Chris Jans Previews SEC Slate; "Everybody is Good"

Chris Jans explained how his team is preparing for a tough SEC gauntlet at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

When the Bulldogs entered SEC play last season, Chris Jans and his first year team sat at 11-1 with promising non-conference wins over Marquette and Utah. After the first eight games of league play; however, the Bulldogs had dropped to a meager 12-8 record, looking as if they may finish as one of the SEC's worst teams. 

Despite the tough start, Mississippi State finished 8-3 over the last eleven games, and made it to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament. A loss to Pittsburgh in the first four ended the season, but the Bulldogs were left with a lot to build on entering 2023. 

Through the first 13 games of this season, Jans has led his team to an 11-2 record with wins over Arizona State and Northwestern, but the SEC looms. 

Jans, at his weekly press conference on Tuesday, explained what his team learned from last season's slow start.

"Play better. It always comes back to how you play in all areas of the game. Everyone looks at their schedule and says, 'Oh we've got it tough,' but at the end of the day, you've got to play."

"Everybody is good. There's so much riding on each and every game, and the way I look at it, it's just wonderful opportunities for our team. You have chances for big wins all over the place if you look up and down the schedule."

The Bulldogs certainly have chances for big wins on the schedule following the conference opener against South Carolina (12-1, 0-0) on January 6.  After the Gamecocks, Mississippi State moves on to face No. 5 Tennessee, Alabama and No. 6 Kentucky in a tough three-game stretch. 

Tolu Smith Shines in Season Debut, Leads Bulldogs Over Bethune-Cookman, 85-62