Five Things To Know: State-No. 8 Auburn

Saturday, January 27

Starkville

2:30 PM

Mississippi State

#8 Auburn

Tickets

GAINESVILLE, FL - January 24, 2024 - Mississippi State Guard Josh Hubbard (#13) during shoot around before the game between the Florida Gators and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL. Photo By Jaden Powell

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

Five Things To Know: State-No. 8 Auburn

January 26, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Fan Gameday Info Notes (PDF)Game Program

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball faces its third top 10 challenge on the young conference season as the Bulldogs welcome No. 8 Auburn to a sold-out Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (13-6, 2-4 SEC) are in the midst of another stretch of four consecutive NCAA NET Quad 1 games during the league's first half.

In fact, State will be playing its sixth NCAA NET Quad 1 conference outing and is the only program in the country slated to have eight of its first nine league games slotted for quad one. The Bulldogs and Vanderbilt are the only schools scheduled to have 10-plus NCAA NET Quad 1 games during SEC play.

A State victory would give the program multiple wins over Associated Press Top 10 teams for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Bulldogs knocked off No. 5 Tennessee, 77-72, earlier this season.

State's non-conference resume is headlined by a quartet of Power 5 neutral court victories over Arizona State (Pac-12), Northwestern (Big Ten), Rutgers (Big Ten) and Washington State (Pac-12). Only the Bulldogs and Memphis possess at least four non-conference wins over Power 5 opponents on road/neutral floors this season.

State is joined by Florida Atlantic as the only teams in the country to amass six neutral court victories in 2023-24. The Bulldogs also defeated North Texas (American) and Tulane (American) en route to their six neutral court triumphs by an average of 15.7 points per contest.

Last time out, State trimmed a 17-point deficit in the second half down to six in the closing minutes before Florida emerged with a 79-70 decision. A key to the win for the Gators was a 10-for-10 mark on free throws in the closing minutes.

State featured a suffocating defense under Chris Jans after being one of two teams to rank inside the nation's top 25 last season in scoring defense (61.0 – 2nd SEC – 9th nationally), field goal percentage defense (39.4 – 3rd SEC – 10th nationally) and steals (8.6 – 2nd SEC – 23rd nationally).

This season, the Bulldogs possesses national top 50 rankings in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.8 – 1st SEC – 8th nation), field goal percentage defense (40.4 – 4th SEC – 45th nation) and steals (8.4 – 3rd SEC – 49th nation),

State also has dialed up top 40 marks from KenPom.com in three additional defensive categories: adjusted defensive efficiency (96.3 – 16th), effective field goal percentage defense (45.9 – 26th) and steal percentage (12.1 – 37th).

The Maroon and White has drained 142 three-pointers which is tied for 6th most in program history over the team's first 19 games. Josh Hubbard and Trey Fort have combined for 75 of the team's 142 treys (52.8 percent).

SERIES HISTORY
State will play a ranked Auburn squad for the fourth time in the last five meetings since 2019-20. The Tigers have won the last five and seven of the last eight in the series dating back to the 2016-17 season. Overall, Auburn possesses an 81-70 series advantage over the Bulldogs.

State's last victory in the series was a 92-84 triumph on Jan. 26, 2019. Quinndary Weatherspoon led a four-player attack in double figures with 27 points, while Lamar Peters chipped in 16 points and 10 assists followed by Reggie Perry's 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

The Matchup: Mississippi State (13-6, 2-4 SEC) vs. No. 8 Auburn (16-3, 5-1 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum – Starkville, Mississippi
When: Saturday, January 27, 2:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (https://hailst.at/406H5qO)

TV: SEC Network
Channels: Ch. 611 (DirecTV); Ch. 404/408 (Dish); Ch. 1026 (MaxxSouth); Ch. 220 C-Spire
App: ESPN App (Subscription Required – https://hailst.at/4avR0Ls)
Talent: Richard Cross, Pat Bradley

Radio: Mississippi State Sports Network – Powered by Learfield
Talent: Neil Price, Richard Williams
Affiliates: WZLA-FM 96.1 Starkville/West Point
Free Online Audio: Hail State App (https://hailst.at/3u2d4Ny); The Varsity Network App

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
1. Chris Jans, one of the nation's premier bench bosses, leads State's program. He is assisted by James Miller, David Anwar and George Brooks. The Iowa native was one of 10 SEC coaches in league history to amass at least 21 victories and secure a NCAA Tournament berth during their first season in 2022-23.

