Chris Jans thanks Mississippi State fans for support

Do your part, the fans will notice.

That’s the message Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans has tasked his team with all season long. Whether that’s improving in the classroom, interacting with fans or giving it their all on the basketball court, Jans praised his team for building a connection with the fans thanks to their hard work and dedication on and off the court.

“We’re just appreciative of the Bulldogs [fanbase] coming out and supporting this team. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived [in Starkville] in terms of a game or a venue, but they’ve been very receptive to us,” Jans said about the fans during MSU’s win over Missouri on Saturday. “We have good people [on our team] — they’re out there interacting, building relationships and we’re an advocate of [the players] being the biggest reason fans come to games.”

Jans singled out the student section in particular for their role in the win over the Tigers. Mizzou was forced to take multiple timeouts to halt runs that left fans inside Humphrey Coliseum on their feet.

With the help of the fanbase, the Bulldogs defeated Missouri handily 63-52. The win earned Mississippi State its third SEC win of the season, good for 11th place in the conference.

The 11th through 14th-seeded teams in the SEC tournament have to play an extra game, and being one game back from Vanderbilt for 10th place means that a couple consecutive wins for the Bulldogs can elevate them to a first-round BYE.

Mississippi State still has LSU, South Carolina and Ole Miss (all 1-9 in conference play) on the docket, plus Vanderbilt to end the season. Wins in at least three of those four matchups will likely be needed to secure the BYE, but remains to be seen. The bottom line: Mississippi State can’t afford to keep losing games or the Bulldogs’ postseason has NIT written all over it.