5 Things About The Mississippi State Bulldogs

Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET, Kentucky will look to get back on track vs. a red-hot Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs (17-8, 5-7 SEC) have won five straight, most recently upsetting Arkansas in Fayetteville. Right now, they’re a three-point favorite vs. the Cats.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, tonight’s game is massive. Both Kentucky and Mississippi State are on the NCAA Tournament bubble, making this a play-in game of sorts. What do you need to know about the Bulldogs? Brandon Ramsey will have an in-depth scouting report a little later, but to get things rolling, here are five quick things.

1. Their coach is Chris Jans

Jans is one of six new coaches in the SEC this season. He was previously the head coach at New Mexico State, leading the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament three out of five years (it would have been four if the 2020 NCAA Tournament wasn’t canceled due to COVID). Last season, New Mexico State beat UConn in the first round of the tournament and lost to Arkansas in the second round, 53-48.

Jans was the last first-year coach in college basketball this season to remain undefeated. His 11-0 start ranks behind only John Calipari (19-0, Kentucky, 2009-10) and Floyd Burdette (14-0, Alabama, 1946-47) among SEC first-year coaches. His .755 winning percentage over seven seasons ranks fourth in Division I behind Gonzaga’s Mark Few (.835), Kansas’ Bill Self (.769), and Calipari (.760).

So, good coach, questionable dancer:

IF YOU AIN'T A DAWG…#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/XwnWnWkxLC

— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 12, 2023

2. Rebounded from horrible start to SEC play

Mississippi State’s schedule is kind of remarkable. As mentioned, the Bulldogs started the season 11-0, the second-best start in program history. From there, they lost eight of their next nine, including seven SEC games. The only win during that stretch was over Ole Miss, 64-54.

After a three-point loss at then-No. 2 Alabama, the Bulldogs made quite a turnaround, beating No. 11 TCU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. It was the start of their current five-game winning streak. So, that 5-7 mark in SEC play is pretty deceiving.

3. Tolu Smith could give Kentucky fits

The Bulldogs are led by 6’11” 245 lbs. forward Tolu Smith. Smith is in his third season at Mississippi State and leads the team in scoring (14.6 PPG) and rebounding (8.3 RPG). He ranks behind only Oscar Tshiebwe (13.3 RPG) and Auburn’s Johni Broome (9.0 RPG) in the SEC in rebounding. He averages 3.6 offensive rebounds per game; Mississippi State ranks fifth in the country in offensive boards per game at 11.8. Kentucky is eighth (11.6).

Mississippi State’s guards are good — Shakeel Moore and Dashawn Davis average a combined 17.5 points per game — but Smith vs. Oscar will be the matchup to watch.

4. Kentucky connections

Mississippi State’s third-leading scorer is DJ Jeffries, who, you may remember, was going to be a Kentucky Wildcat once upon a time. Jeffries, AAU teammates with James Wiseman, committed to Kentucky in March 2018 but backed off the pledge four months later, becoming John Calipari’s first decommitment. Jeffries went to Memphis with Wiseman in the fall of 2018 and transferred to Mississippi State in 2021. This season, he’s averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Also on Mississippi State’s bench: Scott Padgett. The former Cat joined Jans’ staff at Mississippi State in August. Prior to that, he was an assistant at New Mexico and Manhattan, and before that, was the head coach at Samford for six seasons.

We’ll have more on Jeffries and Padgett’s careers in Starkville for you in a little bit.

5. Quad 1 opportunity

Kentucky dominates the series history vs. Mississippi State 100-21. The Cats are 37-12 in Starkville, 8-0 in the John Calipari Era.

None of that matters tonight. The Bulldogs are No. 40 in the NET rankings, meaning tonight’s game is in Quad 1 for the Cats. As you know, Kentucky only has one Quad 1 win so far this season, the upset over Tennessee in Knoxville. Including tonight, they have four Quad 1 games left. A win is imperative for Kentucky’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament.

Mississippi State will be playing with similar urgency. The Bulldogs are also on the NCAA Tournament bubble, one of Joe Lunardi’s last four teams in. They have three Quad 1 wins (Marquette, Arkansas, TCU). Because Kentucky is not in the NET Top 30 (currently No. 44) and this game takes place on Mississippi State’s home court, it is in Quad 2 on the Bulldogs’ team sheet. That said, a victory over another bubble team would be big, and the Hump will be rocking.

Gotta win.