Chris Jans breaks down his gameplan that led to victory over Arkansas

Mississippi State is streaking again, except in the right way this time, following their win this weekend at Arkansas. It’s an impressive feat to go into Bud Walton Arena and knock off the Hogs which, following the game, says a lot about Chris Jans’ gameplan.

Jans spoke about the Bulldog’s strategy, specifically on defense, during a postgame radio appearance. He said it started and ended with protecting their paint, whether it was with a specific defense or through a few teaks like traps added within.

“We wanted to protect the paint at all costs,” said Jans. “They’re not shooting it great from three. I don’t know what they were tonight. So we really, really wanted to try to keep the ball out of the paint as much as possible. We guarded our own men, we didn’t switch for the first 35 minutes of the game. And then the last five we went to switching all of the ball screens. That really helped us because they got in a rhythm…I thought it helped us.”

“And then we went in the post like we normally do. We trapped them even though they’re not great scorers down there. But we thought it was an opportunity to get our defense revved and turn them over,” Jans said. “We actually had planned to play more zone but we felt like our defense had settled in.”

Mississippi State did more than enough on the defensive end to get away with the 70-64 victory. First, they held the Razorbacks to just 43.8% from the field and 22.2% from three. They also held them to only 28 points in the paint, just eight second-chance points, and to more turnovers than assists on the day.

Jans’ first team in Starkville has had a very confusing year. After opening 11-0, they then dropped eight of their last nine. Now, miraculously enough, they’ve ripped off five wins in a row again, including a Top-15 win and four straight in league play. A big part of that improved play has been better execution and, if Jans continues to make schemes like this, the Bulldogs are more than capable of keeping this new win streak alive as they end their regular season this month.