WATCH: Players Postgame Presser - Auburn
February 19, 2026 | Men's Basketball
2025-26 Mississippi State Men's Basketball Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State vs. Auburn – February 18, 2026
Guards Josh Hubbard and Shawn Jones Jr.
Q: What did you think about Josh's performance?
SJJ: "Insane, legendary performance. We're three years in [together], man, just a legendary performance. I already knew he was great. I tell him every day he's my favorite point guard in the world. He keeps living up to it, he never let me down."
Q: Josh, try to explain how early in the game you realized you were on tonight.
JH: "I was just staying level-headed. Not getting too high, not staying too low or high in the moment. Just taking possession at a time, just let the groove come to me. I couldn't do it by myself. My teammates set me up, ball screens, DHOs and things like that. Without them, I wouldn't have that type of performance."
Q: Shawn, you guys had a big lead, but Auburn came back to lead late. What was Coach Jans telling you all to kind of rally the troops?
SJJ: "Keep playing our game. It's adversity. We've been in that position before. We stick together, and we make the play that we need to make to pull this game out."
Q: Josh in the second half, they start double teaming you. How did you keep yourself prepared to hit that three-pointer final minute there?
JH: "Just letting the game come to me. Not really forcing shots or anything like that. When they sent two at me, they really opened up the floor. We flashed the middle, and we created easy buckets when that happens. So, at the end we ran a good play. I was able to get open, had the confidence to shoot it and was able to knock it down."
Q: Josh, you had that game against Arkansas where you didn't hit a three-pointer, but you've had 30 points every game since then. Has anything changed in your approach?
JH: "Not really, just staying consistent with it each and every day. Coach Jans said the work will show as long as you put it in."
Q: Josh, they were doing everything they could to take you out in the second half. How big in the final minutes were Jayden Epps and Ja'Borri McGhee?
JH: "Man, they were huge, especially this guy right here next to me [Shawn Jones Jr.], knocking down those two free throws to seal the win. Having those types of guys where they let me get hot and then they support me and then they seal the game, it just tells the type of team, the type of people we have. That's just the unselfishness that we love about each other that we carry, and we cherish every day."
Q: Josh you appear to be doing a little bit of trash talking there at the end. What were your emotions during that moment?
JH: "It was definitely emotional, I think everybody knows why. It's part of the game. At the end of the day, it's all love. In between those lines, it's competitive. That's every SEC game. So, just let the emotions get out for sure."
Q: Josh, this is two games in a row where you've set personal history in this uniform. How much more does that add to the feeling of making those accomplishments?
JH: "Definitely, the biggest thing is just getting the win. That's the goal each and every game, every time we prepare and every practice. We put a lot of pain. We put a lot of sweat into preparations two days before the games. That's just the common goal each and every day [is] just to get a win."
Mississippi State vs. Auburn – February 18, 2026
Guards Josh Hubbard and Shawn Jones Jr.
Q: What did you think about Josh's performance?
SJJ: "Insane, legendary performance. We're three years in [together], man, just a legendary performance. I already knew he was great. I tell him every day he's my favorite point guard in the world. He keeps living up to it, he never let me down."
Q: Josh, try to explain how early in the game you realized you were on tonight.
JH: "I was just staying level-headed. Not getting too high, not staying too low or high in the moment. Just taking possession at a time, just let the groove come to me. I couldn't do it by myself. My teammates set me up, ball screens, DHOs and things like that. Without them, I wouldn't have that type of performance."
Q: Shawn, you guys had a big lead, but Auburn came back to lead late. What was Coach Jans telling you all to kind of rally the troops?
SJJ: "Keep playing our game. It's adversity. We've been in that position before. We stick together, and we make the play that we need to make to pull this game out."
Q: Josh in the second half, they start double teaming you. How did you keep yourself prepared to hit that three-pointer final minute there?
JH: "Just letting the game come to me. Not really forcing shots or anything like that. When they sent two at me, they really opened up the floor. We flashed the middle, and we created easy buckets when that happens. So, at the end we ran a good play. I was able to get open, had the confidence to shoot it and was able to knock it down."
Q: Josh, you had that game against Arkansas where you didn't hit a three-pointer, but you've had 30 points every game since then. Has anything changed in your approach?
JH: "Not really, just staying consistent with it each and every day. Coach Jans said the work will show as long as you put it in."
Q: Josh, they were doing everything they could to take you out in the second half. How big in the final minutes were Jayden Epps and Ja'Borri McGhee?
JH: "Man, they were huge, especially this guy right here next to me [Shawn Jones Jr.], knocking down those two free throws to seal the win. Having those types of guys where they let me get hot and then they support me and then they seal the game, it just tells the type of team, the type of people we have. That's just the unselfishness that we love about each other that we carry, and we cherish every day."
Q: Josh you appear to be doing a little bit of trash talking there at the end. What were your emotions during that moment?
JH: "It was definitely emotional, I think everybody knows why. It's part of the game. At the end of the day, it's all love. In between those lines, it's competitive. That's every SEC game. So, just let the emotions get out for sure."
Q: Josh, this is two games in a row where you've set personal history in this uniform. How much more does that add to the feeling of making those accomplishments?
JH: "Definitely, the biggest thing is just getting the win. That's the goal each and every game, every time we prepare and every practice. We put a lot of pain. We put a lot of sweat into preparations two days before the games. That's just the common goal each and every day [is] just to get a win."
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/ Men's BasketballMEN'S BASKETBALL | Highlights vs. Auburn - 2/18/26
Thursday, February 19
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Josh Hubbard & Shawn Jones Jr. Postgame Press Conference vs. Auburn - 2/18/26
Thursday, February 19
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Postgame Press Conference vs. Auburn - 2/18/26
Wednesday, February 18
MEN'S BASKETBALL | Chris Jans Media Session - 2/16/26
Monday, February 16