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

The Mississippi State men's basketball team ends 2023 on the right note.

On Oct. 5, the Mississippi State men's basketball team was given the rough news that All-SEC forward Tolu Smith would be out indefinitely after an injury.

On Sunday, Smith made his debut against Bethune-Cookman and played as though he hadn't been out for the past 87 days. The senior led the Bulldogs to a 85-62 victory over the Wildcats, as he finished with team-highs in points (16) and rebounds (9).

Nevertheless, Smith didn't even start, as Jimmy Bell Jr., who's taken Smith's role throughout the young season, was on the floor in the opening minutes. Bell has been a major factor in the Bulldogs' now 11-2 start to the season and his most recent performance before Sunday helped him win the prestigious SEC Player of the Week honor.

When Smith checked in for Bell roughly four minutes into the game, he hit a left-handed jumper on his first attempt about 60 seconds later. The 6-foot-11 forward fed off the crowd's energy, who applauded him practically every time he touched the ball. By the time Smith checked out at 9:40 for Bell, he hit all three of his shots and grabbed three rebounds as well.

Smith came back in late in the first half and constantly drove to the basket. This method helped him hit 4-of-5 free throw attempts, including an "and-1" tough layup. Smith led all scorers with 12 points and was second on the team in rebounds (4) at the break, as the Bulldogs were up 41-22 largely in due part to him. The rest of the team did what they did best in the first 20 minutes, as their ball distribution allowed every player who saw time on the floor to score.

Smith checked back in for Bell with 15:26 left the second half and continued to make an impact on both ends of the floor. By the time he subbed out once again roughly seven minutes later, he scored four more points, snatched five more rebounds and added his first block of the season.

Mississippi State took such a commanding lead that many of its possessions were drawn out to chew the clock down. Josh Hubbard, Dashawn Davis and Shakeel Moore filled the scoring sheet to widen the margin as each of them ended in double-digits. Like many of his games this season, forward Cameron Matthews stood out in multiple statistical categories, as he led the Bulldogs in assists (6)and steals (6) yet again.

Not only have the Bulldogs ended 2023 on the right note but also non-conference play, as SEC opponents are all that remains until March Madness. After the game, Smith said he was "excited and ready" to face the rest of the conference.