Cowbell Corner

Josh Hubbard’s NBA Chances: Will He Leave or Return for Next Season?

Mississippi State star Josh Hubbard is entering the NBA Draft, but he has the option to return. Will he go or will he come back for the 2025-2026 season?
Pete Fiutak|
Mar 1, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) drives to the basket against LSU Tigers guard Cam Carter (5) during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images
Mar 1, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) drives to the basket against LSU Tigers guard Cam Carter (5) during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

If you’re a decent college basketball player with some NBA upside, you’re crazy not to declare yourself eligible for the NBA Draft. 

Mississippi State star Josh Hubbard is going into the draft, but he’s leaving the option open to come back if he doesn’t like how this turns out.

Unlike football - you have to be three years out of high school - once you declare, you’re in. That’s it. It’s an unfair way of doing things meant to control the players and picks - trading draft picks tends to mean more in the NFL deal, even though most picks past the third round are worthless - but the NBA way is more lenient.

Hubbard has NBA upside, but his problem is his size. He’s a 5-10 scorer with good outside range and an explosive step to get to the basket.

He’s ultra-quick, but he’ll have problems with an NBA guard with size. And then there’s the one big question mark - his passing.

It’s not that he can’t turn into more of a distributor, but that wasn’t really his role at Mississippi State. He only averaged 2.4 assists per game over his career - over three a game last year - didn’t come up with a ton of steals, and he’ll have to show the scouts he can tweak his style a bit.

But for all of the negatives he’s tough as nails, fearless, and has the upside to rise up into an all-around point guard with some scoring pop.

So will he go to the NBA or stick around Starkville? The best guess is that he’ll be back.

He could certainly play in the G League or take on other options, but at the moment he’s unlikely to be drafted. It doesn’t mean he shouldn’t give it a shot to see if someone takes a second round flier, but don’t be too worried yet.

Hubbard will most likely be one of the SEC’s biggest stars next year.

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Pete Fiutak
PETE FIUTAK

Notre Dame, Kansas, Illinois, and Mississippi State On SI. Publisher of CollegeFootballNews.com since 1998, writing more words about college football than any human ever. Worked for FOX Sports, USA TODAY, The Sporting News, and CBS Sports. America’s radio guest on ESPN, FOX, VSiN and several major market stations. Co-hosted shows on NFL Network, Big Ten Network, FOX Sports Radio, and for eight years was a talking head for Campus Insiders - now Stadium - including as an in-stadium co-host for the first four CFP National Championships. Heisman voter, FWAA Award winner, Doak Walker Award advisory board. Ordered by Keith Jackson to “call me Keith.” BlueSky @petefiutak.bsky.social and X @PeteFiutak

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