Bulldog Basketball set for Monday's season opener against West Georgia
After a couple of successful closed-door scrimmages, things get real for Mississippi State on Monday night. The Bulldogs open the 2024-25 campaign against West Georgia with a 6:30 p.m. tipoff at Humphrey Coliseum.
Under head coach Chris Jans, Mississippi State is coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, West Georgia will be playing in the program’s first-ever Division 1 basketball game on Monday.
Last season, West Georgia finished 27-6 and won the Gulf South Conference tournament while advancing to the second round of the Division 2 NCAA Tournament. The Wolves have to replace the top three scorers from last year’s team, including Zawdie Jackson who averaged 22 points a game last year.
“They are a transitional team,” said Jans. “They’ve been Division 2 and they’re a new Division 1 team. So this will be a great opportunity for them, too. It’s their first Division 1 game, if I’m not mistaken. So it will be historical that way and we have to make sure we are ready to go.”
Mississippi State posted a 21-14 record last year, including an 8-10 SEC mark and a spot in the SEC Tournament semi-finals. The Bulldogs return leading scorer Josh Hubbard (17.1 points a game) along with veteran forward Cameron Matthews (9.6 points, team-best 107 assists).
In the offseason, State added more athleticism and offensive production to the backcourt. That included transfers Kanye Clary, Riley Kugel, Claudell Harris and RJ Melendez.
“It changes the potential, for sure,” Hubbard noted. “Offensively, we can space the court out. We are all so talented to where we can get a bucket ourselves. Having that talent is amazing. Defensively, we can fly around, use our speed to our advantage. Once we figure it out and put the pieces together, I feel like it’ll be an advantage for us.”
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Likely the biggest question mark heading into the season is the center position. The Bulldogs lost Tolu Smith and Jimmy Bell from last year’s roster and signed transfer centers Michael Nwoko and Jeremy Foumena in the offseason. Sophomore Gai Chol is also back at center while junior forward KeShawn Murphy could also see time at the center position.
They’re getting better,” remarked Jans of State’s centers. “It’s no secret that Jimmy Bell and Tolu Smith aren’t walking through that door any time soon. They were a big part of our team last year with their size, their physicality, their girth. Certainly at different times, especially Tolu with his ability to demand double teams and play through the post.
With the increased offensive production, the expectations for another NCAA Tournament appearance are on the table again this season. However, this new group of Bulldogs also want to take things further and have success in March Madness, too.
“I want to win and I want to win a lot,” Kugel mentioned. “Just like Coach Jans said, we want to win a lot of games in the (NCAA) Tournament. We want to make it far and make the Final Four.”
Mississippi State closes out the opening week of action on Friday. The Bulldogs will host Georgia State in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff on Friday at Humphrey Coliseum.
