Chris Jans opens up on what this group of seniors means to him

It’s almost been one year since Mississippi State elected to hire Chris Jans to head their men’s basketball program. And with year one almost up and their senior night game just around the corner, Jans opened up on what this group of seniors means to him and gave his thoughts on his first year with the Bulldogs.

“You know, it’s different now, certainly different because it’s my first year. But even if it wasn’t my first year, with the portal and having kids shorter than the traditional four or five years watching the development and growth and getting so immersed into who they are because at that point — if you do the math — you’ve been involved in 20 percent of their life, now that’s not the case. Certainly love the relationships I have with each one of these young men. I got to know the people around them and their families. But it’s a different time right now than it used to be. And you just do the best you can. But it’s just like I said earlier, just we want to keep it in perspective. I want them to enjoy that time. But reflection will come you know when the seasons complete,” said Jans.

Jans has already helped Mississippi State improve its record from last season. Last year the Bulldogs ended the year with an 18-16 record and were 8-10 in conference play. While they were a respectable 14-3 at home, they were an abysmal 1-10 on the road. This season, with two games still left on the schedule, Mississippi State is 19-10 overall and 7-9 in SEC play. Their home record is about the same, 11-4, but the Bulldogs have done better on the road at 4-5 in away games and 4-1 in neutral site games.

Jans thoughts on senior night game

Mississippi State looks to defend homecourt for the final time this season Tuesday night against South Carolina. Prior to the game, Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans warned his team about senior night festivities and how it can take over a game.

“Senior Nights are interesting. It’s a great way to celebrate families, players, their accomplishments. That’s the awesome part of it. I am looking forward to being a small part of it and like you said, it’s not as if I’ve been with any of these players that we are celebrating tomorrow night very long,” Jans said Monday. “But I’m looking forward to it. At the same time, I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff happen on Senior Night with emotions running wild and focus being off.

“As the head coach, certainly I am going to talk about that and make sure we are all on the same page in terms of what’s most important about tomorrow night.”