Chris Jans shares how he got Mississippi State to buy into turnaround

Mississippi State was at a very low point in their season just a week and a half ago. After letting go of the rope against Alabama, the Bulldogs had lost five straight and eight of their last nine. However, they’ve turned it around with three straight victories and, for that accomplishment, Chris Jans couldn’t be prouder.

Jans expressed the satisfaction he had towards his team after their latest 63-52 win over Missouri. He said he was so thrilled with their recent stretch because of how they’ve hunkered down, stuck together, and earned the results he knew they were capable of all along, even amidst their skid.

“We never once talked about ‘in a row’. That never came out of my mouth to the team. I don’t remember saying that to anybody. People I talk to outside of work, people at work. Obviously I knew, you know? But we never talked about it,” Jans said. “And, after the TCU win, I talked to the media, I talked to the team. It was fairly emotional for me because I was so proud of them…They kept working, they didn’t start pointing fingers. They didn’t listen to any noise.”

“I think it’s a testament to who these guys are. How they feel about one another, hopefully a belief in what we’re trying to do, not only with this team but in our program for the long term. I was as proud as I’ve been in a team in a long, long time. Because it was hard,” said Jans. “I kept telling them we’re a good basketball team. I don’t care what the ‘in a row’ is. We’re a good basketball team. And I think we’re gonna get a chance to show it if we stick together, block the noise out, keep working. And they did that.”

Mississippi State’s confidence is only growing considering how these last three wins have come. With their win over a ranked TCU team, the Bulldogs found a much better groove offensively with 81 points on 50% shooting from the field. In their return to SEC play, they picked up two more victories over South Carolina and Mizzou through their defense as they held those opponents to just over 100 points combined.

This stretch has Jan’s team looking like the one that started 11-0 and was at one point Top-15 in the nation. Now, with their belief paying off, all he and Mississippi State can hope for is that this stretch can carry them to a point by the end of February where they can continue to prove their worth into March.