The Mississippi State Bulldogs aim for their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Chris Jans, who has achieved this milestone in his first three seasons with the program. As he enters his fourth season, Jans faces the challenge of securing the team’s first NCAA Tournament victory, having not yet won a game in the tournament during his tenure. Furthermore, the Bulldogs have not exceeded nine conference wins in a single season.
This season, Mississippi State will rely on a limited roster, returning only two key veterans: junior guard Josh Hubbard and senior wing Shawn Jones. Hubbard had an impressive performance last season, averaging 18.9 points per game and making 108 three-pointers. He has earned All-SEC honors in both of his previous seasons and currently holds 1,240 career points, marking the fourth-highest total in Southeastern Conference (SEC) history for a player’s freshman and sophomore seasons combined.
Jones, who averaged 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds last season, is notable for being the first four-year player in Jans’s era at Mississippi State. He participated in all 34 games last year, starting four of them. While he emerged as a scoring threat towards the end of the previous season, he is primarily recognized for his defensive contributions, boasting ten games with multiple steals and a free throw shooting percentage of 75.7%.
The Bulldogs have bolstered their roster through the transfer portal, adding senior guard Jayden Epps from Georgetown, where he averaged a team-high 18.9 points per game last season. Epps complements Hubbard well, forming a dynamic backcourt. Prior to Georgetown, Epps played at Illinois and contributed 9.5 points per game as a freshman, participating in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Mississippi State has seen several players transfer out, including KeShawn Murphy (Auburn), Riley Kugel (UCF), Kanye Clary (Oklahoma State), and Michael Nwoko (LSU), alongside the graduation of Cameron Matthews and Claudell Harris. In addition to Epps, the team has signed other transfers such as center Quincy Ballard from Wichita State, guard Ja’Borri McGhee from UAB, wing Amier Ali from Arizona State, forward Achor Achor from Kansas State, and forward Brandon Walker from Montana State.
Mississippi State’s roster also includes a promising Top 20 freshman class led by guard King Grace from Dallas, Texas, and center Tee Bartlett from Los Angeles. The Bulldogs’ schedule features significant matchups, including their season opener against North Alabama on November 5, 2025, followed by a game against Iowa State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on November 10.
Jans has a career record of 63-40 at Mississippi State and an overall coaching record of 206-84, which gives him a winning percentage of 71%. This places him sixth among active coaches nationally. The Bulldogs are pursuing their first NCAA Tournament appearance since their streak from 2001 to 2005. They have not secured a win in the tournament since 2008.
In a setback, junior center Gai Chol will miss the entire season due to a knee injury sustained in the preseason. This loss adds to the challenges facing the Bulldogs as they prepare to compete in the upcoming season.
