STARKVILLE — After taking Mississippi State basketball to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, coach Chris Jans is set for his second season at the helm.
However, a season with high expectations, comes with some uncertainty. The Bulldogs will be without star center Tolu Smith until conference play. Combined with injuries to other contributors such as guard Dashawn Davis and forward KeShawn Murphy, MSU is in an unfavorable position going into the season.
But that hasn’t tempered expectations much. Mississippi State still received votes in the preseason AP Top 25, and if injured players return on the earlier end of their timelines, the Bulldogs should have their roster ready when SEC play ramps up.
MSU’s nonconference slate features four, and potentially five, Power Five foes. The slate opens with a trip to Chicago on Nov. 8 (8 p.m., Barstool.TV) for a matchup against Arizona State in the Barstool Invitational.
Here are our bold predictions for the Bulldogs this season.
Tolu Smith wins SEC player of the year
Had news of his injury not broke just before preseason All-SEC ballots were submitted, Smith likely would have been picked as the conference’s player of the year. If he returns early in SEC play, he can still make a case for the award.
Smith is the second-leading returning scorer in the conference after averaging 15.8 points per game last season. Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV, who was the SEC’s preseason player of the year, averaged 16.5.
Smith was second in the SEC with 8.5 rebounds per game and had the top shooting percentage (57.2). If MSU succeeds, Smith will again be the heart of what the Bulldogs do on both ends of the floor.
Chris Jans will be SEC coach of the year
To be coach of the year, one typically doesn’t have to have the best team in the conference. It’s an award often based on success compared to expectations.
Mississippi State is expected to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs were picked to finish seventh in the conference, according to the preseason poll. If MSU outperforms teams with uncertainty ahead of it – such as Auburn, Alabama and Kentucky – Jans should be in the conversation for coach of the year.
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Josh Hubbard will be an All-SEC freshman
A big reason Mississippi State’s success caught many by surprise last season was because the Bulldogs won despite being the worst 3-point shooting team in the country. If they take a step forward, improvement from beyond the arc will be necessary.
That’s where freshman guard Josh Hubbard could make his impact. Hubbard is the all-time leading scorer in Mississippi high school boys history. He was originally committed to Ole Miss but flipped following the firing of coach Kermit Davis.
Hubbard impressed during Mississippi State’s exhibition games in Portugal. With his ability to shoot the ball, combined with his quickness, Hubbard has a chance to be an All-SEC freshman.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.