Mississippi State Basketball Lands a Commitment from 2026 4-Star

The Bulldogs land their first prospect in the 2026 class.

Ladarius Givan X Account @LadariusGivan / Ladarius Givan X Account @LadariusGivan

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Ladarius Givan commits to the Mississippi State Bulldogs and is the first pledge for the 2026 class. MSU head coach Chris Jans has done a tremendous job in his first two seasons in Starkville, leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and recruiting well.

However, most of Jans's recruiting prowess has been shown in the transfer portal, which is understandable, given the veteran team he inherited. Givan is a 4-star prospect and is the highest-ranked high school recruit Jans has got a commitment from thus far.

The Montgomery, Ala. native had an impressive sophomore campaign at Jefferson Davis High School, averaging 13 points a game, eight rebounds, a block, and a steal. Despite being a rising junior, the forward has impressive size at 6-8 215.

Givan visited Starkville last October and also holds offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, and Troy. Jans has done well-developing forwards, and the latest example is Cam Matthews, who has always been an elite defender but took a massive leap forward offensively this past season.

Givan is a tremendous first addition to the 2026 class, and it is good to see the Bulldogs replicate their success in the portal into the high school ranks. Opening night for MSU hoops is about four months away, but the program continues to gain steam in the offseason.