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RJ Melendez finding perfect home with Mississippi State under Chris Jans

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•01/07/25•

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rj melendez
RJ Melendez (Photo by Mike Mattina, Mississippi State Athletics)

If there were such a definition for it in a dictionary, the “Chris Jans guy” is adding a new picture to the book these days.

Jans has had those players that embodies his style of play. In previous stops at Bowling Green and New Mexico State – probably even further back – Jans has players that make his team tick by doing the dirty work. For Mississippi State this year, it’s RJ Melendez.

A journeyman making his final collegiate stop in Starkville after stints at Illinois and Georgia, Melendez is proving to be one of Jans’ biggest gets in the transfer portal in his first three seasons. Melendez certainly showed it inside the SEC last year when he averaged 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, but he’s finding a perfect fit with Jans.

“I just love where he’s at. He’s playing how I envisioned him playing for us,” Jans said. “Just being a versatile forward that can do a little bit of everything. He’s pretty darn athletic, he glides up the court, he’s got a beautiful stroke and he’s gotten a little more nastier with the other things. He’s got a lot of confidence in himself right now and we have a lot of confidence in him.”

Mindset allowing Melendez to flourish under Jans

What Melendez brings can’t always be measured by the stat sheet. Toughness, instincts and will carry his game. Without it on Tuesday night in a house of horrors at Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs needed every ounce of it.

With Riley Kugel and Josh Hubbard scoring a combined nine points, Melendez rose to the occasion. The senior forward scored 19 points in the game on 8-of-14 shooting with seven rebounds, two steals and a block. I helped the Bulldogs to a huge 76-64 victory in a fourth Quad I opportunity in as many tries.

He knew that his teammates needed a boost, and there were times where Melendez would put his head down and go get a needed bucket. It was his night, just as it has been several others in the 14 games before.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that can go off every single night. We’re not depending on one person,” Melendez said. “Josh Hubbard can go off any night, Riley can go off. We’ve got a lot of guys that can step up and do what we’ve got to do to win.”

For nearly 4 minutes, Melendez was the only thing keeping State afloat as the Commodores stormed back from a 22-point deficit to cut the lead to five points. Melendez scored a bucket with 8 minutes left to extend the lead to 14 and he got the next one with under 5 minutes remaining that got the Bulldogs back on track after the lead was cut to 63-58.

Melendez’s final score came with 1:37 left when he laid in a basket to push the lead back to double digits. It was plays like that which would give the Bulldogs the victory, but his hustle plays on the other end shouldn’t be forgotten.

“Just sticking the gameplan, honestly,” Melendez said of the team’s mindset late. “Trusting my teammates, coach putting us in the right spot and making the right plays at the right time.”

Now with another victory in hand, Melendez has helped State to a 14-1 mark for the best start since 2003-04. More importantly, the Bulldogs are 2-0 in SEC play with a monster matchup on the way Saturday.

State welcomes in No. 6 Kentucky fresh off the Wildcats upset loss at Georgia on Tuesday night. It’s a UK team that has owned the Bulldogs over the past 15 years or so and Melendez is ready for the challenge on Saturday evening inside a packed Humphrey Coliseum.

“Super excited to come back to the Hump and a packed house,” Melendez said. “We’ve just got to defend the Hump.”

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