Freshmen Provide Bright Spot as Mississippi State’s Season Wobbles

With postseason hopes fading, Mississippi State has found optimism in the development of freshmen Jamarion Davis-Fleming and King Grace.

Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Jamarion Davis-Fleming (0) dunks the ball against the Missouri Tigers during the second half of the game at Mizzou Arena. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

This season hasn’t gone the way Mississippi State had hoped it would.

Struggles during non-conference games combined with the rigorous SEC schedule and multi-game cold shooting streak from Josh Hubbard have put the Bulldogs well outside of the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Having lost six of its last seven games to fall to 11-11, 3-6 in SEC play, Mississippi State is nearing the point being out of contention for a spot in the big dance.

However, it’s not all doom-and-gloom for the Bulldogs. They could go on a winning streak in the final month or go on a long run in the SEC Tournament. Also, the future is looking good with a pair of freshmen that have become key contributors.

Jamarion Davis-Fleming and King Grace have seen their minutes increase as the season has moved along. Both are above 10 minutes per game and Davis-Fleming is at 19.2 with five starts, too.

“You sign guys you believe can help your program either right away or down the line, and we felt that way about them,” Bulldogs’ coach Chris Jans said earlier this week. “As our roster came together heading into June and then into the fall, it became clear we were going to have freshmen in our rotation.”

Davis-Fleming was the first of the duo to start getting significant playing time and has started making a name for himself as a great rebounder and defender. His 31 blocks ranks eighth in the SEC and he’s second on the team with 103 total rebounds (4.7 per game).

“He’s gradually gotten better,” Jans said about Davis-Fleming.

Grace has gotten off to a slower start, but has started to adjust to the collegiate game.

“King went through the learning curve all new players face. He was frustrated early because he wanted more, which is true of every competitive player,” Jans said. “We encouraged him because the talent was always there — it was about learning the nuances, the speed, the physicality, being assignment-correct, and understanding how much every detail matters.”

In 16 games played, Grace is averaging five points per game while averaging .460 from the field and is 9-of-29 on three-pointers. He also has 10 assists and six steals. They’re not the most impressive stats, but Jans is excited about Grace’s potential.

“He’s been in the office watching extra film more than anyone. He works on his fundamentals behind the scenes, and because of that he’s earned more minutes,” Jans said. “The game is slowing down for him. He’s understanding the importance of the other end of the floor. He’s always had the toughness and competitiveness.

“I’m excited for what’s ahead for him, not just this season but long-term.”

The Bulldogs still have to get through the rest of this season and they’ll need their talented freshmen to continue growing quickly. That’ll be a tough challenge on Saturday, though, as Mississippi State will host No. 21 Arkansas at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.