WATCH: Head coach Chris Jans talks Tolu Smith, Rams Davis and maintaining momentum

After a much-needed blowout win over Tulane last weekend, Mississippi State seeks to keep building that momentum throughout the rest of the non-conference schedule. The next opportunity to do that is Wednesday when the Bulldogs (7-2) play host to Murray State (3-5) in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff at Humphrey Coliseum.

On Monday morning, head coach Chris Jans held his weekly press conference and discussed his team and the upcoming matchup with the Racers:

Q: Seems like this team functions better when Rams Davis is being more aggressive and locked in. Your thoughts?
Jans: That’s an on-point observation. I feel like when he’s playing his best when he’s setting the tone out front, defensively. They usually end up being good possessions for us. Then on the offensive end when he is stubborn in terms of getting in the paint. When he gets in the paint, really working with him on not jumping to pass or jumping to find a pass. It’s okay to jump to pass but you can’t jump and try to find something. You have to have a plan when you leave your feet that way.

He’s really gotten himself in better shape. It’s always been a struggle that way for him. He was hurt last year and it took a long time to get back in shape. Then with his surgery this summer, the same thing. I know it is easy to say and he should be in tip-top shape by now. But for whatever reason it is a struggle at times to get him to where he needs to be. Like most players, he is a much better player when he is fresher than having to fight the shape type of situation. We love when he is motored up and playing both ends. He gives us so much more than the stat line offers at the end of the game.

Q: You’ve been talking about Josh Hubbard a lot and for good reason. But has he surprised you so far with all that he has done early on?
Jans: I try not to project things like that because you just never know. Certainly we’ve signed kids that we thought could impact the program in a positive way. More often than not, freshmen take a little longer than maybe an older transfer or even a junior college player just because of experience. So you just never know. We’ve certainly been pleasantly surprised, at the least, with Josh and how he’s impacted us in a very short time period.

I would imagine if you asked him, he’s not surprised. He’s one of those kids that’s got great confidence but he carries himself in a way that it’s not boastful or anything like that. It just is what it is for him. He’s been preparing for these opportunities the majority of his life, at least his athletic life. I don’t think him or his family are surprised. Did I expect him to lead us in scoring and have the kind of stretches? No, I can’t sit here and say that. But he’s definitely been a big shot in the arm for us.

Q: You have talked about players impacting the game in other areas when their shot is not falling. Was that the case for DJ Jeffries of late?
Jans: Yeah, DJ had a really nice game (against Tulane) and really happy for him. Hopefully that will boost his confidence in the near future. To see that ball go through the net, there’s just something about it that makes you feel better when you are getting ready to shoot the next one. Like you said, he provides us a lot on both ends of the court – his length, his experience, his speed. He is really good at transition and defensively, he can guard 1 through 4. The way our scheme is right now, it is valuable to have guys on the court that have the willingness and the ability to be able to guard mismatches. He just understands how to play. He’s been there, done that, and we’ve got a lot of belief in him.

Q: What is Tolu Smith‘s next step when it pertains to returning to the court?
Jans: He has a scan scheduled for Thursday so the day after our next game he will have a scan. At that point I will know a lot more in terms of when he will transition back to practice. But I think in the next couple of days he will be doing some 5 on 0 things for us in the halfcourt, for sure, then maybe even in the full court. But he still won’t be allowed to have any contact or anything like that. But he’s been shooting on his own and getting some free throws in, some jump shots and stuff around the basket, just 1 on 0. So we’re hoping, fingers crossed, that we get a good update on Thursday and I will know more then.

Q: How do you think Tolu has attacked his rehab and responded to his rehab?
Jans: Unfortunately for his sake, he has a lot of experience in this matter. SO he knows what it takes and most of us in this room know him fairly well. He’s been around and everybody talks about his work ethic. It is the same from what I’ve seen going through this injury situation with him.

The first 48 hours, that was rough. He was pretty down. It took a big toil on him mentally and the surgery, etc. But ever since then he’s had an unbelievable mindset. There’s a couple of times, like game day, he gets a little down because he is ready to play. He can feel the energy and the vibe. You work, work, work and then on game day you can’t go out there and perform. Those are the only days I’ve seen where it bothers him. But other than that, he is a model student-athlete in terms of his appointments and rehab, and his willingness to come in over and over daily and work with our trainer, who has done an excellent job with all of our players.

Q: Your thoughts on Murray State?
Jans: They’ve had a lot of good coaches come through Murray State and have another good one in Steve Prohm and I know him well. He is a great guy and a really good coach, and he is there for his second stint. They are very well-schooled and they try to play mistake-free basketball. They are real solid on the defensive end. They are going to try to play in the gaps and almost dare you to shoot the ball, and try to protect the paint area as best they can.

What they are known for is on the other end. They run as many sets as anyone we have faced thus far and they really pride themselves on their pace and execution. They share the ball really, really well and like I said, they are well-schooled on both ends. But on the offensive end, it will be a challenge for us to try to take some things away from them.

Q: Do you expect the team to play looser now that they’ve put those bad losses behind them?
Jans: I don’t know and that is probably something you would have to ask the players about that stress and if that played a part in it at all. But it was much needed and the win (over Tulane), in general, was stress-free for the most part. It certainly was a welcomed game for our program, including the coaches. Just for our team to see the ball go through the net like that. Ever since the Arizona State game we haven’t shot the ball like that since that game. It seemed like the flood gates opened, which you are hoping at this point would make them feel good and play with more confidence going forward. We’ve got another opportunity on Wednesday to play in our home arena in front of our fans. We are hoping to ride that momentum that we’ve created.

Q: Going back to Tolu Smith, how much can he gain from his perspective just watching the games from the bench?
Jans: Yeah he’s been great that way. He’s had the right personality, I guess. He’s not talking down to anyone. He’s encouraging and not just with Jimmy (Bell) and Gai (Chol) but other players, as well. I know he’s been a real friend of Murph (KeShawn Murphy) as he’s battled back from his injury and now he is trying to earn minutes on the court and they are real close. I can hear (Smith) talking to (Murphy) in practice quite a bit and encouraging him.

I think I have seen him even grow that way in terms of understanding what a leader is, how he can help other players because of the respect he’s earned. Not only with his play but with his approach and his mindset on a daily basis. He’s built good relationships with a lot of the players. It is one thing to lead when you are not able to play. Now as he transitions back we are hoping he can give us a boost that way, too.