Newcomers getting adjusted to Mississippi State basketball on and off the court

Mississippi State’s 2024-25 basketball roster began to take shape in early June as several newcomers from the transfer portal and prep ranks arrived in Starkville. So it’s safe to say these days, there’s still adjustments being made on and off the court.

For the incoming freshmen, it’s a whole new level of play and that’s been evident so far in practice.

“It’s been going good,” freshman guard Dellquan Warren remarked. “Just trying to get used to college basketball, to be honest. I would say the biggest thing I have to get used to is probably the physicality. And college kids, the older kids, they make quicker reads and I feel like I have to get used to that. I just need to get comfortable.”

But there’s also some experience with those newcomers, including backcourt members and transfers Kanye Clary, Claudell Harris, RJ Melendez and Riley Kugel. Clary spent his first two college campaigns in the Big 10 at Penn State, and was among the conference’s leading scorers last year.

“It’s been great getting adjusted to Mississippi State,” mentioned Clary. “Just getting accustomed to all of the new people here. As far as the basketball part and all of the coaches and players, it’s been great.”

Over the past week or so, head coach Chris Jans has harped on the different style of this year’s squad compared to his first two seasons at State. No longer will the Bulldogs try to feed the post early and often.

“We’ve been adjusting,” Melendez said. “Everybody understands their roles and what we have to do as a team to win. They lost Tolu (Smith) from last year and that was a big loss to the team. So we know we have to fill that spot up with more aggressiveness and defense. Coach Jans emphasizes that every day and we just got to listen to him and follow his plan.”

As expected, it’s been intense practices in the backcourt with the new influx of talent. But in the SEC, depth and quality depth is always needed. For Clary, he’s getting a full dose of that aspect with his daily tests going against sophomore All-SEC guard Josh Hubbard.

“(Hubbard) sharpens me every day,” Clary added. “He’s a great player, a very special talent. I just enjoy going against him every day.”

Meanwhile for Warren, that level of talent is an eye-opener. But it’s also a scenario that pushes Warren to adjust quickly and to also learn from the experienced guards.

“It’s great getting to play against Kanye, Claudell, Hubb every day,” added Warren. “It pushes me to be the best I can be every day. Sometimes it gets hard but I am getting used to it. I am holding my own.

“Hubb is the main one I would say (that’s helped). Being here last year and just knowing Jans’ system, he has taken me under his wing and tried to help me the best way he can.”

And overall, it’s also been a quick bonding experience for the entire roster. Yes, many began their college careers elsewhere and are from different parts of the country, or even from outside the country. But that Bulldog bond has been created this offseason.

“I would say that started as soon as we got here,” noted Clary. “Just spending a lot of time off the court together, finding ways that we could bond together. As far as on the court, Coach Jans has gotten us up to speed really fast. So I would give credit to him, too.”

Of course, while State did add a lot of scoring production to the roster, it’s still a Jans’ team and that means defense first. And that message has already been delivered, even before the new guys arrived on campus.

“We all know Coach Jans is a defense-first head coach,” Clary explained. “Even in recruiting, that is the first thing he told us. You are going to play defense and that is non-negotiable. So I would say everybody has been fine doing it.”

Soon enough, Bulldog fans will get their first look at the 2024-25 squad when State opens the season on November 4th against West Georgia at Humphrey Coliseum. For now, roles are being established and competition is evident on a daily basis in practice.

“We know what everybody can do,” added Melendez. “Everybody is coming to work every single day and working hard. No matter who is in front of you, you got to dominate the battle. Everybody is trying to compete and everybody is trying to win. We’re competing for a title here so we’re playing as hard as possible and when the season comes, we’ll be used to that.”