Jans, a three-time WAC Coach of the Year during his tenure at New Mexico State, owns an impressive .738 winning percentage (177-63) in his 8th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. He is fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .738 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State), Bill Self (Kansas), and John Calipari (Kentucky).

As a junior college head coach, Jans won the 1997-98 NJCAA Division II National Championship at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He also played a vital role as an assistant coach at Wichita State which was headed by a 2013 NCAA Final Four run, five NCAA Tournament trips and four Missouri Valley Conference regular season crowns.

2. The Maroon and White are among the nation's leaders returning 80.9 percent of its points, 72.4 percent of its rebounds, 83.8 percent of its assists, 83.6 percent of its steals and 75.2 percent of its blocks from last season.

During six games of SEC action, State's returning players have tallied 68.0 percent of the team's points (291-of-428. The Bulldogs have continued to showcase their depth and piled up 32.11 bench points per contest which is 2nd on the SEC leaderboard and check in 12th nationally.

3. Tolu Smith III, Shakeel Moore, D.J. Jeffries, Dashawn Davis and Cameron Matthews combined for 85.3 percent of the team's starts (145-of-170) as State's top five scorers in 2022-23.

Smith III (18.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.3 APG) has been showered with numerous preseason accolades headed by the Karl Malone and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists. He also was a consensus 2022-23 All-SEC First-Team pick and a consensus 2023-24 All-SEC Preseason First-Team selection joined by Texas A&M's Wade Taylor IV.

Smith III has racked up 1,338 points and 735 rebounds and has started 89 of 92 games at State. He is joined by Purdue's Zach Edey as the only returning college players in 2023-24 to average at least 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 55-plus percent from the floor last season.

Smith III has ripped off 25 consecutive games in double figures (01/14/23 to 01/24/24) sparked by 13 double-doubles. Smith III produced his SEC-leading 28th double-double among active players with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Florida (01/24) coupled with a season's best 26 points at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17). His last 20-10 outing was a 25-point, 11-rebound performance during the Vanderbilt game (01/20).

Moore (7.5 PPG, 2.0 APG) has registered 33 of his 38 career games with 10-plus points over the last three seasons while at Mississippi State. He came away with a season's best 16 points against Murray State (12/13) and has posted 8.7 points per game over his 11 starts.

Defensively, Moore has accounted for at least one steal in 77 of 108 career games sparked by 48 times with multiple steals. His 159 career steals are 6th among SEC active players and his 124 steals at State are 17th on the program's all-time list.

Jeffries (6.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG) has found his way into State's starting five in 84 of 87 career games. He eclipsed 600 career rebounds against UT Martin (11/11) and followed that up by surpassing 1,200 career points versus Vanderbilt (01/20).

Jeffries secured a season-high 13 points versus North Texas (12/17). He also added a season's best 12 rebounds to go along with 11 points against Murray State (12/13) to tuck away his first double-double of the season. Jeffries secured a SEC season's best 10 points against Vanderbilt (01/20) and a career-high five steals against No. 5 Tennessee (01/10).

Davis (6.6 PPG, 3.2 APG, 1.8 SPG) is ranked tied for 8th in steals and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio among SEC players this season. Five of his six games of 10+ points in 2023-24 have come on the road/neutral floors fueled by season's bests of 13 points and 7 assists against Rutgers (12/23). In those six games in double figures, Davis is shooting 47.1 percent from three-point territory.

Davis posted consecutive games in double figures en route to Hall of Fame All-Tournament Team. Davis came away with a State career-best of 18 points against Utah in the Fort Myers Championship Game, while his SEC career-high is 17 point at Arkansas, both coming last season.

Matthews (9.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.2 SPG) has showcased his as the one of three Power 6 players and one of five players nationally to dial up at least 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season.

Matthews has posted eight outings of 10+ points sparked by a season-high 18 points coupled with 11 rebounds versus Rutgers (12/23). The Bulldogs are 15-4 lifetime when Matthews collects 10 or more points. He also has handed out multiple assists in 12 outings and secured multiple steals on 10 occasions this season. Matthews has garnered at least one steal in 59 of his 86 outings over the last three seasons.

4. The Bulldogs have brought in an impressive group of newcomers which include Jimmy Bell Jr. (West Virginia), Trey Fort (Howard College), Scott (Salt Lake Community College) and Andrew Taylor (Marshall) from the transfer portal and the junior college ranks.

Bell Jr. (7.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG), the SEC's Player of the Week for 12/26, has started 48 games over the last two seasons and was a key member of West Virginia's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament squad. He has already notched six of his 13 career outings of 10-plus points for State this season.

