Mississippi State Men’s Basketball Needs For Next Season

The right steps are being made by Chris Jans as he continues to lead the men’s basketball program in the right direction

Mar 21, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (13) shoots as / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

STARKVILLE, Miss – The Mississippi State Bulldogs are now in recruiting and transfer portal mode for basketball and some moves to improve the offense have been made.

Now that All-SEC Freshman Josh Hubbard has announced his return to the Bulldogs for his sophomore campaign, head coach Chris Jans and staff now have the chance to surround the star guard with players that suit his style of play.

let’s run it back Starkvegas, year 2 loading…🐶

— Josh Hubbard (@jhubb_3) April 1, 2024

Going into the portal to get Kanye Clary to play alongside the Hubbard was a great step in the right direction, however, there are still many things the Bulldogs need to have a chance to make a deep run in March.

Stretching The Offense

The Bulldogs offense this season can be summarized in a few words. At least it was better than the season before. The team ranked 11th in the SEC this season on offense while having a top-five defense. Now that Tolu Smith III is no longer on the team, there is a chance to get a shot-making big that can stretch the floor but also have a presence around the rim.

Smith was limited in his capabilities on the offensive side of the ball. There were three possibilities when he got the ball. He would post the opponent up and either make it or get to the line after powering over his opponent, get doubled and make a pass, or try to take on the double to draw contact. The threat of him shooting from 10 feet plus outside of the paint never scared opponents, so it is easy to game plan against a team that only has one consistent scoring option.

This is why the addition of Clary is huge for the Bulldogs and especially Hubbard. Once people started to grasp who the star freshman was, defenses started to gameplan around him and focused most of their attention on him. Now with the addition of the Big 10 transfer, there are more options for other players to get a chance to shine. Adding another stretch four or five would also open the floor as well.

A Big Shot Blocking Player

Playing defense is a specialty for the Bulldogs as they are one of the best in the country. Now with Cameron Matthews returning for his final season, he will be a vital part of the team’s defensive identity for the upcoming year. He was named to the All-SEC Defensive team, but if you look closely at the team, shot-blocking was one of the struggles during the season.

Don’t think the defense of the Bulldogs was any bad or mediocre. State has a great defense specifically around the perimeters, but opponents do not fear when they are taking strides into the paint. Look at Jhoni Broome for Auburn who is their primary shot blocker. He disrupts any attempt at the rim, making it difficult for anyone to score around him. That is what caused MSU to struggle against the Tigers in all three meetings between the two squads.

That size was also important when trying to match up with other players in the country. Take a look at the Final Four teams in the men’s NCAA Tournament. Each team has a big who can make plays from the post, alter/disrupt a shot around the rim, or create opportunities for others because of their presence.

Free Throw Shooting

Free-throw shootings were the topic of conversation all season long because of the inconsistency that surrounded the team at the line. They were once again one of the worst shooting teams at the charity stripe shooting 67 percent from the line and it cost the Bulldogs a number of wins throughout the season.

Around six of the teams’ losses could have been attributed to missed shots at the free-throw line. Most of those misses are gone now that Smith ended his Bulldog career this season. The Bulldogs scored most of their points in the paint and at the line. Cameron Matthews will be one of the players to look at to see if his free throw shooting will improve during next season because of his ability to draw fouls.

This should also be a focus when looking at players to bring in from the portal. Constant improvement has been the focus of Jans. He has attacked each end-of-the-season issue headstrong and has turned a positive out of them. Last season, it was the offense and Hubbard answered many of those questions. This season it was free-throw line issues and another scoring option. Jans has already attacked some of these issues with Clary, and another name out of the portal will likely be on the move as the roster will have a chance to finalize soon.