season’s best of eight points and five rebounds at La Salle (Feb. 3).
2019-20: Bell Jr. started 30 of 31 games as a freshman with the lone exception being Senior Night versus St. Bonaventure (March 7) … His top three non-conference scoring efforts were nine points versus No. 12 Auburn (Dec. 14), eight points against No. 12 Seton Hall (Nov. 17) and eight points against Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 29) … Pumped home a season-high 12 points at Rhode Island (March 1) followed by a 10-point effort at Richmond (Jan. 11) … Grabbed a season’s best eight rebounds at No. 6 Dayton (Feb. 8).
HIGH SCHOOL
Bell Jr. started his prep career at Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, Michigan where he also was an offensive lineman in football before he spent his last two seasons at Bella Vista College Prep School in Scottsdale, Arizona to focus solely on basketball … Posted 11 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior … Team won 37 games highlighted by winning the Grind Session Winter Tournament … Transformed his body where he lost more than 80 pounds dropping his weight to 290 at Bella Vista.
PERSONAL
Born on July 8, 2000 … Graduated with a degree in Integrated Studies from West Virginia in May 2023 … Graduate school major is Workforce Education Leadership.
2023-24 SEC Player of the Week • Dec. 26, 2023 • Mississippi State
2023-24 Gotham Classic Game MVP • Mississippi State
2023-24 SEC Community Service Team • Mississippi State
2023-24 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll • Mississippi State
2020-21 Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll • Saint Louis
CAREER
Bell Jr. started 114 of his 154 career games between Saint Louis (2019-20, 2020-21), Moberly Area Junior College (2021-22), West Virginia (2022-23) and Mississippi State (2023-24) … Came away with 491 points, 479 rebounds, 50 assists, 49 blocks and 44 steals at the NCAA Division I level … Knocked down 46.9 percent from the floor (165-of-332) and 63.4 percent at the free throw line (161-of-254) … Provided 11 of his 13 outings in double figures and all five of his double-doubles over the last two seasons at West Virginia at State … Tallied nine outings with multiple assists and multiple blocks … Secured multiple steals on eight occasions.
2023-24 • GRADUATE SENIOR
Bell Jr. was one of five players to appear in all 35 games … Started the team’s first 14 contests filling in for an injured Tolu Smith III (Nov. 8-Jan. 6) and started 16 games overall … Averaged 5.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game … Converted on 46.9 percent from the floor (61-of-130) and 64.6 percent at the charity stripe (53-of-82) … His six games of 10+ points and his six outings of 10+ rebounds came against non-conference opponents … Tallied 9.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during November and December.
2023-24 • BEST GAMES
Bell Jr. started strong with 13 points and nine rebounds against Arizona State (Nov. 8) … Pumped home 14 points and 14 rebounds versus North Alabama (Nov. 14) … Tucked away 11 points and 10 rebounds against Nicholls (Nov. 24) … Hauled down 13 rebounds during the Georgia Tech (Nov. 28) and Southern (Dec. 3) games … Chipped in 14 points versus Tulane (Dec. 9) … Exploded for a season’s best of 17 points and a career-high 18 rebounds against Rutgers (Dec. 23) en route to Gotham Classic Game MVP honors and the SEC’s Player of the Week award (Dec. 26) … Tallied six points at South Carolina (Jan. 6) in SEC opener … Notched six points and four rebounds versus Ole Miss (Feb. 21) in return to starting five … Registered a SEC season’s best 8 points off the bench during win over No. 5 Tennessee (March 14) in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
BEFORE MISSISSIPPI STATE • WEST VIRGINIA
Bell Jr. started all 34 games in 2022-23 for West Virginia’s NCAA Tournament squad coached by Hall of Famer Bob Huggins … Secured 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game … His 2.4 offensive rebounds were tops among Big 12 players, while his 5.2 total rebounds were 14th on the conference leaderboard … Connected on 54.9 percent from the floor (50-of-91) and 61.4 percent at the foul line (62-of-101) … Garnered a 15.8 offensive rebounding percentage, which was good enough for third place among Power 5 players and ranked 11th nationally … Provided 10+ points on five occasions with two of his top three scoring efforts versus top 15 opponents … Added a pair of double-doubles.
2022-23 • BEST GAMES
Bell Jr. secured 10 points, eight rebounds and a season-high three blocks against Morehead State (Nov. 15) … Notched 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting coupled with six rebounds and a season’s best three assists at Xavier (Dec. 3) … Fired in his first career double-double with a career-high 18 points aided by an 8-for-13 effort at the foul line and grabbed 10 rebounds against Buffalo (Dec. 18) … Registered eight points at Kansas State (Dec. 31) in Big 12 debut … Dialed up Big 12 season’s bests of 15 points and 12 rebounds during victory over No. 14 TCU (Jan. 18) … Tallied solid all-around effort with 15 points, seven rebounds and a season-high three steals in SEC/Big 12 Challenge win over No. 15 Auburn (Jan. 28) … Came away with six points and five boards at No. 5 Texas (Feb. 11) … Picked up four points and eight rebounds against Texas Tech (March 8) at Big 12 Tournament.
BEFORE MISSISSIPPI STATE • JUNIOR COLLEGE
Bell Jr. attended Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Missouri playing for Pat Smith during the 2021-22 season … Averaged 9.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game … Shot 59.1 percent from the floor and 67.5 percent at the free throw line … His 146 offensive rebounds were third, while his 317 total rebounds were 11th among NJCAA players … Team amassed 28 victories and advanced to second round of the NJCAA Championship.
BEFORE MISSISSIPPI STATE • SAINT LOUIS
Bell Jr. began his collegiate career playing the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons at Saint Louis led by Travis Ford … Averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game over 50 career outings … Hit on 48.6 percent from the field (54-of-111) and 64.8 percent of his free throws (46-of-71) … Named to the 2020-21 Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
BEST GAMES • SAINT LOUIS
2020-21: Bell Jr. was inserted into the starting lineup during the team’s last five games (Feb. 26-March 20) as a sophomore which included a NIT Round of 16 matchup with Mississippi State (March 20) … Managed a season-high eight points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 5) along with season’s best of eight points and five rebounds at La Salle (Feb. 3).
2019-20: Bell Jr. started 30 of 31 games as a freshman with the lone exception being Senior Night versus St. Bonaventure (March 7) … His top three non-conference scoring efforts were nine points versus No. 12 Auburn (Dec. 14), eight points against No. 12 Seton Hall (Nov. 17) and eight points against Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 29) … Pumped home a season-high 12 points at Rhode Island (March 1) followed by a 10-point effort at Richmond (Jan. 11) … Grabbed a season’s best eight rebounds at No. 6 Dayton (Feb. 8).
HIGH SCHOOL
Bell Jr. started his prep career at Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, Michigan where he also was an offensive lineman in football before he spent his last two seasons at Bella Vista College Prep School in Scottsdale, Arizona to focus solely on basketball … Posted 11 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior … Team won 37 games highlighted by winning the Grind Session Winter Tournament … Transformed his body where he lost more than 80 pounds dropping his weight to 290 at Bella Vista.
PERSONAL
Born on July 8, 2000 … Graduated with a degree in Integrated Studies from West Virginia in May 2023 … Graduate school major is Workforce Education Leadership.
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