Mississippi State achieved very similar success in each of their first three seasons under Chris Jans as head coach. The Bulldogs won 21 games, had an 8-10 record while finishing 9th in the SEC, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, failing to win a game during the event. Some teams would be disappointed with those results, though that consistency was admirable at a program not exactly considered a power in this power conference.
Unfortunately, last year was a step back for the Bulldogs, who finished just 13-19 and in 13th place in the SEC, far removed from any conversations about the Big Dance. Life is no easy task in this conference and this team just didn’t have the talent and consistency last season to be a contender. Mississippi State hasn’t won a game in the NCAA Tournament in nearly twenty years, though Jans is still hoping that breaking that drought is on the near horizon.
Epps will be missed
His staff sure had its work cut out for them after leaning on a veteran lineup last season. Great scorer Jayden Epps is gone alongside other notable pieces like Achor Achor, Quincy Ballard, and Ja’Borri McGhee among others. In fact, Mississippi State returns just three players from last season, though getting their leading scorer back in a major role is certainly good news in Starkville.
Beyond that returner, the Bulldogs are leaning on some offseason additions and also a plethora of young talent. We’ll break down what we expect the new starting lineup to look like and it’s a crew of seniors with plenty of experience. Still, there’s a lot of youth coming off the bench and many directions that Jans can lean on as he hopes to claw this team back into postseason prominence.
Projected Starters
Guard – Josh Hubbard (Senior)
The aforementioned returning star and top scorer from last season, Hubbard comes back for year four with the Bulldogs and should be a focal point once again. The 5-10 point guard put up 22.1 points and 3.6 assists across a monster season, earning All-SEC honors while becoming one of the conference’s top scorers. Expect similar explosiveness and perhaps even better numbers as a senior, even with new talent around him.
Guard – RJ Johnson (Senior)
After three seasons at Kennesaw State, Johnson comes into the fold for the Bulldogs and is expected to play a notable role. He was solid off the bench as a freshman before missing a year due to injury, though Johnson averaged 14.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists last season while making 42% of his 3-pointers. You’ll see him making outside shots and affecting the game on numerous levels if the Alabama native can successfully transition into this offense.
Guard – TJ Simpkins (Senior)
Following two seasons at the junior college level, Simpkins put up really solid figures at Elon before taking on a sixth man-type role at Seton Hall last year. That lone year in the Big East saw him average 9.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game with decent shooting figures, though Simpkins is hopeful that he can be a more complete player with Mississippi State.
Forward – Kimani Hamilton (Senior)
His eligibility remains up in the air, but Hamilton’s return would be an incredible addition to this lineup. Four seasons ago he was a bench piece with the Bulldogs before two years starting at High Point and then another at UNLV. In the Mountain West, Hamilton put up 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds as a starting forward and would bring experience and familiarity into this system if he’s granted that fifth year.
Center – ND Okafor (Senior)
It’s been quite the journey for Okafor, who was born in Nigeria, grew up in Ireland, played some high school ball in Mexico, and now joins his third D1 school. He spent parts of two seasons in the Pac-12 at Cal before finding a bigger role with Washington State, including 11.0 points and 5.7 rebounds as a full-time starter for the first time last season. The Bulldogs are hoping for great paint presence and reliable minutes, while Okafor projects as a solid shot blocker as well.
Key Reserves
Guard – King Grace (Sophomore)
One of the few returners from last season, Grace was a Top 100 prospect from Dallas who didn’t get the biggest role in his true freshman campaign. He never started, averaging just 5.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in limited minutes off the bench. However, Grace is expected to take a big step forward heading into his sophomore season and is someone who can be a significant scorer all around the court.
Center – Tee Bartlett (Sophomore)
We can spin a somewhat similar yarn about Bartlett, another Top 100 prospect from last season’s recruiting class for the Bulldogs. However, we didn’t get a chance to see him on the court, as Bartlett did not play last season. He’s spent that time developing his game and has every opportunity to be important in the team’s frontcourt depth, especially if he plays smart and within himself.
Guard – Cameren Paul (Sophomore)
Another player who technically returns to the program, Paul did not see the court for Mississippi State last season and is hoping to change his trajectory this season. Between a knee injury and his redshirt, it’s been anything but a smooth ride from commitment to this point, but folks are excited over Paul’s ability to score from anywhere on the court and he’s certainly capable of carving out a significant role off the bench.
