KeShawn Murphy feeling at home again at Mississippi State

Sports have a way of building character.

Hardships along the way can make or break an athlete and it’s the crossroads where KeShawn Murphy found himself over the last few years.

The Birmingham, Ala., native was a top 100 player nationally when Ben Howland recruited him back in 2021, but he wasn’t able to see the floor for a year after dealing with an injury.

Chris Jans entered the picture and knew he had a talented player on his hands with a 6’10 frame and unlimited potential in his skill set. He averaged 3.3 points and 10.2 minutes a game in 19 contests as a redshirt freshman and the staff convinced him to come back for a sophomore season of more opportunities.

Though some progress was made in the offseason, Murphy entered last season with a foot injury that had him out for most of non-conference play. When he returned, he flashed, but lack of playing time had him frustrated. He stepped away from the team for nearly a month before returning.

Ultimately, Murphy finished the season and decided he wanted to transfer. Times spent talking to his coaches and mentors had him arrive at the decision to stick it out, bear down and work harder. The result was his first career start on opening night against West Georgia on Monday.

“He started because he deserved to start. He’s had as good an offseason as anybody in our program,” Jans said of Murphy. “From the first week of June to (Monday), nobody has had a better offseason. He’s been bringing it every day. He has a great approach today. The people that know him personally couldn’t be more excited for him.”

Murphy produces in multiple ways to start the season

Playing away from his normal power forward position and running with the centers, Murphy played 24 minutes and scored six points on 3-of-6 shooting with seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

The four assists tied his career high set last season at Texas A&M and he thought he could have had even more. The passing ability wasn’t a shock to Jans. The 6’10 big man plays like a guard.

“He’s got great vision; he’s got good feel. Obviously, he can see over the defense at times depending on who’s guarding him,” Jans said. “He’s got a great skill set with length and positional size and we’re going to try to take advantage of it.”

For Murphy the hard work in the offseason included buying into exactly what Jans wanted as his coach and his role on the team. Murphy averaged just under 1.0 assist a game in his first two seasons with over 2.0 rebounds.

Those numbers are set to improve tremendously this year, as will the scoring as Murphy looks to build on the 4.0 points per game he earned off the bench a season ago. He understands, however, that the roster’s depth has grown and he’s excited about the team that’s been built.

“It’s a good thing when we can spread the floor and rotate guys in,” Murphy said. “Everybody gives good minutes and plays their part. We’ve got guys that can score at all five positions, and it makes our jobs easier.

“We’ve still got a long way to go. We’re just getting started. “We’re starting to figure out how we play as a team here and there. I’m just excited to be here, man. It’s different from the previous years, we’ve just got to adjust.”

For the first time in Murphy’s time at State, he truly feels settled and at peace.

From frustrations that came from injuries and playing time to finding his role with the team, Murphy has worked hard to get to this point. State fans certainly understood and appreciated the journey as they gave him a loud ovation on Monday night when his name was announced.

That moment is something that the big man will never forget. The long journey leading him back to where he always belonged won’t soon be forgotten either.

“It was a blessing. I appreciate all the fans and all of the people that supported me, regardless of who you are,” Murphy said. “Y’all got me here again. I’m blessed that I made the decision to come back.”