Bell Jr. ripped off a season's best 17 points and hauled down a career-high 18 rebounds against Rutgers (12/23). His 7.3 rebounds per contest are 8th on the SEC's , and he's pulled down 10+ rebounds on six occasions.

Fort (6.1 PPG), one of the nation's top junior college recruits, was a All-America Second-Team honoree at Howard College in Texas last season. His 24.9 points per game was fourth among JUCO players.

Fort has notched double figures three times highlighted by a 21-point explosion versus Arizona State (11/08) on opening night, while his SEC season watermark is a 13-point effort coming at No. 8 Kentucky (01/17).

Scott (1.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG) posted 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game at Salt Lake CC last season, and his team was the 2021-22 Runner-Up. He secured nine points and nine rebounds versus Southern Miss in the charity exhibition game. Scott's best regular season outing was six points and six rebounds against Tulane (12/09).

Taylor (3.9 PPG, 1.3 APG) was dubbed a SEC Impact transfer by CBS' Jon Rothstein. Last season, he joined by St. John's Shamorie Ponds (2017-18) as the only college players over the last decade to average at least 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Taylor tallied a season's best nine points versus North Alabama (11/14). He has missed the last eight games due to a personal matter.

5. Mississippi State's talented freshmen class features Gai Chol, Josh Hubbard and Adrian Myers. The Bulldogs also brought back Shawn Jones Jr. and KeShawn Murphy who will look to build on their freshmen campaigns.

Hubbard (14.8 PPG, 1.6 APG), a two-time SEC Freshmen of the Week on 11/20 and 01/15 and an ESPN top 100 recruit for the Class of 2023, capped his high school career as the state of Mississippi's all-time leading scorer with 4,367 career points which broke a record that stood for 37 years previously held by Mississippi State's Robert Woodard.

Hubbard is one of two Power 6 freshmen since 2005-06 to average at least 14.5 points off the bench with a minimum of 15 games played, not including games in which the player started, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Hubbard has piled up 281 points through his first 19 games which is 5th-most for a MSU freshman and the most since Rickey Brown (1976-77). His 14.8 points per game are tops among SEC freshmen as he tallied 26 points at Florida (01/24) and 25 points versus No. 5 Tennessee (01/10) during his SEC home debut. His five outings of 20-plus points is the most by a State player since 1988-89.

Hubbard's season-high of 29 points versus Northwestern (11/19) is the most for a State player under Coach . It also marked the most points scored by a State player off the bench since Tony Watts also scored 29 points at Ole Miss in 1989-90.

Jones Jr. (5.1 PPG) wrapped up 2022-23 on a strong note with seven of his top 10 scoring efforts coming against SEC opponents. He carried that momentum into 2023-24 with a trio of 8-point efforts versus Arizona State (11/08), UT Martin (11/11) and Washington State (11/18). Jones Jr.'s career-high is 11 points against South Carolina (02/28/23) and his season's best is 9 points at Florida (01/24).

Murphy (5.4 PPG) made his season debut returning from injury against Nicholls (11/24). His top performance in 2023-24 was a career-best 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus North Texas (12/17). His SEC best is 11 points versus No. 8 Alabama (12/28/22). Murphy has not played in State's last five games due to a personal matter.

Chol (2.9 PPG), a native of South Sudan, took advantage of extended minutes with 11 points and six rebounds against UT Martin (11/11). He also tallied five points versus Nicholls (11/24) coupled with four points and four rebounds during the Tulane game (12/09).

SCOUTING AUBURN
The Tigers had their 11-game winning streak come to a close with a 79-75 loss at Alabama on Wednesday. Auburn is averaging 83.3 points per game, shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and has seven players averaging at least seven points per contest.

Johni Broome (15.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG) has racked up eight double-doubles which include two in his last three outings. He posted 25 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks during the Alabama game. Broome's season-high is 30 points versus Virginia Tech (11/29) during the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Jaylin Williams (12.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG) and Aden Holloway (9.6 PPG, 3.3 APG) have combined for 19 outings in double figures. Williams has provided a pair of 20-point performances against Texas A&M (01/09) and at Vanderbilt (01/17) in SEC action.

Auburn's top performers off the bench have been Chad Baker-Mazara (9.3 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.2 SPG), KD Johnson (7.6 PPG, 1.2 SPG) and Tre Donaldson (7.3 PPG, 3.4 APG). Baker-Mazara already has three SEC games with double-digit points highlighted by a season-high 19 points during the LSU game (01/13).

Mississippi State is selling single-game tickets for remaining SEC home contests. Visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information.

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