A Trio of Bulldogs Earn All-SEC Honors
STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs wrapped up their regular season on Saturday, but today was another busy day for MSU. The excitement around men's basketball in Starkville is as high as it has been in a decade, and this trio has had a big say in that.
Let's start with the freshman sensation, Josh Hubbard, who was selected to the All-SEC freshman team and the All-SEC second team. Hubbard is a dynamic scorer and shooter, and he recently broke the Mississippi State record for most three-pointers in a season.
The Madison, Mississippi native has breathed new life into this Bulldog team, which struggled on offense a year ago. The freshman also came up big in MSU's pair of ranked wins, combining for 42 points in the wins over Tennessee and Auburn.
Hubbard finished the regular season averaging 16.8 points per game.
Next up is Tolu Smith, who was selected to be on the All-SEC first team for the second straight year. Smith missed all but one game of the non-conference schedule, but that did not slow him down.
The Bay Saint Louis native finished the regular season, averaging 16 points per game and eight rebounds. The 6-11 forward already had a nice legacy coming into this season, and this year will only enhance it.
Last but certainly not least is Cameron Matthews, the unquestioned leader of this team. "Mook" is the heart and soul of this team, as he always brings the energy for the Bulldogs.
Fans revere the Olive Branch native because of his intensity and superb defense. The defensive efforts did not go unnoticed this year, as he was selected to the All-SEC defensive team.
Matthews also improved his scoring, averaging nine points, seven rebounds, and two steals a game. This trio has the Bulldogs on the cusp of another NCAA tournament appearance, which would be MSU's first back-to-back trips to the "Big Dance" in 20 years.
Last year, the excitement for MSU simply being in the tournament sort of masked the heartbreak after a one-point loss to Pitt in the play-in game. However, this year, MSU has a chance to make some real noise in the tournament.
Mississippi State is back in action Thursday in the second round of the SEC tournament against LSU at noon CT on SEC Network.