Forward – Kendyl Sanders (Sophomore)
Sanders found a new home this past offseason after spending his freshman year in the Big 12 at Utah. A 6-8 forward from Los Angeles, he averaged 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds, playing pretty notable minutes despite coming off the bench for the entire year. He’ll likely latch onto a similar role as a backup big man for the Bulldogs, though his continued growth could mean even more minutes depending on how the frontcourt depth plays out.
Forward – Thomas Bassong (Sophomore)
A 6-8 guard from Paris who did time at Overtime Elite, Bassong joins Mississippi State after spending his freshman season at Florida State. A mixed effort saw him start a handful of games for the Seminoles, putting up 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds across that campaign. His game is still developing as an underclassman, though he brings high effort and great physicality and could play critical minutes as a result.
Center – Tristan Reed (Freshman)
Mississippi State once again grabbed some notable names on the recruiting trail, with Reed standing out above the rest. A 6-9 power forward from St. Louis, he’s a 4-star recruit who matches the archetype of a typical big man. He impacts the game in and around the paint, becoming an effective scorer, a shutdown defender, and an above average rebounder.
Center – Gai Chol (Senior)
Chol is another big piece in the frontcourt and another player who’s back with Mississippi State, though his road is a bit different than the others. He was a backup, playing limited minutes across his first two seasons before a knee injury kept him off the court all of last year. We don’t know quite what the Bulldogs will get out of the 6-11 center from South Sudan who’s averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 31 games in his career.
Guard – Willie Burnett III (Freshman)
While he’s been ranked just outside the Top 100 in this incoming freshman class, Burnett is a 4-star shooting guard from Orlando who’s hoping to make a splash in his college career. He’s an athletic guard who can play both backcourt positions while putting the ball in the basket from anywhere on the court, with very solid both in creating shots and nailing long-range jumpers.
Schedule Outlook
Three straight home games give Mississippi State a chance to settle into the season, but November isn’t simple after that. The Bulldogs play Xavier in the Greenbrier Tipoff on November 13th and have a tough road test at UCF just a few days afterwards. They’ll then face Tulsa in Jackson, Mississippi State as part of Magnolia Madness before another big event.
The Thanksgiving week sees them head to the Bahamas as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Bulldogs see Wake Forest and then either Memphis or Penn State to finish off a busy November, though it’s a month full of chances for this team to prove that they belong in national conversations.
They’re finally back home on December 2nd, though that’s for the ACC/SEC Challenge and an intriguing battle with Georgia Tech. Just over a week later it’s back on the road at Marquette, though they at least have some home games sandwiched around this month. The final notable nonconference game is the Rocket City Classic against VCU in Huntsville, Alabama, a matchup that’ll occur on December 19th.
Despite the unbalanced SEC scheduling, Mississippi State still gets two looks at rival Ole Miss, including Senior Night on March 6th to finish the season. Additionally, the Bulldogs get two cracks at Alabama and South Carolina and certainly could’ve had a harder schedule. They get to host Florida, Kentucky, and Texas though there’s no such thing as an easy game in this league, especially with some really tough road stretches early.
Season Outlook
The first question worth asking is if Mississippi State added enough talent to get back into the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years. That obviously becomes an easier task this season with the expansion of the Big Dance to 76 teams, but it’s about more than just getting an invitation. Jans is hoping that these Bulldogs can impress in the SEC and break that long drought without a Tourney victory.
What’s unquestionable is that Hubbard remains a leader and top scorer for the Bulldogs and his success could have profound effects on the rest of this roster. He’s the veteran with the experience at Mississippi State, especially in a starting lineup that has plenty of new faces. If Hamilton is eligibility, there’s more familiarity there, though the Bulldogs still have quite the talent gap between them and the elite powers in the SEC.
Beyond a veteran-filled lineup, the Bulldogs are hoping for contributions from some of those younger pieces. Between Bartlett, Bassong, and Sanders, Jans is hoping he can fill out a frontcourt that’s much deeper this season, especially if Hamilton is ineligible and Okafor struggles. There’s a lot up in the air, though any and all contributions from freshmen Bartlett and Reed would be outstanding in this lineup as well.
We simply cannot compare this lineup to others in the SEC and expect Mississippi State to compete for the SEC championship, but that’s not exactly the goal here. This team has a bona fide leader and impressive scorer in Hubbard and will lean heavily on him in the important moments this season. If this isn’t a one-trick show and the other players can emerge, then Mississippi State absolutely has the talent to get back into the Big Dance again.
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